Williamsburg's Salvation Army-replacing building nears completion

Williamsburg’s Salvation Army-replacing building is finally nearing completion, a new construction site update by Brownstoner reveals. The project has been in the works since at least 2013 when the Salvation Army demolished its building at 176 Bedford Avenue, and initially planned to rebuild it as a thrift store, according to Brownstoner.

With the ongoing development boom in Williamsburg, particularly along Bedford Avenue, the group decided to sell. The site sat vacant for three years before it finally sold to developer Thor Equities in late 2015. The sale closed at $30 million last October, finally allowing construction to move forward.

Now construction is nearing completion, and Thor hopes to have the retail building ready by the end of the year. The two-story structure offers up 14,500 square feet of space, along with a 2,500 square-foot rooftop terrace. Thor has yet to acquire a tenant (Apple was once rumored to open its store here), though a spokesperson for the company told Brownstoner that it was looking to make an announcement soon.

Located at the intersection of Bedford Avenue, and North 7th Street, this retail venue will be a prime destination for whoever decides to take it on, seeing as it is right next to the L train subway stop. The Thor spokesperson said the company wasn’t motivated by the impending L train shutdown to quickly wrap work on the project, and is confident of the site’s success despite the shutdown.

In recent years, big box retail like Apple and Whole Foods have all decided to call Bedford Avenue home, and changed the face of a street that was once dotted with independent businesses.

• Developer Moving Quickly to Finish Up Prime ‘Burg Retail Ahead of L Train Shutdown [Brownstoner]
• Williamsburg’s Salvation Army site won’t be a hole much longer [Curbed]
• Surveying Williamsburg’s Bedford Avenue, now approaching peak post-gentrification [Curbed]