By Rebecca Baird-Remba February 16, 2023 11:59 am

A preschool and tattoo studio have both signed new leases at 80 Eighth Avenue in Chelsea, landlord GFP Real Estate announced.

Buckle My Shoe Preschool inked a 10-year deal for 6,635 square feet of ground-floor retail and basement space in the building, which is at the northeast corner of 14th Street and Eighth Avenue. A GFP spokesperson declined to provide the asking rent for the space.

Matthew Mandell of GFP represented both the landlord and the tenant in this deal.

It plans to relocate from a smaller space at 230 West 13th Street, about two blocks away. Its new Eighth Avenue outpost will include nine classrooms, an art room, a gym, a kitchen, and a greenhouse. Tenants in the building will also be able to send their children to Buckle My Shoe, which is expected to open next September, at a discounted rate.

Linda Ensko, the principal of Buckle My Shoe, said the move was “a win-win. It allows us to accommodate significantly more children while meeting the incredibly high demand of nearby residents who have been yearning for more infant care options in the neighborhood for years.”

The second, smaller lease was with Dot Creative Group, a private, appointment-only tattoo studio. Dot Creative took 2,323 square feet for five years on the 10th floor of the building. GFP will build out several offices and a kitchen for the tenant, along with putting in energy-efficient lighting. Dot will relocate from 2 West 46th Street in Midtown in the next few months.

William McGowan of SquareFoot Realty represented the tenant in the lease negotiations, and Mandell once again handled the deal for the landlord. McGowan didn’t immediately return a request for comment.