85 Jay Street Parking Lot Activity

85 Jay Street parking lot

[UPDATE: Turns out it’s temporary staging for a promotional piece being filmed by the Jehovah’s Witnesses.]

We’ve seen some activity on the 85 Jay Street parking lot in the past, though nothing came out of it. An email tip came in with the above photo of the parking lot at 85 Jay Street owned by the Watchtower Society in Dumbo. The email says:

There’s some construction that started today in the huge parking lot owned by the Jehovah’s Witnesses. See the attached photo (above). It looks like they’re doing something in the Northeast corner of the lot that’s bounded by Front, York, Bridge and Jay Streets. Any ideas on what this might be?

As noted before, this 3 acre plot of land is the largest plot of undeveloped land in the city. There are no jobs/filings for 85 Jay on the NYC Department of Buildings website. Does anyone have any information here?

Previously:
{‘Mysterious’ 85 Jay Street Activity?, 30Jan2008}
{No Truth to Rumor that Witnesses Will Not Develop 85 Jay, 03May2007, Brooklyn Daily Eagle}
{Jehovah’s Abandon Dumbo, 24Apr2007, Curbed}
{85 Jay Watchtower Complex, skyscraperpage.com}
{Jehovah’s Witnesses On Track to Colonize Dumbo, 04Dec2004, Curbed}

26 Comment

  • According to an e-mail I received yesterday from the Jehovah Witnesses it is the following:

    “This is actually a temporary outdoor scene being staged for a video
    production our organization is producing. It includes a shallow trench
    and various set pieces designed to resemble a construction site. Some
    temporary lighting is being installed to facilitate filming. Shooting
    has already begun and will not last for very long. Once the shoot is
    over the area will be restored to its original condition.

    Hope this helps answer your question.

    Aldona Vaiciunas,President, Vinegar Hill Neighborhood Association

  • According to an e-mail I received yesterday from the Jehovah Witnesses it is the following:

    “This is actually a temporary outdoor scene being staged for a video
    production our organization is producing. It includes a shallow trench
    and various set pieces designed to resemble a construction site. Some
    temporary lighting is being installed to facilitate filming. Shooting
    has already begun and will not last for very long. Once the shoot is
    over the area will be restored to its original condition.

    Hope this helps answer your question.

    Aldona Vaiciunas,President, Vinegar Hill Neighborhood Association

  • It’s still full of cars, it’s still a parking lot,,,get a life!

  • It’s still full of cars, it’s still a parking lot,,,get a life!

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  • Pingback: Dumbo NYC, Brooklyn » Archive » Five Filmings in Dumbo Brooklyn This Week (DumboNYC.com)

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  • Howard,

    Keep up the unnecessary negativity buddy!! Good work.

  • Howard,

    Keep up the unnecessary negativity buddy!! Good work.

  • I thought the witnesses were moving to Buffalo, or some major city in upstate NY. Let others park there, but please no apt buildings or other commercial use!

  • I thought the witnesses were moving to Buffalo, or some major city in upstate NY. Let others park there, but please no apt buildings or other commercial use!

  • Wallkill, NY, which is not quite a major city in Orange County. One might even call it a small town.

  • Wallkill, NY, which is not quite a major city in Orange County. One might even call it a small town.

  • Correction: Watchtower is moving to Wallkill, NY which is a “hamlet” in Ulster County. The Town of Wallkill is directly south in Orange County. The hamlet was severed from the town after a particularly vicious and brutal commenting session in the 19th Century version of facebook.

  • Correction: Watchtower is moving to Wallkill, NY which is a “hamlet” in Ulster County. The Town of Wallkill is directly south in Orange County. The hamlet was severed from the town after a particularly vicious and brutal commenting session in the 19th Century version of facebook.

  • David, you like a city block bound by barbed wire with a couple of crappy cars parked in it. Good for you! You should move to Detroit, you’d be surrounded by them!
    I would prefer a nice building ringed by retail and street lights uniting the two neighborhoods of Vinegar Hill and Dumbo. That is the next necessary step in our evolution as a great NYC neighborhood.

  • David, you like a city block bound by barbed wire with a couple of crappy cars parked in it. Good for you! You should move to Detroit, you’d be surrounded by them!
    I would prefer a nice building ringed by retail and street lights uniting the two neighborhoods of Vinegar Hill and Dumbo. That is the next necessary step in our evolution as a great NYC neighborhood.

  • Wait till we announce a 40 story building here with sweeping views of the bridge, water, Manhattan skyline. Pritzker star architect plus dedicated 10 floors for our growing kids in the neighborhood. News will be coming out shortly.

  • Wait till we announce a 40 story building here with sweeping views of the bridge, water, Manhattan skyline. Pritzker star architect plus dedicated 10 floors for our growing kids in the neighborhood. News will be coming out shortly.

  • For those with short memories, or who haven’t been here that long, the City Planning Commission approved a zoning variance for this lot back in 11/2004. The proposed building(s), as revised, would have an envelope with setbacks at heights of approximately 81 feet, 145 feet, 164 feet and 184 feet and maximum building heights of approximately 120 feet, 184 feet, 203 feet and 222 feet from grade. See http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/pdf/cpc/040216.pdf

  • For those with short memories, or who haven’t been here that long, the City Planning Commission approved a zoning variance for this lot back in 11/2004. The proposed building(s), as revised, would have an envelope with setbacks at heights of approximately 81 feet, 145 feet, 164 feet and 184 feet and maximum building heights of approximately 120 feet, 184 feet, 203 feet and 222 feet from grade. See http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/pdf/cpc/040216.pdf

  • Jedd= mouthbreathing idiot alarmist uninformed douchenozzle assclown with a vested interest in spreading completely baseless rumors.

  • Jedd= mouthbreathing idiot alarmist uninformed douchenozzle assclown with a vested interest in spreading completely baseless rumors.

  • Watchtower moved printing operations to Wallkill, the rest are heading to Warwick, NY in Orange County.

  • Watchtower moved printing operations to Wallkill, the rest are heading to Warwick, NY in Orange County.