Avalon Buys More Bridge Street Props from United Land

Based upon two recent closings, it seems all but certain that Virginia-based Avalon Bay is in the process of purchasing a large cluster of properties at the corner of Bridge and Willoughby Streets in Downtown Brooklyn from Al Laboz's United Land that could result in the construction of an 800,000-square-foot building. The deal first caught our attention in November when the two parties closed on the transfer of 381 Bridge Street for $5,125,000. Now, public records show that Avalon purchased another two parcels from United Land in December: 379 Bridge Street (aka 88 Willoughby) for $6,283,000 and 387 Bridge Street for $11,639,000; the two properties come with total buildable square feet of 36,000 and 72,000, respectively.
United Land Unloading Bridge Street Site to Avalon? [Brownstoner] GMAP
Photo by Scott Bintner for Property Shark

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Twenty years ago that entire block, on both sides, was Brooklyn's answer to the retail fabric shops in the garment district. There were at least 8 fabric stores, sewing machine outlets, and a trim and notions store. Many of them had been there for years and were run by little old garmento types, iconic New Yorkers. I used to costume entire shows from that block alone, and rarely needed to go into Manhattan for fabrics. One by one they disappeared, replaced by bargain outlets and 99 cent shops, and now everything is gone.

I know "progress" is inevitable, but a lot was lost over the years. Brooklyn no longer has a concentration of fabric stores (there also used to be 3 or 4 on Livingston, too) which used to be filled with Caribbean shoppers, costume and fashion people, students and professionals. While we're at it, the garment center in Manhattan is also slowly disappearing.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at January 7, 2009 10:42 AM

Having grown up a Queens girl, I never did the fabric district down here (there's actually one cheap fabric store left on Bridge St., wonder for how long!) But my mom, a brilliant home seamstress, would drag me to Union Square to Paterson Silks, and for higher-end projects we'd troll the garment district. The old guys there would give her yards of fabulous costume remnants for Girl Scout projects; we made the coolest beanbags and pot holders in Queens, with sequins, metallics, and tassels. Unfortunately, the fall of home sewing spelled the death of many fabric stores,esp. in the city where most women work FT. Caribbean women, who tend to be fantastic home sewers, (and the Carnival costume business, I suspect) have kept the last few going. Just one more "real" business going the way of the butcher, baker and candlestick maker, sadly.

Posted by: Brenda from Flatbush at January 7, 2009 11:04 AM

Brenda, Paterson Silks was one of my faves too. They had an amazing amount of goods in there. They weren't cheap, either.

It used to be that fabric stores were like Duane Reade's. Every neighborhood had at least one, and they were scattered everywhere. Do you remember the fabric row on 57th St in Manhattan, between 6th and 7th Ave's? Who would have thunk it, now?

With clothes so cheaply available, people just don't sew for themselves and their families like they used to. With the economy falling, it would be interesting to see if the interest in sewing comes back.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at January 7, 2009 11:35 AM

i would LOVE to sew and make my own clothes. i used to altar a lot of them all the time and that was always fun. someone tried to show me how to use an electric sewing machine but it just wasnt sticking in my brain, i couldnt do it :(

*rob*

Posted by: PitbullNYC at January 7, 2009 11:40 AM

With all the unused space on the upper floors of the buildings on Fulton, why can't at least one owner open up a floor or two to some of these displaced businesses? Sewers are willign to go upstairs -- it's truly is destination shopping,. they can keep the ubiquitous cell phone and sneaker stores on the ground floor. Where is Joe Chan? I fear that his interest is in gentrifying... not saving, when possible, these things that make the neighborhood unique and valuable to the city overall.

Posted by: BH76 at January 7, 2009 11:40 AM

There is a renewed interest in sewing, and huge crafts renaissance that's been going on for the past five to ten years, largely aided by the networking powers of the internet.

So in other words, that row of three-story buildings is going to be bulldozed?

Posted by: dash at January 7, 2009 12:00 PM

Yeah- those were the glory days! I costumed many a show also, decorated my home, frittered away hours lusting over beautiful fabrics. I bet home sewing does make a comeback- my dad was a garmento. He would bring home scads of fabrics and my mom made sure we knew how to sew. My first real artwork was soft sculpture and quilting, and to some extent even today my artwork remains heavily influenced by all of that.

Posted by: bxgrl at January 7, 2009 12:21 PM

Hey Mr. B, how big does 800,000 square feet translate into (in terms of how high the building will be)? I know that footprint will be huge because it takes up most of the Willoughby-Duffield-Bridge block.

Posted by: FtGreeneCorey at January 7, 2009 2:05 PM

avalon bay getting its jpmorgan on. toll bros where art thou?

Posted by: BrooklynLove at January 7, 2009 3:04 PM

Corey, for comparison, Toren is 320,000 square feet, and is going up to 38 stories. And 111 Lawrence St is 456,000 square feet and 51 stories.

Posted by: zinka at January 8, 2009 12:47 AM

Oh my the loss of Brooklyn's sewing district...kind of reminds me of when the slide-rule district shut down - so sad

The new building being proposed is 58stroies 596ft - according to Brooklyn Eagle.

Posted by: fsrg at July 14, 2009 11:12 AM