Marty Markowitz spent yesterday griping about the lack of an Apple store in his beloved Brooklyn. Worry all you want about the chainification of the tragically hip borough—The Observer certainly does—but there’s no stopping the un-gentrifiable Fulton Mall, as it is poised to pick up another national chain. And, no, it’s not a Shake Shack wannabe.
As if H&M, the Gap, Jimmy Jazz and Macy’s weren’t enough, the Fulton Mall will soon boast an Express flagship.
The new Express will occupy 10,000 square feet at 490 Fulton, the same building that’s supposed to house a 40,000-square-foot Filene’s Basement/Syms hybrid. The building will also contain Long Island University dorms, giving both stores a built-in customer base just upstairs.
A Filene’s/Syms hybrid! What will the BroBos think?
The move actually makes a lot of sense, since this is a notably downmarket stretch, as Faith Hope Consolo told us last fall. “Places like those and Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg, that’s really a targeted audience–its chi-chi chic,” she said. “Fulton Street is fast fashion and cheap chic. It’s what’s wearable and practical, like denim, sportswear or an affordable suit.”
