Business and pleasure intertwine in Brooklyn’s newest commercial building, Dock 72, located in Fort Greene’s Brooklyn Navy Yard.
Designed as a fully amenitized office building, the 16-story, 675,000-square-foot joint venture between Rudin Development, Boston Properties, and WeWork includes 35,000-square feet of amenities such as an on-site bike valet, four rooftop gardens, a basketball court, an open lawn with a game table and a rooftop conference center.
“That’s what the world is about today. Attracting and retaining employees, keeping them happy, and competing against large companies like Google and Facebook. Probably four to five-thousand, maybe six-thousand thousand jobs will be here in the building,” said Bill Rudin, Co-Chairman and CEO of Rudin Management.
The new building’s decor is nautical themed with dark charcoal gray, rust, and black; inside are concrete panels. “We didn’t want it to look like we just plopped a building right in the Navy Yard but like we’ve always been here,” said Kelley Lovshin, Senior Construction Manager of Boston Properties.
The first floor will have an entire food amenity. There will be a coffee bar and a full marketplace that will have different food offerings throughout the day. The second floor will have a gym facility for tenants complete with showers, change rooms, and two fitness rooms.
The office layouts are optimized for employee collaboration and maximized for breathability.
WeWork, whose self-described mission is to “humanize work” is Dock 72’s anchor tenant and has claimed six stories of the building.
Its amenities will hopefully boost worker morale, reduce employee turnover, and attract new talent.
“All things considered, if I’m going on an interview, somewhere that’s dark, that doesn’t have a lot of windows, that feels crowded, that doesn’t have a lot of amenities and then I go and interview here… my personal opinion is that I’m going to pick this building,” said Julissa Polanco, Leasing Coordinator of Boston Properties.
The building’s architecture ensures tenants are never less than 45 feet from a window displaying unobstructed views of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Employees will be able to mingle on a shared terrace.
According to Polanco the change in office atmosphere is being driven by newcomers.
“There’s a younger generation that’s coming into the workforce now; they want amenities, they don’t want to feel like ‘ugh I’m coming into work.’ The idea of office space is changing and I think developers recognize that,” she said.
Along with a ferry stop at the base of Dock 72, a free shuttle service equipped with WiFi runs every ten minutes between the Navy Yard and the major subway lines in DUMBO and Downtown Brooklyn. Buses, Citi Bike, Car2Go and dedicated building parking are also provided.
Dock 72’s lobby is decorated with murals created by Brooklyn artists. Creative Art Works (CAW), a non-profit providing arts programs to under-served youth, designed a mural that stands on the lawn area. This underscores the developer’s vision for the Navy Yard.
“The creative spirit that went into this mural will make a perfect addition to the open space and will help shape the waterfront for years to come. These talented youth apprentices vividly capture the resurgence of the Navy Yard as a hub for creative thinking and economic growth,” said William C. Rudin, Co-Chairman and CEO of Rudin Management.
Bill Rudin says: “The whole idea is for people to come here and not want to leave.”
For more information on Dock 72 click here.
