Brooklyn Mirage parent company Avant Gardner reportedly looking to rebrand

Brooklyn Mirage’s parent company, Avant Gardner, is reportedly looking to rebrand with a name change, as per an email seen by BK Mag.

The company – which has suffered a turbulent year with a bankruptcy filing, a reported part-demolition, and failure to meet its inspection deadline – is now searching for a new name after it was acquired by Axar Capital Management.

In an email reportedly sent to staff in October, seen by BK Mag, Avant Gardner asked for new name suggestions, writing: “As we enter the next chapter of our venue’s journey, we’d love your input on a new name for the entire complex.”

Read this next: Brooklyn Mirage reportedly "bleeding money" as it looks for a new owner

The reported email also suggests that the name will “replace the ‘Avant Gardner’ moniker”, but adds that the current logo for the company will “remain the same”.

Brooklyn Mirage, which is part of the Avant Gardner complex, has come into a barrage of issues in recent years, beginning in 2023 when two people were found dead and another was allegedly kidnapped after leaving the venue.

Though the venue denied responsibility, owners made plans to close in late 2024 to make $30 million worth of renovations and heighten safety measures both “inside and outside the venue”. It planned to reopen in May this year, but failed to meet its inspection deadline, causing its temporary occupancy certificate to be withdrawn.

Read this next: New York event complex Avant Gardner, home of Brooklyn Mirage, files for bankruptcy

In July, BK Mag reported that the then-non-executive Chairman of Avant Gardner, Gary Richards, was overheard discussing how the complex was “bleeding money”, and that they were looking - but struggling - to find a buyer.

The company filed for bankruptcy in August with over $150 million in funded debt obligations. The building’s owners then looked to demolish part of the 80,000 sq. ft club (per The Real Deal), looking to remove a 32,000 sq. ft area.

Read this next: Brooklyn Mirage reportedly faces part-demolition following bankruptcy turmoil

According to BK Mag, In October, the company’s longtime lender, Axar Capital Management, purchased Avant Gardner for around $110 million. The staff member who reportedly shared the email with the Brooklyn outlet claims that employees remain uninformed about bankruptcy proceedings.

Name suggestions so far reportedly include Anu Start, NYDF (New York Dance Factory), Social Experiment, New Dimension, and simply, The Brooklyn Mirage.

[Via BK Mag]

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Associate Digital Editor, follow her on Twitter