DUMBO — A new pedestrian plaza inside the tech complex owned by developers that include Donald Trump's son-in-law will be an “adult playground” for residents and workers, its designers said.
Called the “Brooklyn Tech Gateway,” the new plaza in the DUMBO Heights development will run along Sands Street from Adams to Jay streets with wooden benches, charging stations, plants and public art, according to developer Kushner Companies, which is owned by Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
The Gateway, designed in conjunction with Studio Fantastica, will connect to pedestrian paths and bikeways for the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges, as well as the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
Manuel Mansylla of Fantastica told the Wall Street Journal that Kushner sees the space as becoming an “adult playground” for employees who work in the neighborhood.
"I think we all need these spaces in between our desks and our beds," Mansylla told the paper. "I think they are sort of like buffer zones."
The new plaza won’t just be for daytime recreation, as roll-up glass doors will connect restaurants and nightlife venues within the DUMBO Heights complex directly to the plaza.
“We really wanted to do something whimsical and unique with our Brooklyn Tech Gateway streetscape,” said Asher Abehsera, founder and CEO of LIVWRK, co-developer of DUMBO Heights.
“This space will merge seamlessly with our street-level tenants, and provide the perfect spot for the community, workers and visitors to hang out. DUMBO Heights exemplifies how the most cutting-edge companies want to work right now, and the public realm we’ve planned lies at the heart of that vision.”
The Gateway is currently under construction, with its benches, part of the Department of Transportation’s Street Seats program, being built at the Navy Yard. The seats will be installed by mid-summer.
The seasonal benches, which will remain outdoors 24 hours a day from March through December, will be maintained by the DUMBO Business Improvement District.
The 1.2-million-square-foot DUMBO Heights complex, formerly owned by the Jehovah’s Witnesses, is part of Kushner Co.’s “high-tech urban campus” where companies like Etsy and WeWork have already leased office space.
The development is about 75 percent leased and will include design shops, a boxing gym, a yoga studio and at least four food establishments. It’s expected to house 7,000 employees once it’s completed.
