The de Blasio administration and the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation joined partners Rudin Development, Boston Properties, Inc. and WeWork to break ground at Dock 72 today, marking a major milestone in the 200-year history of the Brooklyn Navy Yard on the East River and Fort Greene/Williamsburg border.
The 675,000 square-foot building will bring $380 million in private investment and 4,000 living wage jobs to the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Dock 72 will serve the rapidly emerging technology and creative industries in Brooklyn, and the project will be one of the largest commercial buildings constructed outside of Manhattan in decades.
“We are, quite literally, doubling down on good jobs at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The 4,000 living wage jobs at Dock 72 are a key part of that commitment. This project is going to help bring ideas, innovators and start-ups to the yard, where they can scale up their businesses, hire more New Yorkers and manufacture their products right here in Brooklyn,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Combined with other major investments by the de Blasio administration, employment at the Brooklyn Navy Yard is poised to double by 2020 to more than 16,000 good-paying jobs. They City owns the Navy Yard property and the BNYDC is the complex’s administrative entity.
According to the agreement between the development team and BNYDC, all tenants in the building will pay a living wage to their employees, making it the first new development in Brooklyn with such a commitment. To ensure local residents benefit from the opportunities to be created, tenants will partner with the Brooklyn Navy Yard Employment Center to match nearby residents with job opportunities.
BNYDC and the developers have also agreed to significantly expand BNYDC’s existing internship program. The developers will set aggressive goals for MWBE construction hiring and contracting.
WeWork is anchoring the new building with a 222,000-square-foot lease, significantly reinforcing the Brooklyn Navy Yard as one of the largest concentrations of small and start-up businesses in the region. Highlights of the building’s 35,000-square-foot amenity package curated by WeWork include a health and wellness center, specialty food and beverage offerings and a rooftop conference center.
“Brooklyn has become the epicenter of the innovation economy. The Navy Yard tech hub is a welcome addition to the host of incubators and startups that call Brooklyn home,” said Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, “I look forward to continuing the fight to bring more cutting-edge technology firms to my district and ensuring that people of color have a seat at the table.”
State Senator Daniel Squadron (northern Brooklyn) said the Navy Yard and their partners continue to hit it out of the park as a local jobs hub and economic development center. Dock 72 is an exciting new addition, and means even more ways to build even more jobs and expand our Tech Triangle,” he said.
Assembly Member Joseph R. Lentol (Williamsburg) said the the project helps the High Tech industry to thrive in Brooklyn.
“New York’s economy relies on creative technologies. Brooklyn, specifically the Brooklyn Navy Yard, has been at the forefront of responding to this industry’s needs. This new space also enhances the quality of life for my constituents who want to live in a borough where they can easily and safely walk to work – spending more time with their families and less time on the commute,” Lentol said.
For more information, please visit http://dock72.com/
