A joint initiative involving Boston Properties, Rudin Development and WeWork is developing a new 675,000 sq ft scheme in Brooklyn Navy Yard, designed to meet the demand from the emerging creative and tech sectors. The $380 million project is being carried out in conjunction with the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Company (BNYDC).
Rendering of Dock 72 at the Brooklyn Navy Yard courtesy of S9 Architecture
The building –Dock 72 at The Brooklyn Navy Yard – will be one of the largest single commercial developments outside Manhattan in decades and, when fully occupied, will accommodate 4,000 workers.
In the first commitment of its kind in Brooklyn, the agreement between the development team and BNYDC specifies that all employees must be paid a living wage. Furthermore, occupiers will partner with the Brooklyn Navy Yard Employment Center to ensure that local people benefit from the job opportunities the scheme will create.
The building has been designed by S9 Architecture to celebrate the maritime and industrial heritage of the site and to encourage collaboration between occupiers. It will provide flexible floor plates from 40,000 sq ft to 60,000 sq ft, along with a health and wellness centre, food and beverage outlets and a rooftop conference centre.
Construction on the 16-storey building is expected to begin later this year, with the first tenants expected to move into the office space in late 2017. WeWork, the global workspace, community and services platform, will anchor the development with a 222,000 sq ft lease, which will establish the Navy Yard as one of the largest start-up hubs in the region.
Welcoming the development NYC Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development, Alicia Glen, said: “From start-ups to expanding firms, this new workspace is going to put thousands of New Yorkers to work and help launch the next great wave of home-grown innovation.
“We are growing the Navy Yard’s capacity for manufacturing, tech and the maker economy faster than any time in its modern history.
“We are thrilled to work with Boston Properties, Rudin Development and WeWork to bring this new space online and keep building on the Naval Yard’s incredible success story.
BNYDC President and CEO, David Ehrenberg, also welcomed the news, describing the investment from the partners as a ‘watershed moment’ in the growth of the Navy Yard.
Owen Thomas, CEO of Boston Properties, one of the largest owners and developers of Class A office space in the US, said: “We are delighted to expand our relationship with WeWork and to partner the Rudin Family and the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation to create one of New York’s most uniqe new buildings designed specifically for the needs of the growing creative and technology community.”
Bill and Eric Rudin, Managing Partners of Rudin Development, which owns and operates one of the largest privately owned commercial and residential portfolios in New York City, said they were ‘thrilled’ to be collaborating on the scheme which will add to the diversity of the Navy Yard.
Founder and CEO of WeWork, Adam Neumann, said the project was a perfect example of what can be achieved by private and public sector collaborations and that it will serve as a model for other cities
The latest development comes hot on the heels of the city’s announcement of the $140 million redevelopment of Admirals Row, and follows the conversion of Building 77 into a 1 million sq ft innovation and manufacturing hub. Together these schemes represent a huge expansion of the Navy Yard which will enhance Brooklyn’s competitiveness and create thousands of additional quality jobs.
