BY SUSAN DE VRIES
A new building in Williamsburg long-rumored to become a future home for a Trader Joe’s is just about complete.
The six-story building located at 200-206 Kent Avenue, which extends down the length of the block from Metropolitan Avenue to N. Third Street, will house offices, retail space, and parking in the basement and on the second level.
A Trader Joe’s will most likely open in the building’s glassy ground floor, according to rumors that began circulating in 2015. The grocery store chain has not yet announced publicly that they will move into the space.
Above the first floor is a parking garage, which is covered in a perforated metal cladding exterior. While the original filings said the third floor would contain an outdoor terrace and office space, a leasing sign posted at the construction site indicates that the indoor space will now be dedicated to retail. An online listing says 27,160 square feet of a total of 41,000 square feet of retail space is still available, potentially leaving space for Trader Joe’s.
The elevated upper stories are clad in glass not quite as bright blue as depicted in the original rendering. Those floors will be dedicated to office space. Jutting through the glassy rectangle on N. Third Street is a gray bulkhead tower.
Real estate developer Cornell Realty Management, who purchased the property in 2016 for $33 million, partnered with Asher Abehsera’s LIVWRK on the project, the Real Deal reported. Michael Even is the architect of record, and LIVWRK handled the design of the building.
Prior to the sale, the lot housed a two-story brick industrial building, which was demolished in 2015.
This story first appeared on Brownstoner.com.
