Not Just BJs for Red Hook, But a Whole Mall
If there was any question left about the suburbanization of Brooklyn (see Atlantic Center, IKEA, Costco), it will be answered by the creation of a Red Hook mall. Turns out, developer Joe Sitt of Thor Equities doesn’t want to just bring BJ’s to the waterfront but a whole six-story shopping center. Well, at least the…
If there was any question left about the suburbanization of Brooklyn (see Atlantic Center, IKEA, Costco), it will be answered by the creation of a Red Hook mall. Turns out, developer Joe Sitt of Thor Equities doesn’t want to just bring BJ’s to the waterfront but a whole six-story shopping center. Well, at least the vision is mixed-use and includes some adaptive reuse, too. The Brooklyn Paper says Thor wants “to renovate a historic warehouse on the former Revere sugar refinery; erect several new buildings for shopping, parking and housing; and create a 40-feet-wide public esplanade by 2011 along the water’s edge of the Beard Street property next door to the recently opened IKEA.” How do these developers — see Thor, Ratner, even Toll Brothers — have so much power over such historic and important Brooklyn sites, especially the waterfronts? (Also, yes, the Brooklyn Paper continues with the double entendre headlines.)
Hookers to Get BJs in Mall [The Brooklyn Paper]
Thor’s Red Hook Plans Come Into Sharper Focus [Curbed]
Red Hook Ikea. Photo by masck.
combustiblegirl2, that argument sounds disingenuous. is the opposition truly based on a concern that the future residents of luxury condos might be bothered by searchlights and foghorns? come on.
Have no fear Joe Sitt nor anyone else will be getting funding for a project like this…
There is active marine industry on the waterfront here. One criticism of Sitt’s plan from Red Hook residents and the maritime industries here is that is to try to put residential here simply won’t work because this is where the tugs that work up and down the NY waterfront are docked. They work 24 Hours a day and often have to utilize searchlights and foghorns in inclement weather. Something that will not mix with luxury condos. Develop the property; put in retail (though, please can’t it not be cookie cutter big box?); put in restaurants, and recreation. But not residential.
By the way… I actually think the Ikea aesthetic (including their little park with the crane and other remnants) has turned out to be quite nice and fitting for that part of the city. But maybe I just like big blue things and path to stroll on.
I think that everyone who doesn’t like Red Hook development must be shipbuilders and marine welders and such. There’s always a lot of talk about bringing back the waterfront to what it used to be and not to lose that important economic aspect of NYC.
If this is the case, then these shipbuilders and other folks skilled in the marine industry must be pretty hungry by now. Or they just realized these activities simply moved elsewhere.
Lisa;
Please educate us as to what is “historic and important” about a former sugar refinery site that sat fallow in a dilapated state for about 20 years. Did you find any part of that refinery to have some aesthetic value?
I would also be curious to hear your suggestion as to what should be done to remedy the problem you perceive. Are you advocating that the city add yet another review step into the development process? What effect would it have on development costs, in a city that already has the highest construction costs in the nation.
i understand it will be a strip mall.
Nice view.
The Brooklyn Paper delivers again and again!!!