The Observer notes that developers will complete only 20,000 square feet of new office space this year in Brooklyn, compared to 165,000 feet in 2006. They got their numbers from a report out Monday from investment-sales brokerage Marcus & Millichap.
Regardless, says the Observer, "two big variables dangle in Brooklyn's commercial future: Atlantic Yards and Albee Square."
The Brooklyn Eagle reports that demolition has already begun on the parking garage of The Gallery at Fulton Mall to make way for the mammoth new Albee Square high-rise development.
The pretty rendering of the future home of Target and perhaps other major department stores in the former Fulton Mall (above left) comes from a promotional brochure for the Albee Square Mall obtained by the folks at The Real Estate, and to us via Curbed.
For some reason, it doesn't show the humongous (maybe 60-story) City Point tower, "a mixture of residential, retail [and maybe] hotel and office" that will be bonded to it.
The gritty two photos to the right are the Fulton Mall as it stood a couple of days ago. Workers were maneuvering equipment inside, preparatory to demolition.
Photos on right by MK Metz
Monday, December 10, 2007
Brooklyn Office Building Slows -- But Albee Square Mall Is Coming Down
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
RIP Albee Square Mall
The old Albee Square Mall at the eastern end of Fulton Street -- sold for $125 million last February -- is all but deserted. The planned Albee Center, replacing Albee Square Mall and its parking garage, will contain large mixed-use projects (according to the Brooklyn Eagle) for new offices, a new retail complex and a large residential complex.
According to Plan NYC, 20 percent of the new units would be for
tenants of moderate income. Underneath this giant apartment complex, which will become one of the tallest buildings in Brooklyn, will sit three stories of office space and four stories of new retail. Opponents are "fearful that a 'big-box chain' such as Wal-Mart might enter the retail section of the development."
Albee Square Mall Clears Out Brooklyn Eagle
Photos by MK Metz
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
One Less Stalled Development in Downtown Brooklyn
City Point, the major development proposed for Albee Square in Downtown Brooklyn, has received its preliminary allocation of $20 million in triple-tax exempt bonds from the federal stimulus program and will restart construction in early spring, according to the Brooklyn Eagle.
According to NYC's EDC, the bonds will be issued on Feb. 17, 2010. (The project was originally slated to be completed in 2010.)
That makes one less stalled development in Brooklyn, Land of the Frozen Construction Project.
The complex will now be built in two phases, according to the Observer.
Rendering courtesy of architects GreenbergFarrow
- More Changes Coming to Downtown Brooklyn (2009)
- Brooklyn's Municipal Building Facade Rehab Underway (2009)
- Brooklyn 2012 Video, In Celebration of City Point (2008)
- Brooklyn Office Building Slows, But Albee Square Mall Is Coming Down (2007)
- Brooklyn's City Point Compared to Time-Warner Center (2007)
- RIP Albee Square Mall (2007)
- Fulton Street Mall to get Quite the Overhaul (2007)
Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.
Thursday, June 19, 2014
Brooklyn Kids Block Party Thursday at Albee Square.in Downtown Brooklyn
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| Aly "Sunshine" and Johnny "Wheels" |
This week, Aly "Sunshine" and Johnny "Wheels" perform original kid- and parent-friendly melodies straight out of the 'Funky Town Playground.'
This singer/songwriter duo likes to share songs about mommy, baseball, boo boos, animals, trains and other cool kid stuff.
Also: On Saturday, June 21, Making Music New York comes to Albee Square and Willoughby Plaza for a day-long celebration of music-making the whole family will enjoy.
10am - Indika Rocks
12pm - b.FUNK
1pm - DeJaVoux
2pm - D.J. Mike Music
Now in its eighth year, Make Music New York is a festival of 1,000+ free concerts in public spaces throughout the five boroughs of New York City, all on June 21st, the first day of summer.
Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
New City Point Design Gets Preliminary Approval -- Downtown Brooklyn
There are still a few kinks to be ironed out, so current renderings are not yet available. City Point was once projected to be the tallest building in Brooklyn by far.
As a "stalled project," City Point was chosen to receive $20 million in federal stimulus financing.
New Design for City Point Phase IA Gets Preliminary Approval From Design Commission Brooklyn Eagle
- One Less Stalled Development in Brooklyn
- More Changes Coming to Downtown Brooklyn (2009)
- Brooklyn's Municipal Building Facade Rehab Underway (2009)
- Brooklyn 2012 Video, In Celebration of City Point (2008)
- Brooklyn Office Building Slows, But Albee Square Mall Is Coming Down (2007)
- Brooklyn's City Point Compared to Time-Warner Center (2007)
- RIP Albee Square Mall (2007)
- Fulton Street Mall to get Quite the Overhaul (2007)
Rendering courtesy of architects GreenbergFarrow
Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.
Monday, August 17, 2009
More Changes Coming to Downtown Brooklyn
A series of changes, some big, some small, are coming to Downtown Brooklyn. Here's a roundup of the latest:
- Columbus Park and its plaza next to Brooklyn Borough Hall will be transformed into “a vibrant, engaging public space." Plans include improving the park's landscaping and increasing activities on the plaza, such as a Brooklyn-themed miniature golf course, evening movies etc. Brooklyn Eagle
- The Bloomberg administration has picked City Point, the big housing and retail complex already started (but stalled) at the old Albee Square Mall, to receive $20 million in tax-exempt bonds financed by the federal stimulus program. New York Times
More details: affordable units going in first.
- Brooklyn BP Marty Markowitz is pushing for the city Department of Finance to move out of the Brooklyn Municipal Building and into the City Point tower, above. (He's also called for retail in the ground floor of the Municipal Building.) Crain's NY
- Catsimatidis' project on Myrtle Ave., near Flatbush Avenue Extension will be partially built by the first quarter of 2010; it will house a Duane Reade drugstore, a full-service neighborhood supermarket and 95 residential apartments. Brooklyn Eagle
- Hundreds of new residents will pour into downtown Brooklyn when its tallest building—the 51-story Brooklyner—opens in 2010 at 111 Lawrence Street. Observer
- Phase I of the Downtown Brooklyn Traffic Calming Project is finally underway. Streetsblog
- The city has all of the parcels necessary to create Willoughby Square Park. Construction was projected to start late 2009. Brooklyn Eagle
- Duffield Street in Downtown Brooklyn may soon be known as “Hotel Row.” On a block with three other hotels under construction, a fourth is planned. Brooklyn Eagle
- The Fulton Streetscape Project continues with new sidewalks on side streets, the demolition of old bus shelters, kiosks, etc. New bus shelters, benches, lights and more will be installed. An open space around Albee Square is being constructed. FMIA
- Upscale retail is planned for 345 Adams Street within the year. Brooklyn Eagle
Top photo by MK Metz
Municipal Building Rendering Courtesy of Studio AMD
Fulton St. rendering courtesy of the FMIA
Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Brooklyn in Brief, Saturday
- BP Marty Markowitz came out against the 60-foot residential tower planned by his friends at Two Trees (see All That's Left of 182 Atlantic Avenue), right next to the future Trader Joe's at 130 Court Street. The building would be 10 feet taller than allowed under existing zoning. Brooklyn Paper
- Developers: A parking lot at 430 Albee Square in Downtown Brooklyn is on the market, with an asking price of $10.8 million. It's directly across the street from the proposed Albee Square Mall redevelopment. Brooklyn Eagle
- Look what $16 million will get you in Newport, RI. New York Magazine
- The Brooklyn Heights Blog has a photo (by Kurt Dietrich) of last night's car fire on the Brooklyn Bridge.
- In the Hamptons, there's a direct inverse between how rich you are and how screwed you'll be if a hurricane hits. Curbed Beach Edition
- Drivers: there's a very nasty BQE on-ramp, the one for west-bound traffic just north of Congress Street. The BQE Watch blog says: "Frequently there are ambulances, police cars, and, worst of all, distraught people emerging from automobiles." Check out the photos and map here.
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival comes to Albee Square, Crown Heights, Brooklyn Bridge Park
The Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival is throwing a party this week that includes a film festival, the Juice Hip Hop Exposition, a free block party, talks and, on July 15, the grand finale concert.
The Hip-Hop Institute takes place on July 12, 10am-7pm,
at Medgar Evers College. The theme of the day/conference is “Speak The
Truth." Discuss issues of empowerment, social justice, health &
wellness, as well as entrepreneurship. The programming consists of
lectures, panels, and various workshops.
On Thursday, July 13th*, stop by Albee Square for the Spread Love Block Party from 4-9pm. Dance as DJ Spinna and DJ Uncle Ralph McDaniels spin on the 1s and 2s; hang in the beer garden, and stick around for some giveaways from the festival.
The big highlight comes on July 15, with the grand finale concert in Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Full schedule here.
Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Big Dig On Downtown Brooklyn's Fulton Street
Just yesterday we heard that construction is actually beginning on City Point at the old Albee Square site on the Fulton Mall.
As work begins on that long-anticipated four-story, retail building, the Fulton Streetscape Project in Downtown Brooklyn continues with the street itself being dug up for two blocks east of Adams Street. The project has already brought new sidewalks and lighting to Fulton Street. Other improvements will include new street trees, furnishings such as bus shelters, and infrastructure improvements.
According to the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, new benches and bicycle racks will be installed along the length of Fulton Street. The new 17,000 sf open space at Albee Square across from City Point will receive new benches and plantings, creating a larger public gathering space.
UPDATE: The Brooklyn Eagle reports that the project is actually ahead of schedule and may be completed this fall.
- Out With the Old Sidewalk, In With the New On Fulton Street, Downtown Brooklyn (2009)
- Fulton Street, Downtown Brooklyn: Will Its Glory Days Return?
- What Brooklyn's Fulton Street Will Look Like in 2009
- Fulton Street Mall To Get Quite the Overhaul (2007)
Photo by MK Metz
Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Brooklyn's 'City Point' Compared to the Time-Warner Center; Can an Apple Store Be Far Behind?
One of the details in all the stories about the $9 billion make-over of Downtown Brooklyn regards what the Brooklyn Eagle's Dennis Holt calls the "new center of things": the 1.5-million-square-foot development on the site of the old Albee Square Mall, which will be called City Point. Its rendering suggests that it may become the tallest building in Brooklyn.
Says Holt, "At the moment, the development will consist of 475,000 square feet of retail space, 125,000 square feet of office space, mixed-income residential units and parking. It is already being compared to the Time-Warner Center in Manhattan. Demolition of the old mall building’s existing parking garage will begin in a few weeks."
We smell an Apple Store. And hey -- doesn't the Time-Warner Center have a Whole Foods downstairs?
$9 Makeover to Transform Downtown Brooklyn Brooklyn Eagle
Friday, April 9, 2010
New City Point Design Approved in Downtown Brooklyn
The designer said at a Community Board 2 meeting that the design took its cues from the adjacent Dime Savings Bank and the old Albee Theatre that was originally on the City Point site.
Photo by MK Metz
Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Brooklyn's Municipal Building Facade Rehab Underway
Restoration work on the facade of Brooklyn's Municipal Building (210 Joralemon Street at Court Street, Downtown Brooklyn) is set to begin. Scaffolding (faintly visible to the left) is being erected on the north side, and numbered patches have appeared on the west facade (see photo below).
The restoration program encompasses facades and setbacks, including repair of cracked and spalled limestone masonry cladding, pointing, glass and glazing work, and coating of structural steel, according to Superstructures, which is providing investigation and design services.
The restoration will also address Local Law 11 related conditions, according to Superstructures.
According to Minority Commerce Weekly, the estimated project range is $100,000 to $175,000.
Numbered patches on the facade next to the missing chunk .Is this a lead-up to the much-discussed conversion of the bottom two floors of the building to 22,000 square feet of retail space? (See New York Daily News, Curbed, Brooklyn Paper, Brooklyn Eagle.) This idea was first run up the flagpole by the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership in 2007.
The Municipal Building presently houses city offices like a City Finance Department office and the Brooklyn office of the City Clerk.
In his 2009 State of the Borough speech, BP Marty Markowitz called for Finance to move out of the Municipal Building and become an anchor tenant at City Point (at the site of the old Albee Square Mall). The City Point project is currently stalled.
Markowitz said the move would open the building to retail uses such as Crate and Barrel, Nordstrom Rack or Saks Off 5th.
Let's hope the rehab won't affect the "wonderful Missouri brachiopods" that can be found embedded in walls (most likely interior) in the building. Brachiopods, according to the New York Times, are primitive shellfish that are almost as old as life itself.
Top two photos by MK Metz
Rendering Courtesy of Studio AMD
Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Is Staples Coming to Downtown Brooklyn?
Staples is looking to hire a retail store manager to coordinate and manage all operations for a store in the 11201 area of Brooklyn. (They are also looking for an assistant manager and other personnel.)
There is no Staples in the 11201 area. The 4th Avenue store is in 11215. The Greenpoint store is 11222. The Flatbush Avenue Staples is in the 11226 area.
Maybe it's just a quirk of the Staples hiring website, but -- Is it possible that Staples is planning a Downtown Brooklyn location?
It would have to be a relatively large space. The Staples we've visited always had two floors of retail.
The bottom two floors at 345 Adams Street (adjacent to the Marriott and the planned Morton's Steakhouse) are being developed as retail space -- this might be a good spot for for a Staples (though we were really holding out for an Apple store.)
Or maybe somewhere in City Point, the 1.5-million-square-foot development on the site of the old Albee Square Mall.
Anyone?
Manager job application here.
Assistant manager job application here.
Could 345 Adams Street be the future site of a Downtown Brooklyn Staples?
- The 'Secret History' of the Big Blank Wall at 345 Adams Street
- 345 Adams Street, Downtown Brooklyn
- Red Blooded Downtown Brooklynites to Dine on Barely-Cooked Steak at 'Morton's The Steakhouse' -- and Apple (Or Maybe Barneys) Might Move In Next Door
- Apple Store in Brooklyn -- A Recommendation
- Brooklyn's 'City Point' Compared to the Time-Warner Center; Can an Apple Store Be Far Behind?
Photo by MK Metz
Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Fulton Street Mall to Get Quite the Overhaul
NY1 reports that the Bloomberg administration announced plans Monday to spend $15-million to overhaul Downtown Brooklyn's Fulton Street Mall.
Along with a slew of nice street furniture and other improvements, a new plaza -- with 10,000 square feet of open space -- will border the always impressive (even with scaffolding around it) Dime Savings Bank building and the former Albee Square Mall property on Fulton Street.
NY1 story here.
Photo by MK Metz
Thursday, June 2, 2011
City Point in Downtown Brooklyn Getting There
Phase 1 of the new four-story City Point building on Fulton Street (on the site of the old Albee Square Mall) has been topped with a slanted roof, revealing the bones of its final shape, as seen in the rendering below. Phase 1 is scheduled to be finished by spring, 2012.
According to the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, planning and design is underway for additional development that will "seamlessly connect to the first phase."
The interim plan is to use re-purposed shipping containers to transform the north side (Flatbush Ave. and Willoughby St.) into a retail space called Dekalb Market for small businesses. Dekalb Market will launch sometime this summer, using 40 salvaged shipping containers from nearby ports to house chefs, artists, clothing makers and more.
Vendors include Daga Antiques, Dalaga, 3rd Ward, Harriet's Alter Ego, Little Poco, My Little India, Kudu-lah, Wright and Goebel Wines, food stores and restaurants including Maharlika, Sour Puss Pickles, Joe, Robicelli's Cupcakes, Chozen Ice Cream and Cuzin's Duzin (do-nuts).
According to Eater, the project will also include an "incubator farm" run by local farmers that will serve as an educational resource for the community.
Top photo by MK Metz
Rendering courtesy of Cook+Fox Architects
Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Fulton Street, Downtown Brooklyn: Will Its Glory Days Return?
Fulton Street in Downtown Brooklyn is again undergoing a "transition." Here are a few of the latest pluses and minuses.
On the plus side:
+ The $15 million Fulton Streetscape Project (left) continues. The project will create improved landscaping, modern street furniture, and additional seating and public spaces on Fulton Street. Downtown Brooklyn Partnership
+ H & M will be opening on Fulton Street (at Bridge) in spring, 2010.
On the minus side:
- City Point, which was supposed to transform the Albee Square site on Fulton Street into Brooklyn's tallest (65 stories?) building, is on "pause," according to Crain's NY.
- The asking retail rents on Fulton Street have fallen by a third from their high in 2007, again according to Crain's.
- An Arby's fast food joint -- not Amy Ruth's -- is moving into the landmarked building that housed Gage & Tollner for more than a century.
- A second-hand shop -- Unique Thrift Store -- will be moving into space that was supposed to be a Steve & Barry's store at 408 Fulton St. According to the New York Post, the space includes the basement and ground, second and third floors of the former Woolworth Building.*
Perspective
The Pardon Me For Asking blog helps put this all into a historical perspective. PMFA got ahold of a New York Times article from 1947 that describes how new zoning would "bar all except high class retailers" from Downtown's Fulton Street, turning it into something similar to Manhattan's Fifth Avenue.
In its heyday, the street was a "department store Mecca," home to A&S, Loesers and Namms, and other great retailers.
Will the glory days return to Fulton?
________________
*The Woolworth's on Fulton Street opened sometime around 1900. According to the book "Remembering Woolworth's," by Karen Plunkett-Powell, the grand opening crowd was so large police had to be called in. "150 pretty girls" were on hand to tend to the shoppers. (Mr. Woolworth himself lived in a mansion in Bedford Stuyvesant.)
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
'John Doe Duffle Bag' Picked Up; Kids Can Go to School Online; and More Brooklyn Briefs
- A Staten Island man in his 60s, dubbed "John Doe Duffel Bag," was picked up by police for questioning in connection with a series of shopkeeper slayings, ABC News reports.
- Kids affected by Hurricane Sandy can go to school online now. Brooklyn Eagle
- Some local people protested the opening of the new Armani Exchange at the former Albee Square Mall on Saturday. The Local
- Public Advocate Bill de Blasio and Council Member Elizabeth Crowley want a serious review of the New York City 911 system, which couldn't keep up with call volume during Hurricane Sandy. Brooklyn Eagle
- U.S. food banks raise alarm as drought dents government supplies. Reuters
Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Brooklyn 2012 Video, in Celebration of Citypoint
In light of the newest renderings of the Citypoint development to be located at the present site of the Fulton Mall , 
we thought it'd be fun to watch the Brooklyn 2012 video again.
Demolition has already begun on the parking garage of The Gallery at Fulton Mall to make way for the mammoth (expected to be taller than the Williamsburg Bank Building -- but GREEN! -- high-rise development.
Previous stories about the redevelopment of the Albee Square Mall site here.
Monday, March 26, 2007
City: Developer Joe Sitt a 'Huckster'?
The NY Post says that City officials have called developer Joseph Sitt -- the man promising a "Vegas-glitz makeover for Coney Island" a huckster with a history of flipping properties for a fast buck.
One Post source said, "He's done it already in Coney Island and other Brooklyn projects like [Downtown Brooklyn's] Albee Square Mall, and who's to say he won't play the city again?" For more see here.
Previous post on the Coney Island redevelopment plan here.
Photo by Slava, Creative Commons license.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
The 2 New Free Wi-Fi Phone Booths in Brooklyn
The wireless signal will extend from 100 - 200 feet from the booth. (A wireless router is installed on the top of the booth.) It will work with smart phones, laptops, tablets, and other Wi-Fi devices. No password is needed.
“One of the most frequent requests from New Yorkers is for more public WiFi in public spaces,” said Chief Digital Officer Rachel Sterne. She said that the city already provides free WiFi access in every library branch and more than 40 parks.
Since both Brooklyn hotspots are in areas where cell phone thefts are not unknown, we suggest keeping tabs on your device while you surf.
According to the provider's (NetNearU Wireless) license, the company does not screen or restrict any access to the Internet.
Photos by Google Maps
Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.
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