Williamsburg Bank Building

steve austin · May 2005

CNN reports that a group of investors that includes Magic Johnson acquired the Williamsburg Bank building. He is also the lead member of the group that acquired the old Brooklyn Tabernacle site where a condo building is being constructed. I think that it is safe to assume that the venerable old bank building will also be turned into condos.

anonymous · May 2005

where is the Williamsburg Bank building? And why is Magic Johnson so interested in our neighborhood?

steve austin · May 2005

It is the tallest building in Brooklyn and is located next to the Atlantic Center mall and LIRR station. At night you can see the clock on the top from the P. Heights.

I think that he is interested in our neighborhood because he wants to maintain an image of investing in "urban" neighborhoods while also getting a high return on investment. Right now Brooklyn is perfect for that.

steve austin · May 2005

Here's the story: http://newyorkbusiness.com/news.cms?newsId=10706

isa · May 2005

Omigod. That's some news right there. Wow. I've always thought about living there, but for free and all by myself. I hope he does a nice job with it.

emily · May 2005

Whew, I thought you meant they were going to knock it down. As long as the spire is still there, I guess it's okay.

roux42 · May 2005

Subject: Williamsburg Bank

Is this building landmarked? Will the most amazing lobby be ruined?

anonymous · May 2005

Subject: Re: Williamsburg Bank

roux42 wrote: Is this building landmarked? Will the most amazing lobby be ruined?

it is landmarked, and supposedly they will keep the lobby intact.

flute · May 2005

Subject: Magic Johnson

Magic Johnson is the head of the "Canyon Johnson Fund" based out of LA and has been making very strategic investments in Brooklyn over the past several years. I recently was hired to do some work related to the Brooklyn Tabernacle project. The developer there (who shall remain nameless as far as this post is concerned), who has done numerous residential buildings in Park Slope, tried (over and over and over again) to renege on my fee. Ultimately, as it turns out, a lawyer friend of mine had an associate who knew people at Johnson's fund, was able to intervene and get me paid.

This is the first that I've heard of this, but it will be quite an undertaking to redevelop the Williamsburg Savings Bank Building ... truly a local landmark. Let's hope it's done with taste and respect for the community.

anonymous · October 2005

This is actually relatively old news (at least several months old). The condo conversion is definitely going ahead. Great news in my opinion so long as the foyer/great hall is preserved.

emily · October 2005

Anonymous wrote: This is actually relatively old news (at least several months old).

Yes, it is old news. You do realize that the posts you're commenting on are from May, don't you?

jack · October 2005

Anonymous wrote: This is actually relatively old news (at least several months old). The condo conversion is definitely going ahead. Great news in my opinion so long as the foyer/great hall is preserved.

This is old news, but the closing of the banking hall happened on October 1st.

I have very little hope for a preservation that's worth anything. It will either be a fancy restaurant or misused.

Just look at what happened to the amazing elevator bay at the A&S on Fulton Street (which is now a Macys). The chandellier is gone, only half of the elevators work and in general it's been messed up. And when I was a kid in the 1970s I could experience the fun/thrill of actually going to a department store and feel like it was a special place.

And what about Long Island University's criminal misuse of the Paramount Theater building. That theater is MAJORLY historic. The bands and entertainers that went through there are legends. For example:

"1/1-6/58 UNRECORDED: Buddy Holly and the Crickets finish the 12-day tour for Alan FreedÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s "Holiday of Stars" at the Paramount Theater in Brooklyn, New York. They are each billed separately along with Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, the Everly Brothers, the Rays, Danny and the Juniors, Paul Anka, Lee Andrews and the Hearts, the Shepherd Sisters, Little Joe Dubs, Thurston Harris, the Teenagers, Jo Ann Campbell, the Twin Tunes, Terry Noland, Earl Warren, and Sam "the Man" Taylor."

And guess what this legendary theater is now? It's a damned GYNMASIUM!!!! You'd think that Long Island University would use the space as a theater and capitalize on it's status, but I guess LIU is not the brightest bulb on the branch. Here's a shot of the marquee of the place back in its heyday.

Yes, this is a slight tanget but as much as I like Brooklyn, I can't stand how Brooklyn is actually constantly destroying it's true history and landmarks or privatizing them so only a few can enjoy them.

What's happened and is happening to One Hanson Place is yet another example of this trend.

alex · October 2005

Thanks for posting those pics, they are great! Alot of poeople don't want to hear that Brooklyn actually had a "midtown" area full of theaters, and was a real destination. This is why I support the arena.

Williamsburg Bank Building

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