Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Inside Empire Stores, The Newly-Renovated Civil War-Era Warehouse In Brooklyn
By
Scott Heins
Published Dec 2, 2016
Modified Dec 2, 2016
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Scott Heins/Gothamist
View all 16
By
Scott Heins
Published Dec 2, 2016
Modified Dec 2, 2016
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
After two years of drastic renovations, Empire Stores, a sprawling warehouse complex on the DUMBO waterfront, is up and running. And boy, are the views ever sweet. With most of its original architecture (dating back to the late 1800s), schist stone walling, 14 foot ceilings, and wooden timbers still intact, the building is the latest addition to the neighborhood's burgeoning supply of ye olde renovated spaces.
Along with serving as the new home of numerous tech and advertising companies, sections of Empire Stores will also be open to the public—including a massive West Elm storefront. A rooftop deck is already accessible via newly-installed stairs in the complex's open courtyard, and both an indoor food market and museum run by the Brooklyn Historical Society are in development. All told, it's a impressive turn of events for a 19th Century warehouse that had stood vacant since the 1960s.
The view looking down at Empire Stores' large public courtyard (Scott Heins/Gothamist)
One of the views from the public roof area of Empire Stores (Scott Heins/Gothamist)
"The building was typical of that era, and at one point there were hundreds of buildings that lined the waterfront. Now, most of them are gone," Midtown Equities Director of Leasing David Beare said Thursday. Beare's company has overseen the work done at Empire Stores, and spoke with pride about the final product, which maintains much of the building's original character. "We brought it to a 21st Century, state-of-the-art infrastructure level, but we preserved all of the original architectural details."
On the street, Empire Store's 450-foot façade has been largely restored, with newly-furnished metal doors replacing the old iron gates that covered each window opening. The original gates, along with some of the chutes and funnels that once carried untold tons of coffee beans throughout the building, are still around, piled up in an unfinished room on the second floor. "We'll find a use for them," Beare said. "They're definitely sticking around."
In the 1930s. (Photo by Berenice Abbott/Courtesy of the NYPL)
Tagged
coffee warehouse
dumbo
empire stores
real estate
warehouse
original
Scott Heins
Scott Heins is a freelance photo and video journalist based in New York City, and a frequent contributor to Gothamist + WNYC. His work often centers around labor rights, housing, and policing. In 2018-2019 he traveled to four states while covering a wave of public school teachers strikes, with work featured in The New York Times, The Intercept, Getty Images, Splinter, and Bloomberg Photos. Scott is a dues-paying member of the National Writers Union's Freelance Solidarity Project.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Man shot by ICE in NYC still has bullet lodged in neck, attorneys say
Oscar Belgal, a 28-year-old immigrant from the Dominican Republic, was in solitary confinement at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Sunset Park on Monday.
By
Liam Quigley
Published Oct 12, 2026
NY measles spread prompts 'disaster' emergency. It didn't have to be this way, health commissioner says.
The state health commissioner says the disease outbreak is wholly preventable.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
News
NY measles spread prompts 'disaster' emergency. It didn't have to be this way, health commissioner says.
The state health commissioner says the disease outbreak is wholly preventable.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
NYC wants to move deliveries onto the waterways. It's starting with a 55-year-old boat.
By
Liam Quigley
Inside the luxury Greenpoint high-rise powered by a rumbling generator for over a month
By
David Brand
Mayor Mamdani orders review of NYPD use of force policies
By
Michael Sol Warren
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .