RE:Store Tenant Application

Alliance for Downtown New York, Inc. (“Downtown Alliance” or “Alliance”) is the nonprofit organization that manages the Lower Manhattan Business Improvement District (the “District”), serving an area roughly from City Hall to the Battery, from the East River to West Street. The mission of the Downtown Alliance is to provide service, advocacy, research and information to advance Lower Manhattan as a global model of a 21st century Central Business District for businesses, residents and visitors. Click the link to view a map of our District. 

The Downtown Alliance is excited to launch RE:Store!

What is RE:Store? 

RE:Store is a Downtown Alliance program that supports small businesses, entrepreneurs, artists, not-for-profits and cultural organizations by offering the opportunity to temporarily activate space in Lower Manhattan storefronts. 

This program will connect these activators to local property owners to create engaging temporary pop-up experiences in vacant spaces downtown. In order to participate, you must present a concept for a retail-based activation that intends to use one of our spaces to generate revenue and enliven our streetscape. We are seeking creative ideas from entrepreneurs, artists, non-profit groups and beyond who would like the opportunity to reach a new audience, try out a new concept or establish a presence in Lower Manhattan. 

About the opportunity:

Lower Manhattan has been experiencing ongoing storefront vacancy since the Covid-19 pandemic. The Downtown Alliance is looking to activate a handful of these vacant storefronts with exciting pop-up retailers who will help us revitalize the neighborhood ahead of an expected influx of tourism next summer tied to the FIFA World Cup and America 250 celebrations. 

The Alliance team will assist with permitting where applicable, and offer support and services to selected activators. Selected pop-up activators will receive:

Potential spaces for this activation will be located in Lower Manhattan. Spaces may vary in size, averaging approximately 1,000 sf to 5,000 sf and will have visibility and entrance from the sidewalk. Spaces may be divisible and tenants may be asked to share space with another RE:Store retailer.

If you have any specific needs for your space, please include them in your application. Selected applicants will be matched with a storefront in Spring 2026 and given 6–8 weeks to make modest improvements to the design and build out before opening. Applications should reflect the temporary nature of this activation, which will require flexibility, creativity and quick turnaround to make the most of the allotted free space. 

RE:Store is now accepting applications through February 6, 2026. You’ll receive a confirmation notification once your application has been submitted and can expect to hear back with next steps following your application submission. Your application will be reviewed by an Evaluation Committee that will consider the strength of your proposal based on your experience, concept, capacity and how closely your activation aligns with the objectives of the RE:Store program.

Criteria

The Downtown Alliance is seeking pop-up tenants whose storefront activations will enliven the streets of Lower Manhattan. We will prioritize applicants based on the following factors, but we encourage you to apply even if you do not meet these criteria exactly:

  1. Intent to generate revenue through the pop-up, either through retail sales, event ticketing or another means. We are not seeking a tenant who is using the space exclusively as a workshop, office or studio space.
  2. Retail focus — no on-site food and/or beverage preparation; and the sale, service, or consumption of any tobacco or cannabis products or alcoholic beverages in any of the licensed spaces is strictly prohibited. Distribution of packaged food and/or beverage from off-site licensed production facility or kitchen is allowed.
  3. Minimum hours of operation — we encourage businesses to be open as much as possible, with a minimum commitment to 5 days per week and/or at least one weekend day and one day with evening hours.
  4. Experience with retail operations in New York City, with a preference for experience operating a storefront.

Timeline

Application due: February 6, 2026 at 3 p.m. EST
Notification to accepted tenants: March 23, 2026
Build-out/tenant improvement: approximately April – May 2026
Opening day: Memorial Day, 2026
Closing day: September 15, 2026
Vacate space: latest September 22, 2026

This application is for prospective tenants interested in operating a pop-up. If you are a property manager or landlord interested in hosting a pop-up, please reach out to the Downtown Alliance by emailing [email protected].

Learn more about the Downtown Alliance at https://downtownny.com/.

RE:Store Tenant Application

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