“Say goodbye to Union Square’s old P.C. Richard & Son, and hello to the city’s next big epicenter for tech companies,” Curbed NY predicted earlier this year. The opening line sounds all too familiar. As gentrification sweeps its way through downtown Manhattan, stories pile up about the new “improvements” knocking down New York’s classic establishments. But Curbed got it wrong. P.C. Richard & Son is defying the gentrification stereotype. It’s here to stay.
Michael Castro, an employee at P.C. Richard & Son, had new contradicting information on the store’s alleged closing. “A lot of people think we are leaving.” He continued, “But we just got the word that the store will actually stay at the base of this new huge building.”
P.C. Richard & Son, located on 14th Street hunkered between New York University’s massive Palladium dorm and a Best Buy superstore, will just be the base of the new Union Square Tech Hub, which will soon go under construction in 2018. The new massive contemporary building will cost 250 million dollars to construct but will create 600 jobs in the tech industry and employ 800 construction workers to build it. Mayor Bill de Blasio first announced plans for the 250,000- square foot tech masterpiece in December. The new building will allow space for tech start-ups and training center for tech professionals, according to a story by Techcrunch.
During the construction period, P.C. Richard & Son will shut down for two years as construction is set to finish in 2020. But the current employees at P.C. Richard & Son will not go temporarily without a job. Castro, who has worked there for over seven months, said, “We will be relocated to other stores while they build the new tech hub and then come back.“
Loyal customers might experience a bigger hit than the current employees during these two years. Castro noted, “We have been getting a lot of complaints that people are not comfortable with us even closing during the renovation. The closest one to us is 23rd and 6th, so that store will probably see an increase in customers soon.”
So who are these loyal customers? When I walked around the store on a typical Monday night, I saw employees hug incoming customers and shake hands with new ones. Castro explained, “A lot of neighborhood people come here. Born and raised around here. It’s almost like a family of customers. It’s going to be very difficult for them not to come around when this is under construction.” He continued, “I see a lot of the same people all the time. A lot of consistent customers.”
At P.C Richard & Son it’s not just about selling the appliances or pushing products on new college students trying to buy their first air conditioner. “For a lot of customers, it’s really like family here. They come in and just give us high fives, hugs and a nice ‘how are you?’ We catch up a lot of times. Just regular life stuff. People don’t just come here to buy something. They come here to actually have conversation,” said Castro.
In the midst of great change on 14th street, and new people crossing the transit-heavy street every day, P.C Richard & Son is all about making old customers feel continued appreciation and showing that same sense of community to a new frantic NYU student with her parents coming in just trying to buy her first household appliance.
Castro smiled when talking about his customers. He said, “When I left for a couple of months, a gentleman came in here everyday and asked for me.” He paused, and his smile grew wider. He continued, “A couple days ago, he came in while I was on break, and my manager called me down. He was so excited I was back, and I was too. That’s what we make here. Friends.”