Campbell Apartment Owners Sue The MTA

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — The revival of the swanky Campbell Apartment cocktail bar in Grand Central Terminal has been open for less than a year, but already has major problems with its landlord — The MTA.

Owners of The Campbell filed a lawsuit against the MTA claiming that the transit agency hasn't held up its end of a $1.1 million yearly lease, the a spokeswoman for the business confirmed. Bar owner Scott Gerber, of the Gerber Group, claims that the air conditioning in the bar is busted and that the transit agency is forcing the bar to hire MTA contractors for private events.

"We took action to make sure that guests always have the best experience at The Campbell Bar," Gerber said in a statement. "We hope the issues can be resolved quickly and amicably."

The Campbell's previous owner Mark Grossich, who was evicted by the MTA, told the New York Post: "I can relate to the fact that the MTA is an impossibly challenging landlord."

The new Campbell, located in the southwest corner of Grand Central opened to much fanfare in May 2017. The bar promised a "refined, yet approachable atmosphere," with signature cocktails and elevated bar food, according to a press release. The grandiose interiors of the original space — such as 25-foot hand painted ceilings, a grand stone fireplace and a large leaded glass window behind the bar — were largely maintained and restored by design firm Ingrao Inc.

The new space also promised to ditch the stuffy atmosphere and dress code of the old Campbell Apartment.

The Campbell is located in the former office of Jazz Age financier and member of the New York Central Railroad's Board of Director John Campbell. Campbell would use the space as a reception hall to entertain his friends and colleagues at night.

Photo courtesy of the Gerber Group