[title]
Good news, shoppers: there will be retail therapy once more at the former home of Bay Ridge's Century 21 flagship store.
The beloved department store chain announced that it would be closing all of its stores after filing for bankruptcy at the end of 2020. However, Century 21 returned to its flagship in Manhattan’s Financial District in May 2023.
And while the Bay Ridge outpost of the retailer will sadly not be resurrected like its Manhattan counterpart, the former space at 86th Street off Brooklyn's Fifth Avenue—which was the original flagship of the company back when Century 21 was founded in 1961—will live on as an "urban retail landscape."
RECOMMENDED: The best NYC department stores offer everything from high-end fashion to housewares
The 150,000-square-foot commercial space will be refurbished by ASG Equities, the real estate family office of the Gindi Family, who founded the Century 21 brand in New York City. The revamp will include more than 700 feet of retail storefronts, including a mix of clothing stores, makeup retailers, supermarkets, restaurants and more. Per Fox News, the new space is expected to debut by 2024.
Gene Spiegelman, Vice Chairperson and Principal at RIPCO, the leasing team for the new project, said in a statement: “Everyone loves Century 21. This is not just an investor that bought real estate. [The Gindi family] have been there for decades, and losing the business was very difficult and figuring out what to do. But they thought through the process and the goal is to deliver a good variety of name-brand national retail uses. We’re going to bring a mix of good retail back to 86th Street and revitalize and take it to the future. This is the first step to that process.”
Councilmember Justin Brannan, who is aiding ASG Equities in the project, added: “The vibrancy of this corridor is absolutely crucial to our local economic ecosystem. A rising tide lifts all boats: the busier 86th Street is, the better our smaller independent mom-and-pop shops and restaurants along 3rd and 5th avenues will do! The goal is to bring 86th Street back bigger and better than ever. And based upon ongoing conversations, in order to secure and attract fresh, new retail to the block, the old Century 21 buildings need a major renovation and more space. It also means more local jobs.”
Check out renderings of the new space from ASG Equities below:
