Wednesday, December 21, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and State Senator Daniel Squadron joined Brooklyn elected officials and community and business leaders to rally in support of the New York University and Polytechnic Institute proposal for an applied sciences campus at 370 Jay Street in Downtown Brooklyn. Creating a hub for science and technology that connects the budding tech community in Dumbo and the surrounding neighborhoods with NYU-Poly’s proposed Center for Urban Science and Progress, as well as City Tech and Poly’s existing campuses would be a major step for Brooklyn and Dumbo’s NY Digital District and Digital Dumbo.

NYC is aiming to build a world class applied sciences and engineering campus, called Applied Sciences NYC at Roosevelt Island to be competitive with other tech centers such as Silicon Valley. Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Cornell University, and Technion-Israel Institute of Technology announced an historic partnership to build a two-million-square-foot applied science and engineering campus on Roosevelt Island in New York City. (also on NYTimes).

In addition to the Applied Sciences NYC, building on Dumbo’s tech community will attract and retain the creative entrepreneurs that will drive innovation for NYC. Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz said in a statement, “With today’s announcement behind us, let’s now look ahead to the new year and make the case that New York deserves more than one first-rate applied sciences school and that serious consideration be given to New York University’s partnership with Polytech proposed for 370 Jay Street in Downtown Brooklyn—home to more college students than Cambridge, Massachusetts—as well as Carnegie Mellon’s plans for the Brooklyn Navy Yard, which along with DUMBO, is part of our borough’s emerging new Silicon Valley. Both locations offer a unique opportunity to create a job-creating epicenter of learning, research and innovation. I normally don’t celebrate Brooklyn being a runner-up in anything, but considering the importance of this center to the future of Brooklyn and New York City, in this case I would happily make an exception.”

Dumbo Improvement District Executive Director Alexandria Sica added, “DUMBO is home to more than one hundred technology firms, digital and creative start-ups that are growing—some at a faster pace than there is talent available. NYU-Poly’s proposal for 370 Jay Street would provide these companies with a highly skilled workforce in their backyard. Furthermore, having an applied sciences school at 370 Jay Street will help DUMBO and the greater Downtown Brooklyn area to continue to grow as a location for tech-based companies that choose to be here around like-minded companies and innovators.”

The Wall Street Journal published an article on Dumbo’s tech yesterday. The article mentions “Tech startups and digital advertising companies have flocked to Dumbo throughout the past decade, drawn to the neighborhood’s industrial lofts that eschew Midtown’s buttoned-down culture. Now Dumbo’s tech scene is about to get bigger.” Polytechnic Institute of New York University will open a new incubator in Dumbo that could house as many as 20 small companies at 20 Jay Street. With innovation fueld by the intersection of creativity, media, and technology in Brooklyn, the community should be looking forward to more private and public partnerships.

(Photo by Kathryn Kirk)

(Photo by Blake Zidell for NYTimes)

The New York Times ArtsBeat reports that St. Ann’s Warehouse signed a new three year lease at 29 Jay Street in Dumbo. After getting the approval by The National Park Service to house St. Ann’s Warehouse to the Tobacco Warehouse in February 2011, the Federal District Court ruling stated that the National Park Service violated federal law by removing two historic landmarks from federally protected parkland, and therefore prevented St. Ann’s move to the Tobacco Warehouse. The availability of the 29 Jay Street space will keep St. Ann’s in Dumbo, at least for the next three years.

The highly acclaimed performances at St. Ann’s Warehouse will open in the fall of 2012 after leaving their current home of 11 years at 38 Water Street. Dumbo is fortunate to have St. Ann’s in its neighborhood and today, we find out that they will stay in Dumbo.

Sotheby’s has listed today this 3 bedroom (currently used as a 2 bedroom), 2.5 bath, 1,592 sqft condo at 100 Jay Street #28H for $1,799,000 ($1,130 per sqft). The condo looks to be in perfect condition and has some great views of Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges. We’re told by a tipster that it’s owned by married celebrities who “may or may not be splitting.”

Price: $1,799,000
tax (monthly): $30
cc: $1,115

Brooklyn Eagle reports that Massey Knakal has been retained to sell a “warehouse/manufacturing/conversion/development site with additional air rights” at 51 Jay Street in Dumbo. The building is also known as 201 Water Street or “Jay Street Arts Building” per the sign on the building.

The Brooklyn Eagle writes:

Calling it a potential conversion or development site, Palmese, who has the listing, said the owner is asking $200 per square foot for the second and third floors and $150 per square foot for the development rights.

The existing through-block, three-story building, which is on the east side of Jay Street and has frontage on both Water and Plymouth streets, falls within the DUMBO Historic District and will have to go before the Landmarks Preservation Commission for approval of any changes, according to Palmese.

It contains approximately 80,000 square feet, with a partial basement and an annex building and sits on a lot that is approximately 200 feet by 155 feet.

The air rights total approximately 75,000 square feet.

With 80,000 square feet plus 75,000 square feet of air rights, the building can potentially be developed as a mixed-use development site and will be delivered vacant. The building size is 200′ x 155′, or 31,000 square feet per floor. If the owner is asking $200 per square feet for the 2nd and 3rd floors ($12.4MM), and $150 for the air rights ($11.25MM), that would bring the asking in the range of $23.65MM for the 2nd, 3rd, and air rights plus costs for 18,000 square feet on the ground level. Does this sound right?

The third floor is an open floor with a glass roof structure. The space can be made into a grand space for a business or residential. Spaces like this are becoming more scarce in Dumbo, so it seems like a good development opportunity for the right real estate developer.

Massey Knakal also have other warehouse/development properties in Dumbo, including 29 Jay Street, 60 John Street, and 109 Gold Street (Vinegar Hill).

A sign at the new cafe called Punto Bianco (means white spot in Italian) on 14 Jay Street (at John Street) has gone up. The coming soon sign says there will be paninis, salads, pastries, and an espresso bar. No word yet on opening day, but looks like the build out of the cafe is coming along.

Punto Bianco
14 Jay Street, Brooklyn NY 11201

Previously:
{New Coffee Bars Coming to Dumbo, 10Jun2011}

There seems to be a few incidents of theft at 10 Jay Street, and want to make those who are tenants aware of their belongings. We’ve heard from more than a few tenants at 10 Jay Street asking if there were other incidents at the building. One reader sent in the following email last night:

We had a robbery on the 5th floor on tuesday and another robbery tonight on the 6th floor. Group of guys walk into a space, while people are there working, and grab as much as they can and run out. They got a laptop and a camera from the 5th floor, not sure about what they got tonight. Police have been on the case and show up promptly but haven’t been able to catch anyone. I saw detectives tonight. We got a shot of the criminals from a security camera and the photo was posted around the building but someone took them down.

Please report any suspicious activity to building management and to the police.

Loosecubes is a community that connects members with an empty desk, studio, or sofa with other members who need a productive and inspiring place to work. They have been hugely successful in getting individual freelancers, remote workers, and travelling staff to connect with like-minded people online to co-work offline (or “in real life”). Loosecubes makes it easy to find the right people to share your workday with. They are based in Dumbo so we caught up with founder Campbell McKellar, Anna Thomas (Chief Happiness Officer), and Anthony Marinos (Captain Awesome) at their cool looking 20 Jay Street office.

Q: Congratulations! Loosecubes is now in 454 cities and 58 countries in only 14+ months. When you first started Loosecubes, did you imagine that the coworking community would be this open to sharing their space with others?

Thank you! We’re so thrilled that our members can work around the world. When our Founder and CEO, Campbell McKellar, first had the idea for Loosecubes, she wasn’t entirely familiar with the coworking movement. It wasn’t long before she became a member of New Work City (NWC), a collaborative coworking space in Lower Manhattan, and experienced the magic of coworking first hand. At NWC, Campbell was afforded the opportunity to make incredibly valuable connections with professionals and resources in the local community that she may never have been able to make otherwise. Moreover, the more people she met in the coworking community, the more their value of openness became apparent. Members of the coworking community are open to learning from each other and sharing ideas, and being inclusive rather than exclusive. As Loosecubes, we’re excited to be the platform that helps coworking spaces around the world connect with independents and entrepreneurs in their communities and beyond.

Q: In today’s world, knowledge can be accessed anywhere and everywhere it lives. The cost of bringing in expertise and people have dropped. This globalization, with cloud computing (sharing of computing resources online), and virtualizing people and office locations have changed how business is done. How has your view of coworking changed business? And how will Loosecubes shape this change?

At Loosecubes, we want to bring the act of coworking everywhere. Empty desks in company offices, sofas in people’s homes, spare easels in shared art studios, even commercial kitchens with one too many stoves! We really believe that opening up one’s office to the local freelance community, fellow entrepreneurs, and business travelers is a great way to build a stronger business and can ultimately lead to new jobs, partnerships, referrals, and friendships. We want to help facilitate valuable connections through shared workspaces that would otherwise be left up to serendipity, and help boost our economy by doing it.

Q: The Loosecubes culture reads like being at an ideal company. Based on other Loosecubes featured around the globe, there seems to be a similar vibe. Is this self selection or a shift in how traditional organizations need to be to succeed?

We’re trying to change the way people work, so we figure it makes sense to start with our own company. Because of this, we do our best to convey our values throughout our site, in our email communications, and in person. Many of the companies who are sharing space on our site embrace a similar work ethos, and understand the implications that a forward-thinking set of company values can have on their employees and business health. We’ve seen that even traditionally conservative organizations are beginning to consider the productivity and happiness effects of a more open, flexible work culture. It’s really exciting to play a role in this work lifestyle shift.

Q: Loosecubes is located in DUMBO Brooklyn, a neighborhood with many startups and entrepreneurs. With Loosecubes in DUMBO, how has it affected your culture?

Loosecubes is proud to be a DUMBO-based business. The culture of the neighborhood and the people in it has had a tremendously positive influence on our company and our brand. The community in DUMBO is very tight knit, and everyone is always up for helping a fellow neighbor. Our employees enjoy walking to work, eating lunch in the triangle, and being able to meet other creative professionals without having to leave the neighborhood. We wouldn’t want to be based anywhere else!

Q: What are your top 3 recommendations on how to be an awesome Loosecuber?

To be an awesome Loosecubes, check out our three Community Guidelines:

1. What happens in Loosecubes stays in Loosecubes. Loosecubes is a community based on trust. When you’re coworking, it’s extra important to take confidentiality seriously. If you have to share, tweet about how cute the dogs are or how nice the Aeron chair is you’re sitting in.
2. No one likes a chatterbox. We’re all here to work, so be respectful of others in your environment who are hard at work. There are always awesome opportunities to connect later while grabbing a cup of coffee or even a beer after work.
3. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Treat your work environment as you would treat your own home. Pitch in to clean the dishes, don’t take things from the fridge that aren’t yours without asking, and try not to overuse the printer. Leave your space exactly the way you found it.

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Thanks guys for your service on behalf of Dumbo, those looking for co-working space, and those offering co-working space! If you’re interested in a few Dumbo based listings, check out some of the following (for example):

• Red Antler, Main Street
• Jay Street
• Flushing Avenue (near Navy Yards)
• 68 Jay Street
• The Digital Zone, Main Street
• Jay Street

Of course you can search in any of the 454+ cities around the globe.

Loosecubes HQ: loosecubes.com/listings/369
20 Jay Street, Brooklyn NY 11201

Wild Rise is a new pizza place in Dumbo that officially opened this week. As a Neapolitan pizza lover (I’ve attempted to make this style using ingredients from Italy and modifying the oven, and failed every time), I’m excited that Wild Rise has opened in Dumbo. I tried two of their pies, the Margherita and crimini mushroom & pepperoni and their ingredients and flavors are better integrated than other Neapolitan pizza places in NYC. New York Magazine declared a Neapolitan pizza revolution back in 2009, and as far as we know, this pizza revolution has continued through NYC and now comes to Dumbo.

For those who don’t know about Neapolitan pizza, it’s a specific style that even has a designation. Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana (VPN) was officially established as a denomination of control (DOC) by the Italian government, a designation that made the VPN a legal entity able to give special designation to pizzerias who meet strict requirements that respect the tradition of the art of Neapolitan pizza making. Slice has a good article about What to Expect at a Neapolitan Pizzeria and what is VPN pizza if you haven’t tried one yet. Wild Rise follows authentic Neapolitan pizza-making traditions using “wild, fresh, natural ingredients” but with a modern twist using a custom oven. We asked the artisan pizzamakers at Wild Rise about the new pizza place:

Q: The name Wild Rise – presumably it’s a reference to the yeast. Is that so, and how did you come up with the name?

A: Yes, Wild Rise is a reference to the fact the dough is leavened using a wild yeast culture captured in Italy and kept alive in scientific incubators. Many names were considered, but this one was chosen because it speaks directly to what makes a Neapolitan pizza different and special (the crust/dough) and it speaks directly to what makes Wild Rise Neapolitan pizza different and special (the wild yeast culture).

Q: Wild Rise looks like 1/3 science lab, 1/3 traditional pizza location, and 1/3 bar. It’s a comfortable place to grab a drink, watch the pizza action, and eat one of your pizzas. Is your idea to show us the Neapolitan style using modern techniques?

A: The physical location continues to be 68 Jay Street Bar. Wild Rise is in partnership with 68 Jay Street Bar to serve, in quasi-pop-up fashion, 3 nights a week (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday) for now, possibly expanding to more times down the line. The science lab part is right on. There is plenty of scientific and freaky custom made equipment behind the scenes you didn’t see on display. Will be showing glimpses of that on the Wild Rise blog over time as well as diving into the story behind the ingredients.

Q: What are you most excited about opening Wild Rise?

A: We’re most excited about finally sharing with the public the end product of years of R&D that has until now only been eaten at private pizza tastings. We think of it as thoughtful pizza – pizza with soul. We produce pizza like producing fine wine – with great care in the making and pedigree of the ingredients to achieve a nuanced, complex, and harmonious flavor profile. If Neapolitan is a step up from typical pizza, we aim to stand on the shoulders of that Neapolitan tradition to take pizza to a higher level.

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Welcome to Dumbo, Wild Rise!

Wild Rise (wildrise.com)
at 68 Jay Street Bar (Corner of Jay Street and Water Street), Brooklyn, NY 11201
Open Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday evenings

Photos by Arancia Project

Brooklyn Roasting Company (brooklynroasting.com)
25 Jay Street, Brooklyn, New York 11201

Three digital companies have signed leases in Dumbo last week, according to a Two Trees representative. Official.FM (20 Jay Street), North American Ideon (45 Main Street), and Breakfast (55 Washington Street) have joined the New York Digital District, the neighborhood that offers free wireless access and the Dumbo Business Incubator.

Official.FM U.S.A. Inc, is a company that offers artists, labels and music media a website to share their music. They signed a lease for 1,590 square feet of space in 20 Jay Street. This will be their U.S. office location and they will continue maintain a presence in Europe.

Ideon Financial Solutions, a company that produces software and provides support for financial institutions, is based in North America and Europe, with the main headquarters located in Madrid. North American Ideon, L.L.C., the North American division, are based in New York City with additional offices in San Antonio, Texas and now DUMBO with the acquisition of 1,436 square feet of space at 55 Washington Street they are leasing.

Breakfast are innovators who create and develop new digital products and custom technology. The company will be renting 1,436 square feet of space at 55 Washington Street.

Welcome to Dumbo, the New York Digital District!

Previously:
{Lease News: 4 Digital Firms Sign in Dumbo, 28Jun2010}