Sears, Roebuck & Company Department Store
2307 Beverley Road | also 2359 Bedford Avenue | Flatbush | built 1940
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The city photographed every building for its tax records around 1940 and again in the 1980s. NYC Municipal Archives.
Written with AI from the source each entry cites, then fact-checked.
- 1932
A realty company quietly buys 25 Flatbush parcels for a new Sears store
To assemble the site for Sears's Brooklyn flagship, the Cheshill Realty Corporation secretly acquired 25 parcels along Beverly Road, East 22nd Street, Bedford Avenue and the unbuilt route of East 23rd Street in 1932. The Brooklyn Eagle called the private negotiations the "Flatbush mystery." The site suited Sears because land cost far less than in downtown Brooklyn and many cars could be accommodated.
- 1932
Eleanor Roosevelt opens the Flatbush Sears store and buys a pair of baby booties
Eleanor Roosevelt addressed the crowd at the opening of the Flatbush store on November 5, 1932, in her last public appearance before her husband was elected president. According to the Brooklyn Eagle, she turned a key in the Beverly Road entrance, then made the first purchase with Mrs. Henry Hesterberg, the borough president's wife. An estimated 50,000 people visited the $1,500,000 store, and about 300 were hired to staff it.
“…she made the first purchase, a pair of baby's booties. An estimated 50,000 people "thronged the new $1,500,000 store…”
- 1932
Nimmons, Carr & Wright give the store a 103-foot Art Deco corner tower
The Chicago firm Nimmons, Carr & Wright designed the store, which went up in 1932 with a reinforced concrete frame. Its corner tower, about 103 feet tall, was the most conspicuous feature and carried Sears signage on each side. The landmarks report says the tower probably also disguised an unsightly water tower and bulky equipment.
- 1936
Sears Hall opens on the third floor for free use by Brooklyn groups
In April 1936 Sears opened a large auditorium, sometimes called Sears Hall, on the store's third floor as a sign of its commitment to Brooklyn. It could hold 650 people and was available to local groups without charge. Marie Fisher LaGuardia, the mayor's wife, attended the opening. The store itself had already become a success: in 1934 it led all Sears branches in increased sales.
“…a large auditorium, sometimes called "Sears Hall," was established on the third floor in April 1936. Marie Fisher LaGuardia, the mayor's wife, attended…”
- 1940
A new wing extends the store 87 feet along Beverly Road
Sears filed plans in May 1940 to expand the eight-year-old store, and the same architects designed the addition. After 11 houses were demolished, William Kidde Constructors finished the six-month, $750,000 project in November 1940. It added about 43,000 square feet and brought the building to 170,000 square feet, with a bigger parking lot.
- 2012
The Landmarks Preservation Commission designates the Flatbush Sears store
The building became an individual New York City landmark on May 15, 2012. Sears supported the designation and asked only that the parking lot be left out, which it was. Before then the exterior had been altered: the display windows were filled in and painted over before 1989, and the original Art Deco entrances on Beverley Road and Bedford Avenue were closed.
Source: brownstoner.com
- 2021
The last Sears in New York City closes, and apartment towers are planned for the lot
The Flatbush store closed in November 2021 after Sears went bankrupt in 2018, making it the last open Sears in the city. During the COVID-19 pandemic its parking lot had served as a drive-thru testing site. Clipper Equity announced two seven-story buildings with 650 apartments for the rest of the site, leaving the landmarked store protected.
“…the store would become the final open Sears location in New York City. ... In November 2021, the Sears closed.”
Source: Wikipedia
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