The New York Times tries to understand what is happening to some Brooklyn real estate that was meant to be converted into housing stock but is now getting used to for things like storing art. Christie’s storage facility in Red Hook is center stage:
“It’s not residential, it’s industrial, it’s quiet, it can be very secure and we liked the location very near the city,” Joe Stasko, the international managing director for Christie’s Fine Art Storage Services, said of the property, for which the company has signed a lease for 30 years. “We’re looking at this as a long-term investment and as a long-term service that we provide to our clients.” […] The Red Hook warehouse, with its concrete-and-steel structure and 250,000 square feet spread over six stories, is ideal for creating customized, air-purified, climate- and humidity-controlled storage units and private viewing galleries, Mr. Stasko said, adding that its location near a cruise ship port makes it a convenient and known taxi destination for clients.
Nearby there’s also an emerging “arts-based manufacturing center” according to the Times:
At the Brooklyn Navy Yard, a company called Surroundart is adding a new building, and will ultimately have almost 20 times the space of its original 8,000-square-foot operation. The company, which works with museums, galleries and private collectors, not only stores art but also makes specialized shipping crates for it and offers transportation and consulting services.
