Apple has begun work on an overhaul to the facade of its iconic New York City store on Fifth Avenue that will involve taking apart and putting back together the glass cube to make renovations.
Work began on the store last night, the details of which were pulled up by Apple retail tracking blog ifoAppleStore. According to permits acquired by the site (PDF), the cost of the project tops $6.6 million, and is slated to be completed by November.
Before getting too excited, you should know the work being done is mostly behind the scenes as opposed to making any dramatic changes to the store itself. Apple is renovating part of the drainage system in the square above the store, as well as replacing paving when done.
Apple opened up its Fifth Avenue store in May 2006, and since then it's gone on to become one of the most photographed spots in the city. Apple designed the underground store to be open 24 hours a day and support foot traffic from one of the city's busiest retail areas.
While Apple does not disclose how much its individual stores make, a report from 2009 suggested that Apple was pulling down $440 million a year in sales there, making it one of the most profitable businesses per square foot (during a recession no less).
Apple went with a similar below-ground store design in the Pudong district of Shanghai, which opened last year, though that store features a glass cylinder instead of a cube, a design that Apple applied to be trademarked in 2010.
Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-20071662-248/apple-begins-$6.6m-overhaul-on-nyc-cube-store/#ixzz1PgP2j1nt
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