Troubled Brooklyn Mirage Files to Demolish Unsafe Structures

by Kirstyn Brendlen, Brooklyn Paper

It may be the end of the road for the Brooklyn Mirage, as parent company Avant Gardner has filed a demolition permit to bring down part or all of the ill-fated music venue.

The permit was filed on October 10, as was first reported by The Real Deal, and seeks to demolish 32,000 square feet of three-story temporary structures to the tune of $1.5 million. Though the permit does not specify that it is for the Brooklyn Mirage, the venue at 140 Stewart Avenue in the Bushwick loft area was outfitted with three layers of “temporary” structures earlier this year as part of the massive renovation that ultimately led to Avant Gardner’s downfall.

Once a beloved part of Brooklyn nightlife, the Mirage has been plagued by issues since spring. Its May 1 reopening was canceled at the last minute after after the Department of Buildings ruled it unsafe, and although then-CEO Josh Wyatt repeatedly promised that the Mirage was nearly show-ready, it remained shuttered through the summer. Brooklyn Paper later reported that the Mirage’s issues were much more severe than the company had let on. DOB inspectors had found that the building was structurally unsafe and didn’t meet fire safety requirements, and would require extensive work to be brought up to code.

On August 21, the DOB ordered Avant Gardner to “bring the Brooklyn Mirage into code compliance through removal or repair,” city records show.

Previously filed applications for construction permits at the Mirage have been withdrawn. Avant Gardner did not immediately return a request for comment. It was not immediately clear how or if the demolition might affect the other venues at the East Williamsburg complex, The Great Hall and The Kings Hall.

In August, Avant Gardner filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Court documents showed that the company owed $155 million to various vendors and companies, and that Avant Gardner had accrued significant debt in its attempt to open the Brooklyn Mirage on time. Losing the Mirage — Avant Gardner’s largest and most successful venue — was “catastrophic for the Company’s operations and liquidity,” CEO Gary Richards said in a court filing.

One of Avant Gardner’s lenders is likely to purchase the company as part of bankruptcy proceedings. As part of a proposed settlement agreement with Avant Gardner’s creditors, owner Jurgen Bildstein has resigned from the board of directors, per court documents. A hearing on the proposed settlement is scheduled for October 22.

Editor’s note: A version of this story originally ran in Brooklyn Paper. Click here to see the original story.

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