Upscale Lofts in Craptacular Mall's Future
The Fulton Mall, symbol of all that’s down-market in Brooklyn, may be taking the first step in an image make-over with loft conversion plans underway for one the area’s most glorious architectural gems. According to Brooklyn Papers, 505 Fulton Street is likely the first target: My experience is loft conversion in Soho and Tribeca, said…
The Fulton Mall, symbol of all that’s down-market in Brooklyn, may be taking the first step in an image make-over with loft conversion plans underway for one the area’s most glorious architectural gems. According to Brooklyn Papers, 505 Fulton Street is likely the first target: My experience is loft conversion in Soho and Tribeca, said Albert Laboz, the owner of 505 Fulton Street and co-chairman of the Fulton Street Mall. We’d like to do the same thing down there and we want the city to help us the way they helped neighborhoods in Manhattan. The Romanesque Revival Building was built in 1890 by Henry Offerman as a warehouse and department store. We were a little confused by the photo of the building Brooklyn Papers ran with the story–it doesn’t look like 505 Fulton to us. Help anyone?
Soho Lofts for Fulton Mall? [Brooklyn Papers] GMAP
there’s a LOT of beautiful buildings on that stretch of Fulton that have not been well maintained – despite the fact that commercial rents on the Fulton Mall are second only to 7th Ave in Park Slope and Montague Street. [And I think Fulton Mall does like the highest sales-per-square-foot in the borough ($1200/sf).]
so if a few lofts can help restore the beauty, build away.
http://www.fultonstreet.org/
Don’t tell me you are willing to part with the pawn shops? Pleeezzze don’t take down that soon to be land-marked Fulton Mall metal arch/sign that so triumphantly announces, ” Yo it’s Crooklyn, G”
May be true, dap, but that will not stop these changes. As another poster mentioned, this is prime Brooklyn real estate – that, not the preferences of Fulton Mall shoppers, shall determine the area’s future.
I highly doubt that the current shoppers like all of the bad service, mess and annoyance that goes with the cheap shopping. If they do like the mess, garbage and poor service, too bad.
Dap, why do you have such a bad impression of Fulton? Are you a white dude/chick scared to be around a bunch of black folks?
I don’t think you folk understand: This is going to be war. I’ve seen a study and a survey. They’re not complaining about the bus fumes, the illegal cut-through traffic, the lack of benches and public amenities, the crappy service at Macy’s, the downmarket shopping, the homeless guys, the marauding youth. They like that there’s a place in Downtown Bklyn with great bus and subway access that has lots of super-low price crap to buy. They like it a lot the way it is and they’re going to be extremely pissed as it changes.
Hmmmm…the building photo in the article is not the same photo posted above. The photo above appears to be the old Martin’s Dept Store. The photo in the article is what it is…
I don’t think it’s necessarily “Manhattanization” to clean up an area that’s become a total mess, even if it means converting a former department store (Martin’s Dept Store, I believe) into luxury lofts. Perhaps that conversion will lead to another much-needed conversion…some half-way decent shopping on Fulton Street for all income levels, the way it used to be before all the major department stores closed (with the exception of Macy’s, ex-Abraham & Straus…which really should come back in some other reincarnation to save itself from the retail failure it has become.) This is a prime downtown real estate, and I see no problem mixing residential and retail if it means bolstering the street and restoring it to some semblance of its former glory.
If “Manhattanization” means that I won’t have to have my bags checked against a receipt when leaving Macy’s (ala Lowes), then by all means, let it continue.