The identity of the mystery buyer of the former Rite Aid site in Carroll Gardens has been revealed, thanks to the sale hitting public records last week. And while an apartment tower is certainly not out of the question, the prominent site’s future could also include upmarket sandwiches and influencer events.
Happier Grocery President LLC c/o 99c purchased 320 Smith Street and 336 Union Street — the entirety of the west side of Smith Street between President and Union, at the Carroll Street F train stop and opposite Carroll Park — for $21.5 million in early August, a deed filed on Sept. 1 shows. Dawson Stellberger signed for the LLC.
Known for commercial property development, Stellberger and 99c are behind a number of Brooklyn events and creative spaces, including nightclubs. Happier Grocery is a Manhattan boutique grocery store. So far, no permits have been filed for the site and Stellberger didn’t respond to questions on the plans by time of publication.
The Smith Street property, which takes up seven row-house lots, has potential for dozens of new homes and expanded commercial space. The existing two-story building, comprising a store and five market-rate rental apartments, has 16,091 square feet, but 28,500 square feet are allowed — or even 34,200 square feet if affordable units are included, as Brownstoner reported last month.
Stellberger has a long history in Bushwick and Williamsburg real estate with his Bushwack Capital, and seems to have dropped the residential management and development he did in the 2010s to focus on building an events and creative hub around Scott Avenue in the Bushwick loft area.
The lot at 336 Union Street today.Photo by Susan De Vries 
The mixed-use building at 320 Smith Street today.Photo by Susan De Vries
He is linked to a handful of commercial buildings there that have been built or repurposed as events spaces, creative studios, and hospitality venues, as well as a forthcoming hotel with a wellness center to cater to the crowds.
Projects include music venue Elsewhere, private members club SAA, performance space 99 Scott, photo studio and events spot 53 Scott Avenue, and an under construction geothermal hotel. Farther afield, Stellberger; his brother, fashion designer Wells Stellberger; and 99c are also involved in Happier Grocery and creative office building WSA.
Carroll Gardens is a new frontier for Stellberger and his partners. The LLC known as 99c includes Stellberger, billionaire Canadian biotech entrepreneur Francesco Bellini, and the latter’s son Carlo, according to The Real Deal.
The geothermal hotel under construction in 2025.Photo by Anna Bradley-Smith
A noisy late-night venue might not go over well in the quiet neighborhood of 19th century brick and brownstone row houses, but the new owner’s brutalist-leaning industrial aesthetic and favorite designer Bench Architecture could bring something different to the corner.
The building that until recently housed Rite Aid went up in 2008. Before that, the property was an empty lot used for parking and secondhand-car sales going back at least to the 1940s, old tax photos show.
This story first appeared in Brooklyn Paper’s sister site Brownstoner