Brooklyn Mirage seeks permit to demolish 32000 sq ft at Avant Gardner

The owners of the Brooklyn Mirage submitted a permit application in mid-October to demolish roughly 32,000 square feet of the open-air venue at the Avant Gardner complex in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, a filing that signals a major step toward dismantling the site after months of failed reopening attempts and a Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The permit lists an estimated demolition cost of about $1.5 million and names an engineering contractor for the job. The Mirage is part of an roughly 80,000 square foot complex that also houses the Great Hall and Kings Hall.

The Mirage has been closed since early 2024 for an extensive renovation that was to culminate in a May reopening. The project repeatedly stalled after New York City Department of Buildings inspections raised safety and technical objections, and the venue did not meet a final inspection deadline. A Department of Buildings spokesperson said the agency had identified numerous safety and technical issues that prevented the performance space from being made code compliant. Indoor spaces at the complex have continued to operate while the Mirage remained shuttered.

The filing follows a turbulent period for Avant Gardner. The company...