Thor Equities Defaults On Loan Payments At SoHo Retail Location

115 Mercer St.

A special servicer has taken over Thor Equities' loan on a building in SoHo, more evidence that landlords are feeling the squeeze in the city’s challenged retail environment.

The Joseph Sitt-led company defaulted on a $37M loan on the property at 115 Mercer St., The Wall Street Journal reports.

Kooples rents the building, and has been negotiating with Thor over the terms of the lease.

As well as the Mercer Street location, a mortgage Thor holds on an Upper East Side property went into special servicing last year, according to the newspaper.

Across Manhattan, retailers, landlords and developers have been dealing with a challenging environment for retail, as shopping habits increasingly shift online.

Late last month, Tommy Hilfiger announced it is closing its flagship store on Fifth Avenue.

Polo Ralph Lauren shut its flagship there in April 2017, amid falling sales and stagnant profits. Lord & Taylor closed earlier this year, with WeWork buying the building.

Landlords have been contending with widespread vacancies across the city, with SoHo’s availability at 25%, according to Cushman & Wakefiled data cited by the WSJ.

Thor has been shedding assets, but still owns around $5B worth of Manhattan properties. It had been planning an office and retail project in Red Hook, but has pivoted to last-mile warehouse development for the site.

Continue reading this story with a free account

Log in or register
Sign up for more articles like this
Subscribe to Bisnow's New York Newsletters
Related Stories

Philly Retail Momentum Spills From Rittenhouse Into Northern Liberties

How Long Island Projects Can Cut Through Red Tape And Community Opposition To Cross The Finish Line

Forget Buildings, Retailers Are Leasing Environments

Empire State Building Observation Deck Hemorrhaging Visitors, Value

Slate, Hudson Cos. Picked To Develop Massive Queens Housing Project

BXP's 343 Madison Lands $1.2B Loan, Nears Deal With Equity Partner

Immigration Crackdowns Dealt LA Businesses A Multimillion‑Dollar Blow

Mamdani Adds Millions To Program Helping Retailers Negotiate With Landlords

Canadian REIT Buys Brooklyn Medical Office For $90M: The N.Y. Deal Sheet

NYC Stops Construction On Another Office-To-Residential Conversion As Inspectors Descend On Job Sites

SL Green Cashing In On Surging Manhattan Office Market

Developers Build More Bedrooms As 99-Unit Projects Dominate