Empire Stores

Empire Stores is a historic warehouse complex on the waterfront of Brooklyn Bridge Park in DUMBO, Brooklyn, New York City. Although the site originated as an industrial cargo-storage facility rather than as a conventional consumer brand, the Empire Stores name is now associated with its adaptive-reuse development and its mix of public, cultural, hospitality, retail, and office uses. The complex consists of seven buildings totaling approximately 330,000 square feet. Its location directly on the East River, with views toward the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan, has made it one of the most recognizable redevelopment sites in the Brooklyn Bridge Park area. The original warehouse buildings were completed in 1869, with additions made in 1885. For nearly a century, the complex supported businesses handling bulk commodities including coffee beans, sugar, and molasses. Its architecture reflected that industrial purpose, with heavy masonry construction, iron hoisting equipment, and cargo-handling features. After the waterfront's industrial activity declined, the warehouses were abandoned during the 1960s and remained unused for decades. A major change came in 2013, when Brooklyn developer Midtown Equities was selected to redevelop the abandoned complex. The redevelopment was designed by Studio V Architecture and S9 Architecture and was planned as a combination of commercial and office space, restaurants, event venues, public circulation areas, a courtyard, and a rooftop. The project sought to preserve significant elements of the old warehouses, including schist walls, iron hoisting wheels, and coffee chutes, while adapting the interiors to contemporary commercial and public use. A central passageway and courtyard were designed to provide public access through the complex, linking the building's historic character with the surrounding park and waterfront. The redevelopment schedule extended beyond the originally intended 2015 opening. West Elm became the first tenant in August 2016, opening a flagship store and initially serving as the complex's only operating tenant for approximately a year. The Brooklyn Historical Society, now known as the New-York Historical Society's Brooklyn-related institution in broader institutional context, opened a 3,200-square-foot DUMBO exhibition space in May 2017. Other planned or announced uses included restaurants, a beer garden, a watch retailer, and event-oriented spaces. Because the site sits immediately beside the waterfront, resilience and flood protection were important components of the redevelopment. Lowering the ground floor to improve integration with Brooklyn Bridge Park also increased exposure to storm-surge flooding. Deployable flood barriers were therefore acquired, while electrical transformers were placed on the seventh floor and a backup generator was included in the complex's infrastructure. Empire Stores gained a new hospitality anchor when Time Out announced in early 2018 that it would open Time Out Market New York at the site. The food hall was planned with approximately 20 restaurants and three bars and opened in May 2019. The market helped establish Empire Stores as a destination for dining and leisure rather than simply a restored office or shopping property. Its waterfront terraces, public areas, and Brooklyn Bridge views also contributed to its popularity as a gathering and photography location. Today, Empire Stores is best understood as an adaptive-reuse real-estate and cultural destination whose identity is rooted in Brooklyn's industrial past and its contemporary waterfront redevelopment.

Empire Stores occupies a group of historic warehouses on the waterfront beside Brooklyn Bridge Park in DUMBO, Brooklyn. The buildings were created for the storage and handling of cargo at a time when Brooklyn's waterfront was a major center of maritime commerce. The principal structures were completed in 1869, and additions followed in 1885. Their industrial design was suited to the movement of bulk commodities, including coffee beans, sugar, and molasses. The complex included robust masonry walls and mechanical equipment associated with loading and lifting cargo, features that later became important parts of its architectural identity. For most of its early life, Empire Stores functioned as a working cargo warehouse. Its role was tied to the commercial waterfront rather than to public visitation or retail activity. As shipping patterns and industrial operations changed, the complex lost its original economic purpose. The warehouses were abandoned in the 1960s and remained vacant for several decades, reflecting the broader decline and subsequent transformation of Brooklyn's industrial waterfront. The site's next major chapter began in 2013, when Midtown Equities was selected to redevelop the warehouses. The proposal called for a mixed-use complex containing commercial and office areas, restaurants, event facilities, and publicly accessible spaces. Studio V Architecture and S9 Architecture worked on the design. Rather than erase the industrial character of the buildings, the redevelopment retained historic elements such as schist masonry, iron hoisting wheels, and coffee chutes. The plan also created a central passageway, courtyard, and rooftop areas intended to connect the complex with Brooklyn Bridge Park and make portions of the property accessible to the public. The conversion presented technical challenges because Empire Stores sits directly beside the water. The ground floor was lowered to improve the relationship between the buildings and the surrounding park, but that change also increased vulnerability to storm-surge flooding. The redevelopment therefore incorporated deployable flood barriers. Transformers were located on the seventh floor, and a backup generator was installed as part of the site's resilience and continuity measures. The project was initially expected to open in 2015, but occupancy developed over a longer period. West Elm opened the first tenant space in August 2016. Its flagship store was the only operating tenant in the complex for roughly the following year. In May 2017, the Brooklyn Historical Society opened a 3,200-square-foot DUMBO exhibition space, giving the site a cultural and historical function in addition to its commercial uses. Additional planned or announced occupants included the restaurant Vinegar Hill House, the watchmaker Shinola, a rooftop beer garden, and other food and beverage businesses. In early 2018, Time Out announced that it would establish Time Out Market New York at Empire Stores. The food hall was planned around approximately 20 restaurants and three bars and opened in May 2019. Its arrival broadened the complex's appeal and helped make Empire Stores a dining, leisure, and tourism destination. The property's waterfront location, public areas, and views of the Brooklyn Bridge also made it a popular setting for photographs and informal gatherings. Empire Stores is consequently an example of adaptive reuse in which a nineteenth-century industrial property was repositioned for contemporary urban life. Its current identity depends on the combination of preserved warehouse fabric, commercial tenants, cultural programming, hospitality, offices, and public waterfront space. The name remains attached to a physical destination rather than to a conventional packaged-goods or consumer-products brand.

• 2019

  Time Out Market New York opens

  [1]Empire Storesen.wikipedia.org

  The food hall opened in May with a multi-restaurant and bar format.

• 2017

  Brooklyn Historical Society exhibition space opens

  [1]Empire Storesen.wikipedia.org

  A Brooklyn Historical Society DUMBO exhibition space opened in May.

• 2016

  First tenant opens

  [1]Empire Storesen.wikipedia.org

  West Elm opened its flagship store in August, becoming the first tenant in the redeveloped complex.

• 2013

  Redevelopment team selected

  [1]Empire Storesen.wikipedia.org

  Midtown Equities was selected to convert the abandoned warehouses into a mixed-use destination.

• 1960

  Industrial use ends and warehouses are abandoned

  [1]Empire Storesen.wikipedia.org

  The complex was abandoned during the 1960s after its long period as a cargo warehouse.

• 1885

  Warehouse additions completed

  [1]Empire Storesen.wikipedia.org

  Additions expanded the warehouse complex and supported its continuing cargo-storage role.

• 1869

  Original warehouse complex completed

  [1]Empire Storesen.wikipedia.org

  The original Empire Stores warehouse buildings were completed along Brooklyn's working waterfront.

A heritage waterfront destination that combines preserved industrial architecture with contemporary dining, retail, culture, events, offices, and public space.

• Food hall · 2019

  Time Out Market New York

  A food-and-beverage venue operated by Time Out New York. Announced in 2018 and opened in May 2019, it was planned with approximately 20 restaurants and three bars, making it a principal hospitality anchor within Empire Stores.

• Mixed-use commercial space · 2016

  Empire Stores retail and commercial spaces

  The redeveloped complex contains retail, office, restaurant, event, and other commercial spaces within restored nineteenth-century warehouses. West Elm was the first tenant, opening a flagship store in 2016.

• Public and event space · 2016

  Public courtyard, passageway, and rooftop

  The redevelopment introduced publicly accessible circulation areas, a courtyard, and rooftop space designed to connect the historic complex with Brooklyn Bridge Park and support gathering, events, and waterfront viewing.

• 2018

  Select Time Out Market as a major food-and-beverage anchorProduct launch

  Background

  The redevelopment needed a prominent hospitality use to complement its retail, office, cultural, and public spaces.

  Action taken

  Time Out announced plans for a food hall with approximately 20 restaurants and three bars at Empire Stores.

  Aftermath

  Time Out Market New York opened at the complex in May 2019 and became a prominent destination use.

  Source

• 2013

  Convert the warehouses into a mixed-use destinationStrategy

  Background

  The formerly industrial warehouses had been vacant since the 1960s and required a new use compatible with the changing Brooklyn waterfront.

  Action taken

  Midtown Equities was selected to redevelop the complex with commercial and office space, restaurants, event areas, and public amenities while retaining historic architectural features.

  Aftermath

  The project progressed into phased occupancy, beginning with West Elm in 2016 and later adding cultural and hospitality uses.

  Source

1. 1Empire Storesen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Empire Stores official websiteempirestoresdumbo.com