It took 15 years to turn a small city-owned park on top of a parking garage into the great accomplishment that is Brooklyn Renaissance Plaza. Patience and persistence paid off, as the mixed-use office tower, complete with a seven-story hotel at its base and an underground parking garage, became an instant hit. This property was key to the revitalization of the heart of Downtown Brooklyn.
The office tower is currently occupied by the Kings County District Attorney’s office, among others. The hotel, complete with meeting and conference facilities, was the first built in Brooklyn in over 50 years. Two years after the hotel opened, plans were underway for an expansion: a 24-story tower connected to the hotel by a pedestrian bridge on the second floor. That opened in 2006, increasing the number of hotel rooms from 387 to 667.
Business is booming at Brooklyn Renaissance Plaza. Tourists flock to Downtown Brooklyn, patronizing the shops and the hotel. Office tenants are drawn by a high-quality first-class building, as well as a spectacular location. Brooklyn Renaissance Plaza offers sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline and the New York Harbor. Getting there is an easy commute from almost anywhere, with 14 subway lines and 11 bus routes practically at the door. Manhattan is less than five minutes away by subway or by car.
A vision, 15 years in the making – and definitely worth the wait.
MUSS VALUE ADD
Ground up development including in house construction and management, interaction with various city agencies, financing, and leasing managed in house.
PROPERTY OVERVIEW
Brooklyn Renaissance Plaza, a 1.2 million- square-foot, 32- story mixed use complex (which includes the NY Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge), occupies about a third of a long block bounded by Jay, Adams, Willoughby, and Johnson Streets in the heart of downtown Brooklyn. Close to the Kings County courthouses and a short walk from the world-famous Brooklyn Heights Promenade overlooking the New York City harbor and skyline, BRP has superb access to public transportation, including 14 subway lines, 11 bus routes, major highways, and JFK and LaGuardia airports. Manhattan is just five minutes away by subway or car.
INVESTMENT STRATEGY
It took years of planning to transform an underutilized but ideally situated property into the booming success story it is today. What is now the aptly named Brooklyn Renaissance Plaza was then a small city-owned park over an underground garage. Decades of expertise and experience were required to navigate the challenges of the development process: zoning permits, site and community approval processes, financing, and leasing for the $230-million-dollar development.
BRP’s close proximity to the courthouses was a key attraction for the Executive Offices of the Kings County District Attorneys, which has leased 14 floors – a majority of the Class A office space – since it opened in the Spring of 1998. Other long-term tenants include Health Plus, the Federal Government, NYC Department of Education, NYC Employees Retirement System, and Met Life. Retail stores and ample on-site parking facilities also add to its appeal.
The rewards of BRP led us to acquire an adjacent property at 345 Adams, which was converted from office space into an upscale retail complex (including a Panera Bread). In addition, BRP has sparked the revitalization of other properties in the area, including the adjacent corner building on Willoughby home of Danny Meyer’s Shake Shack, the Willoughby Outdoor Pedestrian Plaza, and the nearby major retailers on Fulton Street.
- Property Type: Mixed-Use
- Floors: 32
- Size: 1.2 Million SF
- Retail Stores: 3
- Floor Size: 33‚000 SF
- Built: 1998
- Parking: 888 Spaces
- Major Tenants
- Kings County District Attorney's Office
- NYC Department of Education
- NYC Employees Retirement System
- United Federation of Teachers
- United States General Services Administration