Nike faces more hurdles in opening of Nike SoHo flagship store

By

Kate Dingwall

Published
Nov 17, 2016

The much-anticipated new Nike flagship has reached another snag in attempts to open doors. The opening, set to happen last week, has been halted until further notice due to permit troubles. Nike Soho will take up five storeys and feature the newest in technological innovation from the brand.

SoHo neighborhood zoning laws prohibit retail spaces over 10,000 square-feet. Nike’s new SoHo location takes up 55,000-square-feet. Local protesters have been camped outside the Nike SoHo location and the Departments of Buildings, arguing the store is too big and that the certificate of occupancy should be revoked.

According to sources, the developers behind Nike’s new flagship purchased the wrong permit, registering as an alteration permit instead of a new building permit.

Nike SoHo already had a soft opening last week, bringing in celebrity guests and media personality. The store found out the morning of the Friday opening that it did not receive the correct permits and cancelled its plans to open to the public.

The store also announced several high-profile footwear collaborations to launch alongside the store opening, which have also been postponed.

The store will remain closed until it receives a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy.