Veterinary Practice Takes 3K-SF at Greenpoint Residential Building

A full-service pet hospital is heading to the base of a luxury rental building in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

Heart of Chelsea Veterinary Group signed a 3,000-square-foot lease for the ground-floor retail space of Rockefeller Group and Park Tower Group’s Dupont building at 16 Dupont Street, according to the landlords.

The length of the lease and the asking rent were not disclosed; however, average asking rent for retail space in Greenpoint ranges from $78 per square foot to $80 per square foot, according to the most recent data from the Real Estate Board of New York. The veterinary practice is expected to open by the end of the year. 

“Pets are a huge part of the story of the Dupont,” Isaac Henderson, managing director for Northeast development at Rockefeller Group, told CO. “Over 40 percent of the tenants currently have a pet. Greenpoint is a great destination for animals, there’s ample park space, openness, and great places to walk … and that’s something that’s really attractive to our residents.” 

The lease was brokered by Ryan Schimel of Capricorn Retail Advisors on behalf of the landlord, while Evan Gasman from Carr handled it for the tenant. 

“As an exclusively tenant-rep health care broker, I’ve seen firsthand how the changing nature of New York real estate is opening up new, strategic opportunities for medical and veterinary practices,” Gasman told CO via email. “Heart of Chelsea is a respected brand in the veterinary world, and it’s been a privilege to guide their expansion. Its move to the Greenpoint waterfront is a forward-thinking choice.”

Schimel did not respond to a request for comment. 

The animal medical practice will be the building’s only retail tenant and offer services including pet dentistry, emergency care, diagnostic imaging, and an on-site pharmacy.  Despite its name, the vet isn’t just located in Chelsea as it also has outposts in Hell’s Kitchen, the Lower East Side and Park Slope and Prospect Heights, Brooklyn.

“Opening in Greenpoint is both a professional and personal milestone,” Dr. Tristan Hackney, managing owner of Heart of Chelsea Veterinary Group, said in a statement. “After living in this neighborhood for over a decade, I’m excited to realize my dream of opening a Heart of Chelsea location here. I look forward to bringing our exceptional standard of care and service to the neighborhood.”

Adding a veterinary practice to its retail space isn’t the only way the Dupont is letting tenants know their pets are just as important as their owners. The building features a designated “doggy spa” where pet parents can utilize large, professional-grade tubs and blow dryers to clean their pups after they get good and dirty while playing along the Brooklyn waterfront. 

Amanda Schiavo can be reached at aschiavo@commercialobserver.com.