Downtown Brooklyn's Big Box Space Will Soon Learn Its Fate

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It's been a big year for Downtown Brooklyn, where companies like The Gap, H&M, Aeropostale, Filene's Basement, and Shake Shack have been remodeling a retail landscape that used to be known mostly for typo-prone discount shops. And it's about to get even bigger when the city announces which developer it has chosen to manage the first two floors of the Brooklyn Municipal Building.

Despite that nondescript name, the building could have a major impact on the shopping lives of locals. It contains 37,000 square feet of retail space, which the Wall Street Journal explains "is about the same size as Manhattan big-box stores such as Bed Bath & Beyond or Barnes & Noble." Architectural details like columns and massive windows give it some old-school dignity, and its location at Court and Joralemon gives it access to the Fulton Mall as well as tonier Brooklyn Heights. Basically, it's a prime spot for whichever major brand decides to move in. And while we won't know any more details until the city's Economic Development Corp. picks a developer, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz has been happy to fuel speculation. He tells the WSJ that he'd like to see an Apple store, a Nordstrom, or a Nordstrom Rack.
· Brooklyn Readies More Retail [WSJ]
· All Fulton Mall coverage [Racked NY]