Lafco to oven on Lafayette St. (Retail New York).

Manhattan-based specialty store and personal care distributor, Lafco New York, has inked a deal for the first-ever, retail store devoted solely to Santa Maria Novella, one of the oldest pharmacies in the world, founded in Florence, Italy by Dominican monks in 1221.

Lafco New York serves as United States exclusive distributor of the super-luxury line of 13th century Italian perfumes and beauty-care products, which are used by such celebrities as Bette Midler, James Gandolfini and Cher.

The new store, located at 285 Lafayette St. (between Prince and Houston Streets), will feature the company's line of handcrafted soaps, fragrances, facial cremes, potpoums and shampoos, as well as Lafcols offices and showroom, which were formerly relocated at 200 Hudson St.

Located in one of SoHo's most creative and successful buildings, the space reflects the classic characteristics of the old Santa Maria Novella, boasting exposed brick, 12-foot classic columns, a 50-foot storefront protected by an elegant iron fence, and arched windows out looking from the building facade onto Jersey Street. The space will also feature separate entrances for the Santa Maria Novella store and Lafco offices. The store is slated to open in June 2003.

According to Christopher Owles, managing director of Sinvin Realty Corp. who represented the tenant in the transaction, they signed a 10-year lease for a total of 5,272 SF of space: 2,572 SF of ground floor which was divided for retail and office space and 2,671 SF of basement space.

The terms of the lease are undisclosed, but the asking price for the space had been $90 per SE The space was formerly occupied by Urban Archaeology.

Josh Straus of Robert K. Futterman & Associates, LLC. represented the landlord, Allied Partners Inc., in the transaction.

"After eight years in Tribeca, Lafcols decision to relocate was to create a retail environment for Santa Maria Novella which better suited its 800-year-old history and which is more easily accessible to its clientele" said Owles. "I was pleased to be able to find them a prime SoHo location, which will cater to their discerning clientele."

The 100,000-SF mixed-use loft building consists of 31 residential condoininiums (residents include such celebrities as David Bowie and wife man; hotelier Ian Schrager; professional tennis player Patrick McEnroe and New York Post publisher Lachian Murdoch) in addition to the 30,000 SF of retail space. The New York Public Library and Polo Ralph Lauren are currently also leasing ground-floor retail space in the building. The neighboring tenants include Details, Otto Tootsie Plohound, Triple Five Soul, and The Puck Building.