Century 21 to reopen in lower Manhattan

Century 21, the discount store New Yorkers know and love, will reopen within weeks at its flagship store in lower Manhattan in the shadow of the World Trade Center.

It was there, across the street from the shimmering towers, that faithful customers found their best bargains.

It was also there that the business was hit hard by the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, becoming an emotional flashpoint during and after 9/11.

The store was evacuated after the first plane hit the World Trade Center, and the interior was significantly damaged from the collapse of the twin towers.

Initially, it was not certain that the store would be rebuilt, but the owners opted to remain at the same site and the store was renovated and reopened on Feb. 28, 2002, five months after the attacks.

Thousands of people waited hours on the morning of the reopening so they could have a sales receipt from that day.

Then the store struggled to make ends meet during the early days of the corovavirus pandemic, filing for bankruptcy and shutting the Downtown store and 12 other location between October and December 2020.

Store executives said the decision was made after its insurance providers declined to pay roughly $175 million due in policies to protect Century 21 from the losses it has suffered throughout the pandemic.

Several months later, store executives announced that Century 21 would reopen in 2021, a move that was put off until now.

“This isn’t your average comeback story,” Marc Benitez, the store’s president, said at the time. “As we embark on this new chapter, we’ll be closely evaluating every aspect of the business — from the locations to the experience known to many as the thrill of the hunt.”

Benitez said that the plans would include opening stores outside the U.S. for the first time and opening stores in New York.

The re-opened Cortlandt Street location will span the four main floors of the original downtown space and will offer men’s, women’s and children’s designer apparel, footwear, outerwear, handbags, accessories and fragrances.