The Joseph Fallert brewery complex at Meserole and Lorimer in Williamsburg looks like it is headed for demolition after a recent sale and a flurry of city paperwork. The cluster of red-brick factory buildings, originally constructed starting in the late 19th century, changed hands in January and is now controlled by a development entity. An application to clear the site has already been submitted, although the city has not yet issued formal demolition permits, and no new building applications are on file.
Developer filings and the sale
According to PincusCo, Meserole Lorimer Realty LLC paid about $19.6 million for three tax lots that cover the brewery property and filed Department of Buildings applications in December seeking to demolish the industrial complex. PincusCo reports that the sale contracts were dated January 28 and that the transactions were recorded on February 11, 2026. The filings describe a ground-up residential project as the anticipated reuse of the corner site.
A piece of Williamsburg history
Brownstoner notes that the Joseph Fallert Brewing Company began building out the complex in the late 1870s, then expanded it into the early 20th century. Historic sketches and tax photographs show now-vanished features, including a smokestack and earlier wood-frame outbuildings. What survives today is a five-building brick brewery massing that has made it through more than a century of alterations. Records also show that a previous owner filed plans in 2013 to adapt the property into 33 apartments, an adaptive-reuse proposal whose conversion permit was never issued.
Who is behind the buy
PincusCo identifies Cheskel Schwimmer of Chess Builders as the principal linked to Meserole Lorimer Realty LLC, with Schwimmer signing mortgage documents associated with the purchase. Chess Builders has been active across Brooklyn in recent years, filing plans and arranging financing for multifamily developments. That history makes a residential project the most likely outcome for the Fallert site if the demolition applications move ahead.
Next steps and neighborhood impact
Brownstoner reports that the three lots involved in the sale include the main brewery buildings, a two-story dwelling along the Lorimer Street frontage and a small parking parcel. Together, they form an approximately 20,000-square-foot, residentially zoned corner site. With no new building permits yet filed, the timing of any teardown will hinge on Department of Buildings approvals and any required environmental or protection reviews. Community organizations, preservation advocates and nearby residents are likely to be watching upcoming DOB filings closely to see what, if anything, is set to replace this piece of 19th-century Williamsburg.
