Brooklyn Navy Yard Launches $2.5B Development Master Plan

The Brooklyn Navy Yard has a grand plan to make manufacturing boom again in the borough, one that would cost $2.5B.

After opening the $180M Building 77 last year, and in the midst of a $1B expansion that includes Dock 72 — the joint venture of Boston Properties, WeWork and Rudin Management — the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corp. has its sights set on developing roughly 25 acres it controls on Kent Avenue, Flushing Avenue and Navy Street into 5M SF of new construction.

“We wanted to take a moment to chart a path and create a vision for the future and challenge ourselves for the next phase of growth,” BNYDC President David Ehrenberg told Bisnow Wednesday afternoon. “We’ve got a bunch of projects underway, but shortly after the last of this current phase of growth is complete, we will start working on the next phase of the master plan. The idea is not to be caught flat-footed and be ready, as this phase of growth stabilizes, to immediately start the next.”

The last five years at the Yard was centered around renovating the existing space, including Building 77. That phase, according to Ehrenberg, also includes Dock 72, Steiner Studios' office/industrial combo project and New York City's first Wegmans at Admiral's Row. Dock 72 and the Wegmans are both expected to deliver this year.

Of the planned 5M SF, 75% would be used for some type of manufacturing, which could include food, textiles, home goods and technology. The other 25% would be used for complementary office space and retail designed to support the workers.

Building 77 opened 80% leased, and BNYDC leased 440K SF in 2017 alone, adding 1,000 jobs to its roster as part of its goal to employ 17,000 to 20,000 largely middle-class workers by 2020.

The $2.5B master plan will focus on growing that number to 30,000 middle-class employees, as well as pioneering vertical manufacturing construction. Ehrenberg said the new buildings have not yet been designed, but the intent is to include offices on the top floors for young companies, with smaller manufacturing space below them to test out products. The lower floors would have high ceilings and large floor plates to manufacture products at scale.

"These buildings have not been built in the United States. There are some international examples, but multi-tenant, urban manufacturing, these have not been built, really," Ehrenberg said. "The intent is to realize the full life cycle of the companies we have here at the Yard."

UPDATED JAN. 31, 5:20 P.M. ET: This story has been updated with comments and additional information from Ehrenberg.