No Answers For A Blighted Smith Street Block

The lonely block is nestled in the middle of Smith Street, a lively strip. On the west side of the street, between Degraw and Douglass, a row of vacant storefronts have windows covered in newspaper. The buildings have been this way for years, turning this portion of an otherwise bustling area into a community eyesore.

“People always ask me about them and I never know what to say,” said Suzanne Bagdade, owner of clothing boutique, which used to be located inside one of the vacant storefronts, at 254 Smith St., but is now at 248 Smith St., a couple of doors down. According to Bagdade, who had been leasing the space since 1997, the buildings have been empty since 2007.

“These buildings are in really bad shape,” she continued. “They weren’t maintained well. It doesn’t make Smith Street look prosperous." 

The five vacant storefronts — 250 through 254 Smith Street — are flanked by two construction sites: one on the corner and one in the center of the block. In 2007, both buildings, including all five storefronts in addition to the lots on either side, were sold as a packaged deal, according to store owners and public records. The previous businesses that occupied the storefronts are Refinery, Area Mom and Baby, Flirt and A-Plus Center for Learning.

The buildings blight the block, and according to local shop owners the shabby shape of these storefronts has begun to affect business.

“It’s hurting all of us,” said Jean Jaques Barnat, owner of , a French Bistro on the corner of Smith and Douglass that opened in 2006.

Since the buildings were sold, Barnat said he has seen little activity on the site.

“I don’t know what’s happened but this block is poor. It’s better when we have people walking down the street. We’re desperate for more attraction to this area — it’s better for the city, it’s better for Brooklyn and it’s better for Smith Street.”

Not only are empty storefronts bad for local businesses, they’re bad for entire neighborhoods. District Manager Craig R. Hammerman explained that blighted buildings, even amidst the most vibrant communities, can have a devastating effect.

“Empty storefronts tend to be bad for everyone. First of all, they dampen the activity along a commercial corridor. It’s like a comb with missing teeth—you can still run it through your hair but it doesn’t quite look right or feel right,” Hammerman said. “It’s not healthy for the nearby businesses or the surrounding residential community for storefronts to be vacant for an extended period of time. It suggests neglect.”

All the properties have a laundry list of complaints and violations attached to their leases, according to the Department of Buildings database, including those of the ECB variety, which are issued by the DOB based on the possibility of environmental hazard. (250 Smith St., 252 Smith St., 254 Smith St.)

The properties are now being managed by Fae Holdings Woodside, though the future of the parcels remains unclear. Numerous attempts were made to contact the owner of the buildings.

Local general contractor Metro Mechanical was hired by the buildings’ owner to work on the site but a receptionist at Metro confirmed no work is being done.

"What the next move is, I really don't know," she said, adding that people often call inquiring about the properties.

But renovations could be on the horizon. Though the properties were all slapped with notices to revoke permits by the Department of Buildings in 2009, said a DOB spokesperson, the notices were subsequently lifted, and all the buildings have valid work permits through April 11, 2011.

Shop owners are still disgruntled.

“It’s a shame,” Bagdade said. “Nobody knows what will happen. We’ll just have to see.”

Georgia Kral contributed reporting.