Of course, the ubiquitous Developers, who won’t rest until every authentic experience is converted into “An Experience”, think Fulton Mall is the next frontier. Check out this piece in The Brooklyn Papers:
“… planners believe the mall’s future calls for transforming it into a buzzing, 24-hour destination — thanks to a Soho-like residential conversion of dozens of vacant offices above existing retail spaces.”
“Some of the spaces are truly beautiful … But many have been boarded up for 40 or 50 years. Some of the vacant offices have no infrastructure at all.”
Michael Burke, director of the Downtown Brooklyn Council: “I think everyone wants to keep the current, hip-hop, urban market, but we want to bring in new markets, too.”
“Once a way station along the Underground Railroad … it later became known for stately brick buildings and upscale department stores. Now, it’s known for cellphone stores.”
Double-chinned Brooklyn BP Marty Markowitz can wax poetic about his vision of Downtown Brooklyn (by the way, you always wear your American flag pin on the wrong lapel, Marty), but it’s going to take a Herculean effort to bring meaningful change to the Fulton Mall.
The existing clientele isn’t interested in Whole Foods or H&M; they want sneakers, cell phones, and fast food.
If affluent Brooklyn Heights can’t support anything beyond real estate brokers’ offices (how many restaurants have closed in the past few years on Montague St.?), then how can this vision of a hip-hop Soho materialize in Brooklyn?
Instead of greedy developers deciding on the fate of this area, why isn’t the community joining together to bring about change?
I’m afraid that there are just too many questions and not enough answers when it comes to the future of Fulton Mall.
Just because the market doesn’t appeal to the Heights/DUMBO swells doesn’t mean that it is unappealing. Its shoppers are loyal and they appear to be happy to be there, and its merchants seem to enjoy some degree of success. Now, I lived in Brooklyn Heights for many years and the only store I used with anything resembling regularity was Modell’s, but I wasn’t demanding that Fulton Street change to cater to *me*. It’s not a tragedy that the Fulton Mall serves a different demographic than the neighboring residential communities. The market has spoken.
When I bought my place in Boerum Hill, my broker who’s been in Downtown Brooklyn market for 20 years said the retail rents are higher on Fulton Street than they are on nearby Atlantic, Smith, and Court Streets. He mentioned a friend who owns a 99 cent store on Fulton who makes millions. So, just because the merchandise is ‘urban’ (read: downscale) doesn’t mean it’s not lucrative. People come from all over Brooklyn to go to Fulton St mall, so as long as business is better than the gentrifried neighbors, it is probably safe.
My investor/bigshot brother-in-law says that Fulton Mall has the highest profit per square foot of any outdoor mall in the country. Or urban mall. Or something like that.
Publicus, many of the people who shop at Fulton St don’t even live in the neighborhood. As a long-time resident, I want to see my community improve, not cater to what the needs of outsiders. We would like better retail so that WE don’t have to go outside of OUR community. The people who you worry about can easily go to 14th 03 34th Streets for their shopping needs.
I am currently working on a documentary about Prospect Heights and the gentrification that is taking place. I would like to interview a long-time resident about their experiences with price increases, etc. I want the voices of everyone in the neighborhood to be heard. I can’t guarantee action, but it’s a start.