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Rumors of Trader Joes coming to the old Capital One bank building on Washington — Brooklynian

Rumors of Trader Joes coming to the old Capital One bank building on Washington

MOD
MOD
edited November 2014 in Prospect Heights
This discussion was created from comments split from: The (former) Capital One on Washington at Lincoln.
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Comments

  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    edited November 2014
    Today, I spoke with someone who claims to have spoken with the manager of this Capital One branch, who stated it will become a Trader Joe's.

    She then stated to the manager: I thought that was just a rumor.

    He responded: I'll show you the paperwork, it will be a small Trader Joe's.

    She declined his offer to see the paperwork.

    Folks, this could be real.
  • southeast
    southeast
    edited November 2014
    Yes! Yes! Yes! Dreams do come true. :)

    And what does "small" mean; what will be missing?
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    edited November 2014
    She did not thoroughly interrogate the manager. The two were speaking because she was closing her account, and he came over to assure her they were opening a new branch nearby. She then told him that this branch closing wasn't the reason she was closing her account, and asked him what it was going to become.

    She had no reason to lie to me.
  • naturegirlbk
    naturegirlbk
    OMG...how can we get this fantastic-ness verified once and for all, so we can all do a neighborhood-happy-dance???
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    I have asked Rachel (the DNA info reporter that covers CH) to stop by 341 EP tomorrow and try to talk with the manager.    


  • southeast
    southeast
    It may be time to rename this thread...
  • notsayin
    notsayin
    Forgive my skepticism - but seems unlikely the branch manager of the departing tenant bank would have "paperwork" showing who the following tenant would be.

    Even if Trader Joe's was a sublet for Capital One (allowing them to escape their lease early, say) - I'd imagine all that work would happen at the corporate real estate level.

    Just a hunch. Hope I'm proven wrong.
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    I too am skeptical, and hope Rachel can provide us with clarity.
  • jfinks
    jfinks
    Please be true!!! I already had let go of my hopes last time, and now this brings them back up again!
  • jfinks
    jfinks
    one of the reasons given in the past was that the square footage was too small, but I was recently looking online and there are numerous Trader Joes' of this size, one specifically in Boston being even smaller.
  • crownheightster
    crownheightster
    I'm so excited (that this could be!) but so scared (that it could not!)
  • TinaTot
    TinaTot
    edited November 2014
    Not saying it won't be a Trader Joe's, but as someone who works in this kind of real estate - no the branch manager would most definitely not have any paperwork related to new tenants of the space.  It is possible that some sort of memo/email went out mentioning it but definitely not anything concrete like a lease or mortgage document. The only time the owner/manager of a retail space would have access to paperwork like that would be if they are mom & pop where they are both owner of the business and employee. A company the size of Capital One has a corporate office that would handle all that, the branch employees would not be involved in the slightest.  

    Edited to add that it also doesn't make sense that corporate would even know who was coming into the space next unless they own the building - which is unlikely.  Large companies Capital One and Trader Joes rarely do - renting is more practical.  Capital One would not be privy to the owners negotiations with a new tenant. 
  • maxwellimus
    maxwellimus
    Not trying to add fuel to the fire - but this articles says they plan on opening up 38 stores next year:

  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    edited November 2014
    @tinatot wrote: "Edited to add that it also doesn't make sense that corporate would even know who was coming into the space next unless they own the building - which is unlikely. Large companies Capital One and Trader Joes rarely do - renting is more practical. Capital One would not be privy to the owners negotiations with a new tenant."

    In this instance, Capital One appears to have owned the building.

    This document shows that they paid the property taxes on it, along with several other branches: https://a836-acris.nyc.gov/DS/DocumentSearch/DocumentDetail?doc_id=2009050800556001
  • chekhovian
    chekhovian
    It seems like the possibility of a Trader Joe's is getting a far more positive response than the dread about Starbucks. Why so much glee for the corporate Trader Joe's?

    Won't it threaten the livelihood of many independent-owned food shops?

    Can't imagine Tony Fisher is joining any neighborhood happy dances over this news.
  • mishaps
    mishaps
    Count me among those who don't think a branch manager would actually have paperwork showing who the next tenant is. 

    And, for what it's worth, Sahadi's on Atlantic Avenue credits the opening of Trader Joe's on that corner with increasing their business -- many people, myself included, go there more often now. 
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    edited November 2014
    I do hope some of the same people who dreaded Starbucks are gleeful about Trader Joe's.

    ...and that they are typing about it on phones made by huge corporations, made by underpriviledged young people in sweatshop conditions.

    BTW, Rachel is working on this task. Hopefully she will get back to me soon.

    Those who are not trapped in a cubicle at the moment could talk to the bank manager themselves to see said paperwork...


  • whatchuwant
    whatchuwant
    I think (and hope!) the one who would suffer the most is that damn Keyfood across the street. I want them GONE! It would then be a perfect location for a TJ wine store.

     Huzzah! 
  • crownheightster
    crownheightster
    For me, Trader Joe's would not stop me from shopping at my local food stores (Mr. Met on Nostrand AVe and the greengrocers on Nostrand). Instead, it would add to my ability to get specialty items that the Met and the greengrocers don't sell, namely, high quality frozen food, meals to go, and snacks. Anything that I would buy at Trader Joe's is different from what I buy at the store around the corner from my house.
  • eastbloc
    eastbloc
    Competition is a beautiful thing.  
  • wbm
    wbm
    I think (and hope!) the one who would suffer the most is that damn Keyfood across the street. I want them GONE! It would then be a perfect location for a TJ wine store.

     Huzzah! 
    I TOTALLY agree with you, Whatchuwant. Key Foods is the worst. I have gotten ripped off by "accidental" overcharging at the register so many times that I stopped going. Boycott Key Foods. 
  • pheightsresident
    pheightsresident
    I really hope this is true, if only for the positive impact the move would have on property values in the area.  As for my family: though we'd shop at Trader Joe's (we currently occasionally go to the location on Court Street downtown Brooklyn) on Washington Ave as its a 5 minute walk from our home, we would only go there for items that our current food market doesn't have; we shop at the Chinese supermarket on 8th Avenue, as prices are so much cheaper.  The talk in the past about the side alleyway being too small for deliveries is plain wrong; there is more than enough room for deliveries to go there. Not to mention that the Court Street location brings deliveries through the main door (at least part of the time), so that's another option for this location as well, even if it would require widening the front doors somewhat.  
  • chekhovian
    chekhovian
    edited November 2014
    I really hope this is true, if only for the positive impact the move would have on property values in the area.  
    Another reason I hope this rumor is false!

    Also: obligatory comment about how this thread should be in the Prospect Height section.

    Get your damn Trader Joe's out of Crown Heights.
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    Those concerned about borders may take some solice from the above pictures, which were taken from the Crown Heights side of the street.
  • wbm
    wbm
    Those concerned about borders may take some solice from the above pictures, which were taken from the Crown Heights side of the street.
    Ha! Very funny.
  • notsayin
    notsayin
    Can we infer from the silence that Rachel is preparing a blockbuster reveal?

    (A big story, not a new DVD rental store)
  • MasTacos
    MasTacos
    It seems like the possibility of a Trader Joe's is getting a far more positive response than the dread about Starbucks. Why so much glee for the corporate Trader Joe's?

    Won't it threaten the livelihood of many independent-owned food shops?

    Can't imagine Tony Fisher is joining any neighborhood happy dances over this news.
    I don't really think there is a strong link there. Before starbucks we had several quality coffee shops. Starbucks just peddles muddy coffee.

    In comparison, the food shops while they have improved over the last 5 years, are pretty awful considering price and selection.
  • chekhovian
    chekhovian
    All the Met, Key Foods, Compare options are awful? Same with specialty stores like Wedge, R&d Foods, the Health Food store on Vanderbilt, the store on Bedford? Bob and Betty's is awful? Pine Tree, Nam's? I'm sure I'm forgetting places, but the number of new food stores is at least comparable to the number of new coffee places.

    Lot of small business owners have tried to bring a wide range of options to the neighborhood.

    What is so special about Trader Joe's?
  • eastbloc
    eastbloc
    Trader Joe's has high-quality foods at prices that are much more favorable than any of the "new" food options on the avenue.  

    The stores you listed aren't all "awful" (although some definitely are), but they are not enough to keep me from preferring to do my food shopping at Key Foods in Park Slope.  And we still find reason to go to Trader Joe's, we just don't do it often because it's far away.  

    If there's one on Washington, I'll probably ditch the Key Foods for larger shopping and use TJ's for that, and Nam's/Pine Tree for fresh vegetables and milk on a daily basis.
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    edited November 2014
    Can we infer from the silence that Rachel is preparing a blockbuster reveal?

    (A big story, not a new DVD rental store)
    No, we can't.


    Rachel was able to get in touch with Trader Joe's corporate. They told her the same thing they told Brokelyn:

    http://brokelyn.com/washington-avenue-probably-isnt-getting-trader-joes/

    She is now trying to get in touch with the local branch Capital One manager, to see if he has anything that contradicts this info.

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