NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – An indoor soccer provider is set to open its first Manhattan location inside of a downtown office building, at a time when the city’s office market is still struggling to recover from the pandemic.
Socceroof was able to strike a deal for the 20,000 square feet space at Fosun Hive’s 28 Liberty St., according to Crain’s.
“There is incredible demand for access to quality soccer facilities in New York City, which is why we are pleased to open Socceroof’s first Manhattan location,” Thomas Costanzo, Global Partner of Fosun and CEO of Four Trees Asset Management said in a statement. “Socceroof has created an inclusive and dynamic environment across the boroughs, and this location will broaden Lower Manhattan’s recreational offerings year-round."
The sports location will offer recreational leagues, lessons for children and adults, and will be available to rent for private events.
Jean-David Tartour, one of Socceroof's French founders, had already built a successful indoor soccer business in France. Seeing an opportunity, Tartour decided to expand to the U.S. He decided to work with Jérôme Meary, a French agent for international Major League Soccer players, according to an interview he did with the New York Times. In 2018, they opened Socceroof in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.
The sports venue currently has four locations in New York—Sunset Park, Crown Heights and Long Island City, along with one in New Rochelle—and two in Montreal, Canada.
Fosun, a real estate firm based in China, purchased the 60-story, 2.5-million-square-foot building at 28 Liberty St. in 2013 for $725 million, according to property records.
Other tenants in the building include the New York Attorney General’s office, Chase Bank and HelloFresh.