Brookfield Properties and Park Tower Group have unveiled the next phase of development at Greenpoint Landing.
The development will include one acre of additional public waterfront open space designed by James Corner Field Operations and two new towers designed by international architecture firm, OMA, founded by Rem Koolhaas.
The two new towers – in conjunction with an adjacent seven-story building – will bring a total of 745 units of housing, 30 percent of which will be affordable. It will expand the existing esplanade and unlock this section of Greenpoint waterfront for the first time in generations. Construction is expected to begin this summer.
“Park Tower Group and Brookfield are bringing dynamic, cutting-edge architecture to the Brooklyn waterfront while delivering significant benefits for the Greenpoint community,” said Ric Clark, Senior Managing Partner and Chairman, Brookfield Property Group and Brookfield Property Partners.
“The addition of much-needed housing and creation of new, accessible open space are transforming this underutilized stretch of waterfront into a new thriving, livable and sustainable addition to Greenpoint.”
Marian Klein, president of Park Tower Group, said, “These new developments with Brookfield will expand our beautiful waterfront esplanade, providing even more public open space for Greenpoint locals and visitors to enjoy, along with architecture that will define the Brooklyn skyline.
“With world-class landscape design by James Corner Field Operations, we are beginning to realize our transformative vision for a stretch of uninterrupted access to the Greenpoint shoreline.”
T
his next phase of development at Greenpoint Landing will expand the existing public waterfront esplanade, creating a total of 2.5 acres of continuous public open space along the shoreline.
The new open space will focus on natural landscaping and expansive green spaces, including a lawn, picnic area, a garden walk, and some salvaged maritime pieces found at the site.
Although it is being constructed by Brookfield and Park Tower Group, the land will be donated back to the City so it can function as a public park in perpetuity.
The esplanade is also adjacent to the newly reconstructed Newtown Barge Park being built and operated by the City.
In the fall of 2017, the Waterfront Alliance announced it certified this first phase of Greenpoint Landing into its award-winning Waterfront Edge Design Guidelines (WEDG) program for excellence in waterfront design and resiliency.
In addition to mixed-income housing, the new towers will add 8,600 s/f of ground-floor retail to the neighborhood.
The towers’ facades feature precast concrete panels surrounding large, eight foot by eight foot windows. Oriented differently for each block — vertical, horizontal or diagonal — the carved faces react to the movement of the sun throughout the day.
Marmol Radziner is the interior designer and landscape designer for the buildings and Beyer Blinder Belle is the executive architect and unit interior designer.
“Brookfield and Park Tower Group have been working together to connect Greenpoint with its waterfront, and we are thrilled to be collaborating with them on our first project in Brooklyn,” said Jason Long, partner of OMA. “We have designed two towers — a ziggurat and its inverse — carefully calibrated to one another. Defined by the space between them, they frame a new view of Greenpoint and new vista from the neighborhood to Manhattan,”
In a joint venture with master developer Park Tower Group, Brookfield is developing a total of 2,000 units across four development sites at Greenpoint Landing.
The first building, One Blue Slip, opened in August 2018, along with 1.5 acres of public waterfront open space. One Blue Slip features 359 units. The building includes amenities designed by Gachot Studios. A second building, Two Blue Slip, is expected to open in early 2020.
Greenpoint Landing is a 22-acre site situated along a half-mile of East River waterfront, being developed by Park Tower Group. In 2005, the City of New York designated the site for residential use under the Greenpoint-Williamsburg rezoning.
In its entirety, Greenpoint Landing will include an estimated 5,500 residential units — 1,400 of which are affordable housing – as well as a new pre-k through 8th grade public school and four acres of public open space.
In addition to the four sites currently being developed in a joint venture between Brookfield and Park Tower Group, an additional 300 units of affordable housing have already been completed in a joint venture between Park Tower Group and L&M Development Partners.
