NEWS, ESSAYS & CRITIQUES

Nina Katashvili Nina Katashvili

Brooklyn Mirage New Build Filing Submitted Feb 3, 2026 Under Same Architect and Ownership

If prior Mirage related issues were attributed to problems with initial drawings or plan sets, what specifically were those deficiencies and how were they identified? And if the February 3 2026 New Work filing has been submitted under the same ownership entity and Architect of Record, what ultimately prompted continuity in the design team and what if anything has changed in the plans now moving forward?

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Brooklyn Mirage Bankruptcy Plan Fast-Tracked in 17-Minute Hearing

In just 17-minutes, Judge Walrath approved AGDP's late-night plan (Dkt. 583)–admitting she'd not reviewed it. Faris (Young Conaway/Axar) hyped CEO Gary Richards endlessly; Verita's older rep stumbled on foggy technical point. No objections. Confirmation done.

Key Roles: Richards (CEO), Yazhari (plan admin), Nahas ($15K/mo trustee ahead of unsecureds). CVR now $90M trigger + $3.5M guaranteed.

Pacha eyes June relaunch post-demo–but NYC DOB permits? Unrealistic timeline. Creditors wait. Transparency alarm sounded harsh.

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Brooklyn Mirage Bankruptcy: When the Trustee Gets Paid First

"The Liquidating Trustee's fixed fee doesn't just tick up—it jumps from a token $3,000 a month to a $15,000 monthly retainer, on top of hourly billing and contingent upside tied to new recoveries. According to the confirmed plan filed at Docket 575, Joshua Nahas of Dundon Advisers LLC becomes the single most powerful actor in Brooklyn Mirage's estate afterlife—paid first, indemnified heavily, and armed with broad discretion over which claims to pursue or drop."

From Avant Gardner's bankruptcy documents, the math looks brutal: every month the case drags on, $15K comes off the top before vendors, contractors, or artists see a dime. Unmixd has reached out to Gary Richards, CEO and public face of Brooklyn Mirage, for comment on what this means for unsecured creditors still waiting. No response by press time.

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Brooklyn Mirage Bankruptcy: $90K 'Services Provided' to Firm in Carone Corruption Probe

Oaktree Solutions Ltd., tied to ex-Adams chief of staff, filed $90K claim in Brooklyn Mirage bankruptcy.

Court docs show Frank Carone & Billy Bildstein signatures. Pacha takeover advances despite federal probe ties.

Key revelations:

  • Billy Bildstein owned 100% of Avant Gardner at collapse

  • Axar Capital now owns site; FIVE Holdings (Pacha) to operate if court approves.

  • $90K owed to Oaktree for mysterious "services provided"

  • Frank Carone signatures appear on claim docs

  • NYT (Jan 30): Brooklyn grand jury probes Carone's business dealings

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Sold in the Headlines, Not in Court: Brooklyn Mirage’s Pacha Deal Blows Up in Bankruptcy

On New Year’s Day, outlets announced Brooklyn Mirage had been sold to the group behind Pacha. Three weeks later, the creditors’ committee told a Delaware judge the deal they were promised had been quietly gutted by Axar — and that without that very press leak, no one in the courtroom would have known.

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What’s Next, Brooklyn Mirage?

In an industrial stretch of East Williamsburg, Avant Gardner emerged in 2017 under the vision of Jürgen “Billy” Bildstein. What began as a fleeting pop-up concept found permanence with the opening of the Brooklyn Mirage - a sprawling outdoor venue whose ambitious production and scale set it apart from the outset. Over the next two years, additional halls rose beside it: The Great Hall, cavernous and versatile, and Kings Hall, intimate and subterranean. Together, the complex offered a new blueprint for year-round nightlife. But the by early 2025 the venue saw its first needles in coffin and by August 4, Avant Gardner, LLC (“Avant Gardner”), the operator of Brooklyn Mirage, together with its affiliated entities filed for bankruptcy.

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