14 DAY TRIAL // Apple is being lured by Brooklyn boosters who’ve set their sights on an unused area of Municipal Building, which houses city offices for the Buildings, Probation, Finance and Environmental Protection departments.
Local officials have reportedly produced renderings of a glass-walled store on the first two floors of the building on Joralemon St. across from Borough Hall.
The documents have been forwarded to Apple, although Cupertino is tough to crack, reports the NYDailyNews.
However, An Apple spokeswoman did respond to queries on the matter, saying that no decisions have been made, according to the paper.
Borough President Marty Markowitz believes Apple has every reason to look into building one of its iconic stores in the location.
"It's got the foot traffic. The building is iconic. The building's gorgeous, and I think it would make for a beautiful location," said Markowitz.
The official went as far as making a video of himself writing an email to Apple’s CEO on his new iPad. Steve Jobs did not answer back.
Yet Markowitz is positive Apple will see this as a great opportunity to increase awareness of its brand, and have a store that really stands out.
"They haven't made it until they've made it in Brooklyn," he said.
The Downtown Brooklyn Partnership commissioned a study which found that the city could benefit immensely from such a move, grossing up to $20 million by selling off the first two floors and basement of the Municipal Building.
"It's an underutilized city asset. It just sits there. It can be a beautiful building," Markowitz added.
Some $50 million would be saved by consolidating municipal office space, said Deputy Mayor Stephen Goldsmith, who has been reviewing city real estate holdings.
However, real estate broker Robert Greenstone believes he has the answer to Apple’s lack of interest in the Brooklyn store: "It has to stand out," Greenstone said, after presenting several Brooklyn properties to Apple, noting that none has met the company's needs.
"It has to have access and visibility," he noted.