One Willoughby Square

One Willoughby Square (originally 420 Albee Square), styled as 1WSQ,[2] is an office building under construction in the New York City borough of Brooklyn.[3] The building is being developed by JEMB Realty, and current plans have been drafted by FXCollaborative.

One Willoughby Square
General information
StatusTopped-out
TypeCommercial office
Location420 Albee Square West
Brooklyn
Coordinates40.691227°N 73.983589°W / 40.691227; -73.983589
Estimated completion2021
Height
Roof540 ft (165 m)[1]
Technical details
Floor count36
Floor area500,000 square feet (46,000 m2)
Design and construction
ArchitectFXCollaborative
DeveloperJEMB Realty

History

The developer purchased the main site at 420 Albee Square for $38.5 million in 2014 and bought the rest of the development area from the New York City government for $18.3 million in 2017.[4] The Girard family had owned it for years and operated the site as a parking lot. The developers also purchased 120,000 square feet (11,000 m2) of development rights from the neighboring 217 Duffield Street, in exchange for financing a park on the site.[5]

In September 2014, the developers filed plans for a 65-story, 679 feet (207 m) tall mixed-use tower named 420 Albee Square, designed by SLCE Architects.[6] The planned tower would have been one of the tallest in Brooklyn and featured 751,548 square feet (69,821.1 m2) of space with 271,203 square feet (25,195.6 m2) devoted to office and the rest spread among 620 apartments. However, by November 2015 these plans had been scrapped in favor of a shorter 35-story tower featuring 500,000 square feet (46,000 m2) of office space.

Kohn Pedersen Fox was brought on as design architect and their design featuring a glass and masonry facade was revealed in June 2017.[7] However, FXFOWLE later replaced Kohn Pedersen Fox and redesigned the building entirely. One Willoughby Square will be the first major ground-up office project to rise since Downtown Brooklyn was rezoned in 2004 and will also become the tallest office tower in Brooklyn.

Permits for the office development were filed in September 2017.[8] Construction at the site began in early 2018.[9] The building topped out in October 2019.[10] Otera Capital, a Canadian real estate lending company, provided a $235 million construction loan for the project in July 2018.[1]

Architecture and design

Because of an existing hotel and apartment tower built around the perimeter of the site, One Willoughby Square will have an irregular T-shaped floor plan. Current plans for the building include blue glazed bricks and a pleated pattern in two shades. The building features factory-style windows to maximize light. Additionally, the mechanicals, elevators and bathrooms of the building will be offset to the side of the tower (rather than its center) to reduce the amount of interior walls and maximize open floor space.[11] Every other floor in the building will have an outdoor balcony. In addition, there are three “super floors” that will have 18-foot ceilings heights and terraces and loggias.[11]

In front of the building, the developers are constructing a 700-car underground parking garage topped by the new Willoughby Square Park at 217 Duffield Street, designed by Hargreaves Associates.[12]

Usage

The second through sixth floors of the building will be used for a new school for the New York City School Construction Authority.

References
  1. Young, Michael (25 July 2018). "JEMB Secures $235 Million Construction Loan For One Willoughby Square In Downtown Brooklyn". New York Yimby. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  2. "1WSQ". JEMB Realty. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
  3. La Guerre, Liam (14 November 2017). "The Plan: Downtown Brooklyn's Classic Yet Modern One Willoughby Square". Commercial Observer. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  4. La Guerre, Liam (July 26, 2017). "JEMB and City Seal Deal for School to Anchor DoBro's One Willoughby Square". Commercial Observer.
  5. Baird-Remba, Rebecca (November 9, 2015). "Downtown Brooklyn Is Finally Getting A New Office Building At 420 Albee Square". New York Yimby.
  6. Fedak, Nikolai (September 25, 2014). "Permits Filed: 65-Story Tower Coming To 420 Albee Square, Downtown Brooklyn". New York Yimby.
  7. Fedak, Nikolai (June 27, 2017). "Reveal For One Willoughby Square, Downtown Brooklyn Office Tower". New York Yimby.
  8. Fedak, Nikolai (September 25, 2017). "Permits Filed For Office Tower At 420 Albee Square, Downtown Brooklyn". New York Yimby.
  9. Hylton, Ondel (3 April 2018). "Construction Begins on Brooklyn's Tallest Office Building, One Willoughby Square". City Realty. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
  10. Ricciulli, Valeria (4 October 2019). "New looks inside Brooklyn's tallest office building". Curbed. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  11. La Guerre, Liam (November 14, 2017). "The Plan: Downtown Brooklyn's Classic Yet Modern One Willoughby Square". Commercial Observer.
  12. Baird-Remba, Rebecca (August 19, 2016). "217 Duffield Street In Downtown Brooklyn Gets Demolished For Park And Parking Garage". New York Yimby.

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