(Image Source: Rob Bennett for The Wall Street Journal)

BY: MEGAN NOE

The biggest Apple store in the world plans to make the Big Apple home.
The tech giant has inked a deal with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to join New York’s Grand Central Terminal. WABC has more.

“The MTA will vote this week on whether to approve the plan for the 23,000 square foot store. They’ll be located at the Terminal’s north and northeast balconies. Apple would sign a ten-year lease at a rate of 800,000 dollars a year. Having the Apple store at Grand Central is estimated, though, to bring the MTA five million dollars in profits over the course of that deal.”

Apple Insider has mapped out the space, which will join a Shake Shack in the iconic landmark. Though Apple hasn’t released any images, The Wall Street Journal has this artist’s rendering, and an MTA spokesperson says unlike other locations, there would be no glass structure around the showroom.

The plans aren’t without critics. The Wall Street Journal says some MTA board members pointed out the growing divide between Grand Central and across-town Penn Station with sarcastic comments.

“‘It makes the Penn Station customers no longer second-class citizens,” he said. “It makes them third-class citizens.’”

And:

“‘This creates not only a digital, but a cheeseburger divide, between the two.’

And ZDNet says-- it’s a traffic jam waiting to happen.

“The one potential issue? Trying to get to work at Grand Central as hundreds of people line up for the latest iPhone. If any part about the deal should give the MTA -- and New Yorkers -- pause, that should be it.”

Still, Mobiledia writes -- human gridlock just means good business for Apple.

“The very fact that the proposed location is the site of a bus and train hub means Apple will be able to service residents of New York's outlying boroughs, not to mention the commuters... without having to operate stores in those separate locations.”

And The VAR Guy says -- this is only the beginning for Apple.

“Bigger picture? Keep gearing up for the consumerization of IT. Apple is expanding aggressively with their technology, their retail outlets and their corporate infrastructure. I believe that something very big is going to come out of Cupertino soon, and it’s not a new iPhone or iPad…”

If given final approval by the MTA board Wednesday, Apple plans to start building immediately and could be finished within four months.

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