IN THE 19TH CENTURY, EMPIRE STORES WAS A BUSY ROW OF WAREHOUSES USED TO STORE AND SHIP COFFEE. ABANDONED IN THE 1950S, NOW ARCHITECT JAY VALGORA IS TRANSFORMING THE AREA INTO A THRIVING RETAIL AND BUSINESS CENTER TO ATTRACT INNOVATIVE TALENT.
BY CHRIS GAYOMALI
It's a freezing afternoon in late March, and I'm standing in a dark abandoned warehouse in Dumbo, Brooklyn, with an excitable architect. A few stories below us, construction workers are drilling and hammering away, causing the old wood floors to rattle. My hard hat doesn't fit quite right.
Image: Empire Stores. West Elm will move its headquarters to the space, which will also feature retail chains, restaurants, bars, and office space catering to technology companies. RENDERINGS COURTESY OF STUDIO V
