K-12 School for Autistic Students Opening 58K-SF Downtown Brooklyn Campus
By Isabelle Durso February 4, 2025 3:43 pm
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Gersh Academy, a special education school for students with autism, is opening a new campus in Downtown Brooklyn.
Gersh Academy has signed a 10-year lease for 57,500 square feet across three floors of ISJ Management Corporation’s 25 Chapel Street, according to tenant broker ABS Partners Real Estate. Asking rent was $38 per square foot.
As part of the deal, the school leased 25,000 square feet directly from the landlord, while it subleased 32,500 square feet from Brooklyn Labs for space previously used by the lab and the New York City College of Technology, according to the brokerage.
The new space will be Gersh Academy’s first Brooklyn campus after previously opening Queens locations at 113-09 Springfield Boulevard in Queens Village and 11-20 46th Road in Long Island City, according to its website. The school serves students in kindergarten through 12th grade.
“As awareness and diagnosis for autism continues to grow, so does the demand for tailored educational programs that meet the unique needs of this community,” ABS’s Cooper Katz, who brokered the deal for the tenant along with Alan Cohen, said in a statement. “This deal exemplifies our ability to match tenants with spaces that meet their specific requirements while offering a strategic advantage.”
A spokesperson for Gersh Academy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It’s unclear who brokered the deal for ISJ or Brooklyn Labs. The Real Deal first reported the news.
The new school in Downtown Brooklyn will be partially open by the end of this month, ABS said.
“While there’s been a lot of talk about tenants moving out of Brooklyn, this transaction tells a different story,” ISJ’s Joe Jemal said in a statement. “We are delighted to welcome Gersh Academy to 25 Chapel Street.”
Other tenants of the 12-story building between Jay Street and Flatbush Avenue include the New York City Human Resource Administration and Michael J. Handy Veterans’ Service Center.
Isabelle Durso can be reached at idurso@commercialobserver.com.
