Jessica Dailey reports for Curbed: Inside Dumbo’s Abandoned Empire Stores Before Its Makeover. More than six decades have passed since Dumbo’s Empire Stores warehouses served a purpose, but by the end of next year, the abandoned coffee warehouses will be home to tech and fashion companies, marquee retailers, and “the who’s who” of restaurateurs. Developer Midtown Equities, which won the development bid from Brooklyn Bridge Park last summer,