Question to the Group: Windowless Building on Smith
A reader poses the question:
Any intel on what the cinderblock monstrosity that went up at the corner of Bergen & Smith (where the Rent-A-Center was) is all about? Has to be some type of MTA facility, no? Like a giant bunker in a prime location…
ABL is thinking that it's headquarters for a Brooklyn Masons branch, but someone else out there may have a more intelligent answer.
P.S. The finger monster photo has nothing to do with this question. I just really like my new finger monster--probably one of the best things about my trip to Fire Island, .75 cent finger monsters!!!
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The Rent-A-Center was at the corner of Smith & Wyckoff, not Bergen.
I head it's an MTA building. I liked it better with scaffolding!
No wonder it's ugly and screams incompetence! I bet those cinder blocks cost about $100 a piece.
I think it's a switching facility for the MTA, replacing that one that burned in a fire at the Bergen St. station in the 1990s.
The original plan (from like... 100 years ago) was the MTA would take the basement (the former "adult section" of Videorama when it was in the corner location) and the MTA would also take the top floor.
The ground floor was supposed to be retail.
But bricking up the front... Who knows.
They'll have fun cleaning out that top floor of pigeons.
I remember a rumor that someone wanted to turn the 2nd floor of that building into a club... It's too bad that the owner didn't invest a little bit to split the property into 2 store fronts instead of renting to that blight on smith st rent a center and then leaving it empty for 2 years.
a windowless building? even someone who would never pay attention to such things notices it. on top of that it is yellowish tan.
at least get some graffiti kids to spruce it up with some art (and by kids, i don't mean 8 yr olds painting fish)
the busybodies - - I mean contributors - - to the Boerum Hill group has been pondering this one for while. My thoughts:
Meth lab? bunker? Free and generous space for bill posters and graffiti artists? Meeting space for some sort of secret brotherhood? fun house? Hydroponic pot garden? (don't laugh - there was actually one of those near my old artist studio by Hamilton Ave).
the possibilities are endless, although I'm guessing it's not nearly as exciting as all that. They DID build walls inside before bricking up the front.