Bay Ridge residents are eagerly anticipating a new retail development that will replace the vacant Century 21 building in the heart of the neighborhood.
The discount store closed up shop on 86th Street at the start of the pandemic in 2020. Since then, the empty storefront has been the center of neighborhood intrigue and the source of neighborhood concerns that the busy South Brooklyn shopping corridor was in decline.
Now, the Century 21 building has been torn down by its new owners and residents are hopeful a new development will brighten the thoroughfare with new shopping options.
“ I just hope it'll be something worthwhile. I hope it'll be something that we could all use,” said Kathleen Riordan, who lives in nearby Dyker Heights, on 86th Street recently. “I mean, we still have stores here, but it's not the same without Century."
A neighborhood staple
The Century 21 shop on 86th Street near Fifth Avenue was the first location of the luxury discounter and thrived in Bay Ridge for more than 50 years. Memories of the bargains the store offered are beloved by South Brooklynites to this day.
“ It had everything. It was a store that you never left without a purchase,” said Frida Maiorana, a longtime Bay Ridge resident.
Justin Brannan, who represented the neighborhood on the City Council for eight years, said residents felt a kinship with the brand as Century 21 expanded to Manhattan and beyond.
The site of the former Bay Ridge Century 21 in January 2026, taken through a dirty scaffolding window.
“ I think people in Bay Ridge felt some sort of ownership,” he said. “ We were like proud, like, ‘Oh, the first one was here.’ They were such a part of Bay Ridge.”
Vacant for years
The shop’s vacancy for the past five years fueled notions that Century 21's closure irreparably harmed the 86th Street shopping corridor. The family that owned the retail chain and the building’s new owner did not respond to requests for comment.
“We would say 86th Street's not the same,” Riordan said. “ It was like a landmark for Brooklyn, 86th Street.”
Brannan said residents were frustrated and at times blamed him and other local elected officials for the long-term vacancy. The most he could do was nudge the Century 21 owners to either sell or redevelop the space, he said.
“We were like, guys, I don't have any power. I don't have any control over what happens here. It's not city property,” he said.
New beginnings
Last year, a Baltimore-based real estate company bought the property, and has said on its website that it intends to spend $100 million on a full renovation and hopes to attract a grocery store and other tenants to the space.
The company, MCB Real Estate, did not respond to a request for comment on what stores it hopes to attract.
Riordan said she’s hopeful the new shop could have the same pull as Century 21.
“ So hopefully it'll be something good to get the people back in here,” she said. “'Cause you would get shoppers from all over. Everybody would go to Century 21.”
