New Big House Retail Idea Making the Rounds
The city is once again keen on the notion of adding retail to the ground floor of the Brooklyn House of Detention on Atlantic Avenue. Daily Intelligencer reported yesterday that city commissioners are shopping around a new proposal that will result in a vibrant shopping arcade for the building when it reopens at double its…
The city is once again keen on the notion of adding retail to the ground floor of the Brooklyn House of Detention on Atlantic Avenue. Daily Intelligencer reported yesterday that city commissioners are shopping around a new proposal that will result in a vibrant shopping arcade for the building when it reopens at double its old capacity in 2012. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill produced the rendering above as an example of what the space could look like, with Trader Joe’s as an imaginary anchor tenant. The revamped vision for the jail comes about a month after the Observer reported that the city had given up on its plans to allow for retail and condos in the property because of a lack of developer interest; a scheme to put a middle school in the jail also crashed and burned. Sandy Barboza, head of the Atlantic Avenue Betterment Association, told Daily Intel that the city was merely trying to soften the blow of the jail expansion. It is not worth retail to have the jail double in size, said Barboza.
Jail Reopening and Expansion Proposed [Daily Intel]
Plans for Ground-Floor Retail at Brooklyn House of Detention [NY Daily News]
Try, Try Again: Brooklyn’s Jail with Retail is Back [Curbed]
Brooklyn House of Detention Plans Falter [Brownstoner] GMAP
Rendering from Daily Intel.
No idea, but they have said they want to expand it whether that’s part of a larger project or not; maybe they don’t want to fill it up if they are going to have to empty it again in a few months for construction. The holiday theory is also a good one, though.
If everything works just fine why is it empty? Are they waiting for a holiday to reopen? What?
It hasn’t been sitting empty — it’s being used for arraignments and there’s definitely activity there. I know someone who spent 36 hours or so there a few months ago. I don’t know about every room or every floor, but I suspect the toilets and elevators work just fine.
I don’t think y’all need to worry about the thousands of dollars it may take to get the jail ready for re-use cause that will be in the same budget line AS THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE EXPANSION! …and the construction of the retail, as well, unless Barboza cuts off his nose to spite his face.
Luxury condos, ”The Big House” along with outdoor space, ”the Yard’….
just don’t get caught shop-lifting …
I think it has been closed and under renovations for longer than five years. Anybody have the real number of years?
Anyway, whether shuttered for five, seven or ten years, it is probably in pretty rough shape and will needs hundreds of thousands if not millions more to make it work. Think about things like elevators and kitchens not being used for five years. Forget it. This building is a dead hulk.
The building has been empty for 5 years but don’t the facts stand in the way.
“Plus you’re pretty much guaranteed bail bonds and maybe a few pawn shops. All class, all the way.”
AGAIN: LAW ENFORCEMENT SUPPLIES! Guns. Nightsticks. Tasers. Bullets. Practice-range targets.