Brooklyn Tower

Brooklyn Tower
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Name	Brooklyn Tower
Location	9 DeKalb Avenue, Downtown Brooklyn, New York City
Status	Completed
Start date	2018
Completion date	2021–2024 (phased)
Architect	SHoP Architects
Developer	JDS Development Group
Height	1,066 ft (tip); 720 ft (roof)
Floors	93

Brooklyn Tower is a mixed-use supertall skyscraper in Downtown Brooklyn, New York City, combining residential, commercial, and preserved historical elements on a prominent site. The project integrates a restored landmarked 1915 department store with a modern high-rise designed by SHoP Architects and developed by JDS Development Group, altering the skyline visible from Manhattan and Brooklyn Heights. It has drawn attention from preservationists, planners, investors, and municipal officials involved in zoning and urban design debates.

Design and architecture

The design was led by SHoP Architects, whose work includes commissions for Google and projects such as the American Copper Buildings, and involved collaboration with engineering firms like Woods Bagot and Thornton Tomasetti. The tower juxtaposes a masonry podium—the landmarked 1915 Dime Savings Bank-era department store originally designed by H. C. Pelton (through its later incarnations)—with a contemporary faceted crown clad in bronze-toned metal and glass panels inspired by precedents like the Chrysler Building and contemporary projects by Foster + Partners. The massing responds to contextual cues from Cadman Plaza, Brooklyn Bridge, and neighboring historic districts including Brooklyn Heights Historic District. Structural systems incorporate a reinforced concrete core and outrigger elements similar to those employed in One57 and 432 Park Avenue, while facade engineering drew on curtain-wall innovations used on The Shed and The High Line-adjacent developments.

The tower’s height classification as a supertall placed it within standards set by organizations such as the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, with the design process navigating local regulatory frameworks administered by the New York City Department of Buildings and urban planning reviews by the New York City Planning Commission.

Construction and development

Development was driven by JDS Development Group in partnership with equity investors and lenders including firms like Silverstein Properties-adjacent capital markets actors and institutional financiers resembling Goldman Sachs and Vornado Realty Trust structures. Groundbreaking occurred after approvals from the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission for alterations to the historic podium and after negotiations with Brooklyn Community Board 2 regarding public benefits and transit improvements near Atlantic Terminal and DeKalb Avenue station nodes served by New York City Subway lines.

Construction sequencing required complex logistics for demolitions, preservation, and vertical work amid dense urban infrastructure; techniques comparable to those used on Hudson Yards and One Vanderbilt were applied, including the use of high-capacity cranes, jump-form concrete systems, and vibration monitoring protocols enforced by agencies like the Metropolitan Transportation Authority due to proximity to subway tunnels. The project experienced phased completions tied to financing draws and market conditions influenced by macroeconomic events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and fluctuations in the New York City real estate market.

Features and amenities

Programmatically, the skyscraper contains luxury condominiums marketed to domestic and international buyers similar to sales strategies seen in developments by Extell Development Company and Related Companies, alongside privately managed rental units and ground-floor retail anchored by brands that might recall leases in Brookfield Place or Westfield World Trade Center. Publicly accessible elements include a restored banking hall and an arcade space intended to provide pedestrian activation along Flatbush Avenue Extension.

Amenities follow a premium amenity typology used by projects like One57 and 15 Hudson Yards: residents have access to fitness centers, a swimming pool, private lounges, co-working spaces, and roof terraces with views toward Lower Manhattan, Staten Island, and the East River. The integration of preserved historic interiors into contemporary amenity spaces reflects precedents set during adaptive reuse projects such as The St. Regis New York restorations and conversions like The Beekman.

Sustainability measures pursued certification pathways comparable to LEED and local initiatives including energy efficiency retrofits aligned with standards promoted by the New York City Mayor’s Office of Sustainability.

Reception and impact

Reactions among critics, preservationists, real estate analysts, and elected officials were mixed. Architecture critics from outlets analogous to The New York Times and Architectural Record commented on the tower’s skyline presence and the tension between historic preservation and densification, echoing debates seen around One North and other high-rise insertions into historic neighborhoods. Local civic groups and leaders from Brooklyn Borough President offices weighed in on impacts to neighborhood character, shadows on public spaces such as Fort Greene Park, and infrastructure strain on transit hubs like Atlantic Terminal.

Economic impact assessments referenced effects on property values in nearby neighborhoods including DUMBO, Downtown Brooklyn and Boerum Hill, and considered contributions to municipal tax rolls and affordable housing negotiations reminiscent of programs administered by the New York City Housing Preservation and Development agency. The tower also became a case study in conversations about supertall development beyond Midtown Manhattan and Hudson Yards.

Incidents and controversies

Controversies included disputes over preservation scope with the Landmarks Preservation Commission, litigation threats by community organizations and tenant advocates, and scrutiny from elected officials over incentives and public benefits negotiated during the approvals process—similar flashpoints have arisen in projects involving Related Companies and Tishman Speyer. Construction incidents prompted reviews by the New York City Department of Buildings and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration-like oversight mechanisms, leading to temporary work stoppages and remediation measures comparable to responses on other high-rise sites such as One57.

Allegations concerning marketing practices, sales disclosures to international buyers, and compliance with rent-stabilization precedents were raised by watchdog groups and legal representatives echoing earlier disputes in luxury developments in Manhattan and Brooklyn. The project’s environmental and microclimate impacts, including wind tunnel effects and shadow studies affecting public parks, generated further debate among urbanists and policy stakeholders from institutions like the Regional Plan Association.

Category:Skyscrapers in Brooklyn