The mystery is over. J&R has posted a statement on its website. The relevant part:
On April 10, J&R will close its doors so that we can rebuild this location into what we hope will be an unprecedented retailing concept and social mecca. In order to facilitate this exciting new initiative, the buildings that J&R occupies have to be totally reimagined and redeveloped. We look forward to sharing more details of these change in the coming months.
And here’s a rendering of what it’ll look like in 2015 (although they had better act fast)….
Yikes. That is ghastly – and cheap-looking. That’s an important corner with many wonderful buildings adjacent – and city hall/city hall park. – and with so much money gushing into the neighborhood (like it or not) they should design something with a more sophisticated and enduring aesthetic. That rendering looks like a post-modern mall from the 90s.
If you think J&R will be ‘reopened’, I have bridge for sale.
My2p
I hope they don’t get that through landmarks, it’s a really ugly design. I’m not averse to social meccas but I agree that this looks like a bad mall.