Good brokers don’t just sell property, they sell a vision, especially when dealing with raw land or an area on the cusp of change. Red Hook might have missed this past gentrification wave but the sleepy neighborhood of 11,000 will no doubt be flooded with shoppers once IKEA opens June 18. Change is inevitable, considering IKEA openings in far less dense cities have caused deadly stampedes, rendered stoplights useless and clogged expressways so badly desperate shoppers simply parked and hopped the fence (things calmed down after awhile). Some people try to push back the tides of change, others surf on them. Massey Knakal director of sales Landon McGaw told us he thinks the neighborhood is ripe for an outlet mall and said Thor Equities’ Revere Sugar Refinery site would be the perfect location. The refinery has been demolished, leaving a huge waterfront lot between Fairway Market and IKEA that allows 1.3 million square feet of development, according to Property Shark. “There’s no outlet shopping in all of New York City,” said McGaw, adding that he has a direct line to one of the nation’s most prolific outlet shopping mall owners and knows developers here who have been mulling the idea. “Vorando, Related [Companies], they all have their eye on Red Hook.” Just think, one day you could outfit your entire life for rock-bottom prices by visiting Red Hook’s waterfront: Nab your pre-fab dining room set and bold curtins at IKEA; last season’s J Crew khakis at Revere Outlet Mall; and gourmet fare at Fairway. See how Thor Equities responded after the jump…

Even if outlet shopping becomes a reality here, it would be several years off and we think it would run into considerable opposition. But like most suburban-style implants that offend many peoples’ most basic urban sensibilities, if an outlet mall actually opened it would probably be buh-nan-ahs. We asked Thor Equities spokesman Stefan Friedman if the retail magnate is considering McGaw’s idea (the above rendering, sans sign, was unearthed a while ago by Curbed and has a residential component). He responded with this statement: “280 Richards Street provides an enormous opportunity to develop something really special given Red Hook’s ongoing revitalization … We are therefore keeping all of our options open and look forward to hearing suggestions from the community about how to best develop this parcel.” So, what do you think?
StreetLevel: Hook IKEA Opening Soon [Brownstoner]
Revere Dome Comes Back to Life in Shipping Mall [Curbed]
IKEA Openings Everywhere Leave Path of Mayhem, Cars [Answers.com]