More Details on Muni Building Retail; Tish Displeased

At a press conference yesterday more information came to light about how a portion of the Municipal Building is going to be developed: Entrances will be carved out of the Court Street side of the building (see a rendering on the jump); developer Al Laboz says he wants the restaurant going in to be “hip,” and the city’s contract with him stipulates that it can’t be a chain with 15 or more locations; a home furnishings store is also supposed to be part of the mix; and Laboz is paying $10 million for the 50,000 square feet on part of the building’s first and second floors. The Times reports that some people who went to the announcement “questioned the need for more expensive shops in a neighborhood that already has a Barneys and is soon to have a Shake Shack,” and NY1 has quotes from Councilwoman Tish James that are critical of the deal. James says the city is “trying to attract or cater to high-end wage earners” at the expense of other neighborhoods like Brownsville and East New York. “At this point in time I say to the mayor of New York it’s not just benign neglect, it’s intentional neglect of communities who need it most,” says James. Meanwhile, while Marty Markowitz supports the building’s development, he’s still upset that Apple doesn’t have plans to open a store in Brooklyn, according to the Post.
Mayor Announces Developer Of Brooklyn Municipal Building [NY1]
City Selling Space in Brooklyn Building [NY Times]
“Cool, Hip” Restaurant Coming to Brooklyn Municipal Building [Patch]
Marty Markowitz Wants to Know Why Apple Won’t Open a Store in Brooklyn [NY Post]
Retail Plan Aims to Aid Downtown Brooklyn [Crain’s]