1) The sound you've been hearing since this morning is that of Brooklyn shoppers jumping up and down about the pretty solid rumor that Trader Joe's will be opening in the Independence Savings Bank Building at Atlantic Avenue and Court Street owned by Two Trees Management. You might recall the previous location of TJ's was said to be One Brooklyn Bridge Park. In any case, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle relates the news, noting that TJ's "will take all the space within the former Independence Savings Bank building..." The building's future has been in dispute and Two Tree's plans for condos in the space were rendered impossible by the Landmarks Commission. They'll be putting up some luxe condos next door, though, convenient to food shopping.
2) Less likely to be greeted happily is a rumor that McDonald's could be bringing Big Macs to Smith Street. A tipster emails that "I heard from a fairly reliable neighborhood source that the Army Navy and Realty shops on the North East corner of Wyckoff and Smith in Boerum Hill will be turned into a...wait for it...McDonalds! Rumor has it that the brothers who own Caruso's pizza also own the building that would house the McDonald (and the building across the street that houses the Starbucks). If this is true, then, well, it fucking sucks. I don't know if indeed they do own the building, or if this whole McDonalds business is true. What, they couldn't find some Yoga concern to open yet another store? Or how about another Thai restaurant? We only have like 10." First Starbucks and now, this.
· Confirmed: Trader Joe's Coming to Brooklyn [Racked]
· Trader Joe's Coming to Old Independence Bank Building [Brooklyn Daily Eagle]
· Cobble/Boerum Hill Rumors: Trader Joe's & McD's [Brownstoner]
[Photo courtesy of Property Shark]