The beloved retail store Century 21 is headed back in business after closing its stores due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The flagship store, housed inside the same Art Deco bank building at 22 Cortlandt St. in Lower Manhattan, New York City, that has stayed vacant through the pandemic, will reopen in the Spring of 2023 after an extensive renovation.
It occupies the base of a 34-story office tower, and it has recently added a Financier Patisserie coffee shop to its third floor.
The company was founded in 1961, by Sonny Gindi, Ralph Gindi, and Al Gindi. The original store is located at 472 86th Street in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Founder Al Gindi’s son, Raymond Gindi, served as Century 21’s chief operating officer.
The firm opened its first location outside of the greater New York metropolitan area in October 2014, housed on two floors of the former Strawbridge’s flagship on Market Street in Center City, Philadelphia.
On Thursday September 10, 2020, Century 21 filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, as a result of Insurance companies failing to financially support the chain during the COVID-19 pandemic. Century 21 closed all of its locations by Sunday, December 6, 2020, with a few exceptions; three locations closed on October 5, 2020, including The Mills at Jersey Gardens in Elizabeth, New Jersey, The Lincoln Square, Manhattan location near Lincoln Center location in New York City, New York and Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise, Florida. The other exception being the Bergen Town Center Store in Paramus, New Jersey closed on Saturday, December 5, 2020, due the Bergen County Blue Laws that prevents all non-essential retailers from operating on Sundays.
Now, just 2 years later they’re headed back in business with the hope to continue reopening additional stores if all goes as planned.
Century 21 is officially re-opening its NYC flagship store https://t.co/RigsEjW0sy
— Time Out New York (@TimeOutNewYork) May 17, 2022
