After undertaking an $80 million renovation, the developers of the former Jehovah’s Witnesses headquarters are expected to ask office tenants to pay up to $85 a square foot.
A joint venture of CIM Group, LIVWRK Holdings and Kushner Companies, is renovating the five-building complex in Brooklyn Heights, which they purchased in 2016 for $340 million. The developers removed the iconic Watchtower sign last year and are renaming the office-and-retail complex Panorama.
LIVWRK founder and CEO Asher Abehsera told the New York Post that asking office rents will be $75 to $85 per square foot at the complex. However, a city-run program could allow tenants from outer boroughs to take another $15 to $20 off that price.
The office space is expected to span about 660,000 square feet, and one of the five buildings could become a boutique hotel, the Post reported. Floor plates at 25 and 30 Columbia Heights run between 20,000 and 38,000 square feet, Abehsera said.
A team from JLL led by Peter Riguardi and vice-chair Mitchell Konsker is handling office leasing.
As part of the renovation, the buildings will be painted light gray and outdoor terraces will be built-out for many of the offices. The largest of the buildings — 25 and 30 Columbia Heights — are connected by a sky bridge. [NYP] — Kathryn Brenzel