MANHATTAN — The former home of a Bleecker Street bodega is set to become the first United States outpost of a French chain of art galleries.
The art exhibition space Carré d’Artistes has signed a lease for 241 Bleecker St., located west of Sixth Avenue, Massey Knakal Realty Services announced Thursday.
The 1,500-square-foot space — wedged between Bleecker Street stalwart Rocco's Pastry Shop and Espresso Cafe and Bleecker Street Records — was the former location of Green Village, which lost its lease in August.
The storefront rented for $170 per square foot, according to the Shopping Center Group broker Bertrand de Soultrait, who represented the gallery. This places the rent at more than $21,000 per month.
Carré d’Artistes, which has 15 locations in Europe, aims to show the work of artists known and obscure, with some pieces available for under $100.
"A real alternative in the art world, making contemporary art accessible, Carré d’Artistes is ambitious, generous and respectful of artists," the company says on its website.
Information on when the gallery will open was not immediately available.
Massey Knakel broker Brendan Gotch, who represented the building owner, said rent costs for commercial space on the high-traffic street are climbing.
“Bleecker Street continues to see rising retail rents, and I am sure that this fantastic new art gallery will help further the development of the block,” he said in a statement.
