What's going on next to Soda Bar on Vanderbilt?

Does anyone know what's opening next to Soda Bar? The place has been under renovation for a while, I peeked inside today and it looks like retail. I asked a group of people standing outside if they knew something and they said "something very exciting".

631 Vanderbilt

It has been under renovation for a while.

Yes, I've heard retail.

http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/17111649/631-Vanderbilt-Avenue-Brooklyn-NY/

Its going to be the Sales Center for the condo development of 280 Saint Marks Ave.

That would make sense: http://www.brooklynian.com/discussion/44700/big-garage-on-st-marks-between-underhill-and-vanderbilt-will-become-a-5-story-condo-building

...but isn't "something very exciting" or "retail".

I don't know, the people visiting the site didn't look like developers or brokers, they looked like high fashion people.

I just wandered around the DOB applications that were filed in April, and they seem consistent with something pretty high end, such as a name brand fancy retail (jewelry store?).    A Sales Center for for a condo (such as 280 St. Marks) also makes sense.

http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/JobsQueryByLocationServlet?requestid=1&allbin=3028484&allstrt=VANDERBILT AVENUE&allnumbhous=631

...A few high end architect firms are involved in renovating what is basically a storefront.

Whoever is building this is spending some significant money, and has kept their names off the permits by using lawyers and LLCs as the applicants.

Slipped into the doorway to snap this.  It looks like an oversized mock up of a kitchen in a fancy new development. 

Ugh,  more wasted space on Vanderbilt.  

Nice work Vanderbilly. The only good news I guess is that they're only going to be there for about a year. I think the building will be done in Winter 2017. Some of the apartments are already on Streeteasy.

real estate sales people with laptops in 5-4-3-2-

Oh! That's great news, Capa.  I guess there's still hope for exciting retail in this space at some point 

This appears to be a model kitchen/living room. Isn't that a sink?

...a sample unit for 280 St. Marks seems on point.

We bought a place in Clinton Hill based on a visit to a showroom in Ft. Greene. That space has been empty for over a year now. So this doesn't necessarily bode well.

As a result of being a single story building in this location, I expect it to be torn down by 2018.