Thrifty Brooklynites will have even more aisles of second-hand clothing to pick through as the Salvation Army plans to expand its Bedford Avenue thrift store — though Apple fans will be crying on their iPods.
The nonprofit will transform its currently closed one-story shop at the corner of Bedford Avenue and N. Seventh Street into a two-floor location, silencing the rumor that the site was being prepped to become an Apple store.
“We are committed to using the property for our own purposes,” said Salvation Army spokesman Tim Raines. “We’re not looking to sell the property at all, so an Apple Store is out.”
The rumors were stoked because the Salvation Army had hired hip architect, Fradkin & McAlpin, for the renovation job, Curbed reported.
The firm, which did not return calls, is known for upscale townhouses, plus the Brooklyn Brewery’s Williamsburg headquarters. But upscale design or not, the Salvation Army won’t sell because its long-term goal is to raise money for its drug and rehabilitation centers throughout the region, Raines said.
“We feel we are better off generating the income from that location [than selling],” he said. “Who’s to say the property value won’t appreciate over time, even further?”
The work in question will repair damage caused 15 years ago when a fire ravaged the upper floors, which remain boarded up with plywood.
The Bedford Avenue store is one of the highest-grossing stores, providing more than 20 percent of the funds for its rehabilitation centers.
