I passed by this address often as I make my way north on Bedford, just before turning onto Myrtle Avenue. As a friend asked to be on the lookout for properties to lease that could facilitate a school, this “Warehouse Available” sign on 898 Bedford Avenue caught my attention. While researching the address on Property Shark, I found that it was approximately 4,700 square feet, a bit larger than the requested 3,200 square feet but more might be better, so I researched further and found this great old photo of Ladder Company 102, built September 15, 1869. The photo was taken in 1931:
Here is a stretched, fuzzy photo from Property Shark, as it appeared about a month ago, with the “Warehouse Availability” sign. The storefront to the left of the old firehouse was also available by the same agent. The entire structure is painted grey, windows and all. I wonder if the top windows were redone. The top photo has four windows, the bottom has three.
So, I start fantasizing about how wonderful it would be to restore this old firehouse or its possibility for someone to turn it into a carriage house home or restaurant, with its palladium windows and arched doorway. But then about a couple of weeks later, it was all gone.
This is such a sad story. I live so close to this location, but I never got a chance to see the old building. One can only assume that condos are in store.