Building of the Day: 984 Atlantic Avenue

There are hundreds of interesting buildings in Brooklyn for which little information is available, so I’ve held off writing about them. This year, I’m going to feature some of those structures, and tell you what I can – because they too, are worthy of being a BOTD. Any information on them from you is always welcome.

Brooklyn, one building at a time.

Name: Parking garage/factory, originally an automobile showroom and service center.
Address: 984 Atlantic Avenue
Cross Streets: Corner Grand Avenue
Neighborhood: Prospect Heights
Year Built: 1920s
Architectural Style: Art Deco
Architect: Unknown
Landmarked: No

The story: Atlantic Avenue has been home to automobiles and automotive industries since the arrival of the automobile itself. Up until the early 20th century, the Long Island Rail Road used to run on the surface of the avenue, from Flatbush all the way out to Jamaica, Queens. Consequently, the road has always been mostly industrial or service oriented. A busy roadway and automobile businesses – a perfect match.

This is a great Art Deco building. Given the history of the neighborhood, I’d venture a guess that it was built as a showroom/service center for one of the big auto companies. Unfortunately, I found no ads, no press, and no mention of any company or building use in any of the local papers. So it’s going to remain a mystery, at least the answers are found off-line at the Historical Society or library.

I fear for buildings like this. I hope it is not purchased to tear down for condos. It would be great for it to be re-purposed as some kind of school or public entertainment facility, or housing. I’d even rather see it as another mega-storage place, although not by the company that covers all of its facades with plastic sheathing with their logo on it. Anything but a tear-down.

Look at it, it’s beautiful – you can see it once had showroom windows and a grand central entrance. The roofline is especially beautiful, with a stylized Deco sunburst in the middle, flanked by a series of Celtic knot type ornamental panels. They are all probably cast concrete, made to look like limestone. You don’t see these every day, and it remains one of the most striking of Atlantic Avenue’s buildings. A great example showing that industrial doesn’t have to mean plain or ugly.

(Photograph: S.Spellen)

GMAP