Brooklyn, New York

Owner:	Forest City Ratner Companies
Size:	450.000 square feet (5 floors)
Cost:	$120 million

This multi-level power retail center was constructed over the Brooklyn’s busiest rail transportation hub. It is a key component in the redevelopment of downtown Brooklyn and was awarded design awards by both the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce as well as winning the “Best of 2004” award by New York Construction magazine.

The goal for the project was to design and construct a thriving retail development within Brooklyn that would match the large retail developments in the suburbs and draw upon the surrounding neighborhood to provide facilities that were previously unavailable.

The design team included H3, the Hardy Architectural Collaboration, as well as Swanke Hayden Connell (for the 100,000 square foot office over-build) and was headed by Studio 5 Partnership’s Allen Weitzman, AIA. Key to the success of the project was that the exterior design had to blend into the fabric of the neighborhood.

The retail portion of the project includes over 30 separate tenants that include restaurants, national chain merchants such as Target, the Gap, Guitar Center, and an LIRR ticket facility.