Muji Opening Outpost in 52 Cooper Square

Utilitarian Japanese container store, Muji, has grand plans to open an outpost near Astor Place. Inside 52 Cooper Square, to be precise. It’ll be the second downtown location for the company, behind SoHo.

The Real Deal reports that Muji inked a ten-year lease for the bi-level, 8,600 square-foot space, and should open sometime in April. That whole zone is transforming beyond control, spurred by the imminent completion of 51 Astor Place (i.e. the Death Star). This was reportedly the impetus behind the decision to open here. That and the “bleeding” retail traffic southeastward to the Bowery.

And so it goes that Astor Place (and the East Village) is becoming further mallified and primed for office space…