Move over bread, something new is cooking at 866-868 Lorimer Street home to the famed New Warsaw Bakery. Right before the turn of the New Year, the Swidzinski family, who provided Greenpointers with tasty bread for the past 20 years, and the Cisek family of the neighboring Brooklyn Electric Co, inked a deal with Chatham Developers to sell their spaces to make way for, you guessed it, more luxury condos.
In exchange for $8.7 million dollars, the new owners of the Warsaw Bakery lot have filed plans with the Department of Buildings to construct 2 luxury condos right at the doorstep of McCarren Park. According to a press release from Delta Commercial Real Estate, the proposed development will include a 2 tower, 7-story condominium, with below ground parking, and a ground floor commercial space on Manhattan Avenue. Word on the curb is they’ve hired Stephen B. Jacobs–the same architect that gave us the downtown Miami inspired Edge–to design the exterior of the building. The interior will by handled by Ole Sondresen, who’s firm also designed the Kickstarter’s headquarters in Greenpoint and the Etsy headquarters in Dumbo.
As for that sweet smell of yeast rising from Warsaw’s hot ovens, Greenpointers may have to look elsewhere for bread. As of writing this, there is no word as to whether the owners will re-open their bakery in a new location or whether they just decided to cash in their chips at a time when Greenpoint’s real estate market is hotter than a ring in Dante’s inferno.
Either way you slice it, another local favorite for now has bit the dust; how sad it is to see all the local Polish businesses go. New Year’s resolution Greenpointers: Show your local Polish shops more love and give them your business! If we don’t do this, in a few years the only flavor left in the hood will taste like glass instead of a piping hot pierogi.
Update: New Warsaw will remain open at it’s current location for 2 more months. They will continue operating the bakery at a different location on Metropolitan Ave. Stay tuned for more info.
This kind of news is always disheartening to hear.
“As for that sweet smell of yeast rising from Warsaw’s hot ovens, Greenpointers may have to look elsewhere for bread.”
Why not Syrena on Humboldt and Norman?
Disheartening. It’s not just about “showing the love” to the local small businesses — it’s about the crass greed of all parties involved. (I’m sure the New Warsaw owners are not weeping about selling out — they’re scoring big bucks.) It’s all about money now. And even popular, thriving businesses are on the edge of being squeezed out by greedy landlords who jack up rents 100 or 1000x . Grrrrr. As for those freaking condos — great, just what we need, yet more unaffordable housing in boring architecture. Does anyone care anymore?
I couldn’t agree more, Monica. The sad truth is the ones who truly care can’t afford to do anything. The “I’ve got to get mine” mentality is pervasive in nyc real estate, doubly so in our hood. As we’ve seen in Soho and now Williamsburg, both nabes are officially open air malls full of overpriced stuff and surrounded by “luxury” adult dorms complete with billard rooms and screening rooms for movie nights. I can’t help but wonder when this damn bubble will burst already. It pains me to report these things, because the truth is, I’ve been living in GP for 10 years and seen firsthand how rapidly things have and are changing, and because of this I almost care too much about what happens here. Sometimes I think it would be a sweeter pill to swallow had I not move here so long ago. Nevertheless, I still encourage everyone to show love to the shops who made this place what it is today b/c not all of them are willing to cash in just yet.