For more than 11 years, the corner of 51st Street and Avenue of the Americas on the west side of Rockefeller Center was home to SportsNet NY’s television studio, broadcasting live Mets games throughout the tri-state region. On October 2, Major League Baseball (MLB) opened the MLB Flagship Store, keeping America’s pastime at the iconic 1271 Avenue of the Americas location.
Following a $600 million renovation of the building, Rockefeller Group, the developer and owner of the building, saw a tenant turnover in the building, including the departure of SNY. However, in October 2019, MLB announced that the flagship store would be coming to midtown. MLB partnered with Legends, a premium experiences company with global expertise across merchandising, sales, partnerships, planning, technology, and hospitality, to build and operate the first permanent MLB retail store in the United States.
According to a press release issued by MLB, who also moved its corporate headquarters to 1271 in January of 2020, the state-of-the-art retail destination features the widest in-store assortment of MLB products anywhere in the world. The store spans two floors, includes approximately 10,000 square feet and houses 100 different apparel styles.
“With a wide assortment of merchandise and showcasing products from all 30 Clubs, the MLB Flagship Store offers something for all of our fans,” said Noah Garden, MLB Chief Revenue Officer. “We expect the MLB Flagship Store to be more than a retail location. Over time, we plan to host MLB player appearances, special events, product unveilings and more as the location establishes itself as a new way for fans to celebrate all things Major League Baseball.”
For Rockefeller Group, adding the MLB store to its already impressive roster of ground floor tenants is another testament to the location and that Midtown Manattan remains a destination for office, retail and dining tenants.
