Google cancels plans to open its first-ever retail store in New York City - after spending a stunning $6 million on renovations

Google has canceled plans to open up its first-ever US retail store in New York City, even after spending millions of dollars updating the proposed location, Daniel Geiger reports for Crain's.

We first heard about Google's plans to open a brick-and-mortar store in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood, about a block away from the Apple store, last year.

The idea was to give consumers a place to get their hands on products like its Chromebook laptops or Nexus smartphones.

The company opened a retail kiosk inside of another electronics store in London earlier this year, where the company said it wanted to give people a "uniquely-Googley" experience while selling them electronics.

The New York City location, by contrast, was supposed to be a whole store, instead of a shop-within-a-shop.

Google poured $6 million into the 131 Greene Street location for renovations, Geiger reports, on improvements like glass skylights and exposed-brick walls. The company is now reportedly looking to rent the space for $2.25 million annually.

Here's what the front of the Greene Street location looked like in September 2014, according to Google Maps:

Google isn't the only tech company that has considered starting to copy-cat Apple's successful brick-and-mortar strategy. Microsoft just opened its first retail store in New York City, and Amazon was reportedly planning to open one last year, although those ambitions fizzled.

Business Insider reached out to Google for comment.