After securing a rezoning in 2020 that allowed it to forgo building more than 200 parking spots along the Gowanus Canal, contractor and developer Monadnock Construction has put the finishing touches on its new headquarters in Gowanus, Brooklyn — a combo of office, industrial space and retail.
The six-story, 136,000-square-foot building at 300 Huntington Street abuts the elevated F and G train tracks and the station at Smith and Ninth streets, and includes a landscaped public esplanade along the canal waterfront. Right now, Monadnock is one of only two tenants in the building, occupying 40,000 square feet on the second and third floors, along with 15,000 square feet in the rear yard for its contractor shop. Overall, the property includes 17,000 square feet of retail, 50,000 square feet of industrial (of which Monadnock occupies 40,000), and 50,000 square feet of office.
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Gowanus toymaker Hazel Village is the other tenant, after leasing 5,000 square feet of manufacturing space last year for its handmade doll and stuffed animal production.
The fourth floor has a significant setback from the third, creating terraces on three sides that allow tenants to gaze out over the canal, Brooklyn and the F tracks. Even with the train a dozen feet away, Monadnock Chief Operating Officer Frank Dubinsky said that the building’s interior is very quiet.
“We used very good windows that are not operable,” he explained. “All the fresh air comes from the roof. It’s a sealed envelope.”
Monadnock moved into the building last month from nearby 155 Third Street, where it has the ability to develop a 22-story residential building, thanks to the 2021 Gowanus neighborhood rezoning. Dubinsky felt that the building offered a great value for companies with Brooklyn-based workforces, because it is new construction in a “real neighborhood.”
“You can have Class A office space with a neighborhood feel,” he said. “Do you want to work in Midtown Manhattan or do you want to be able to walk over to Court Street where it’s a little quieter?”
He added, “How do you make that experience of going to the office more like being at home? Where do you have more neighborhood amenities? Where you’re not stuck on the train jam-packed like sardines.”
Asking rent for the ground floor retail is $45 to $65 a square foot, and the light industrial space is asking $30 to $35 per square foot. Asking rent for the office ranges from $50 to $60 a square foot. JLL is handling the retail, and CBRE is leasing the office.
