DUMBO office and loft buildings: a tenant’s guide

The building types you will tour in DUMBO

DUMBO’s office stock is almost entirely converted industrial space. That gives the neighborhood its character, and it also means no two floors are the same. When we tour clients here we sort buildings into a few rough families, because each family comes with its own strengths and its own problems.

One famous building is a useful reminder that DUMBO keeps changing. The Clocktower building at 1 Main Street, with its four-faced clock above the water, was one of Gair’s factory buildings and was converted largely to residential condominiums. So the skyline icon is not where you will be leasing a suite. Buildings here shift between office, residential and retail over time, which is why we check the current certificate of occupancy for every space we tour.

What the 2007 historic district means for your signage and storefront

The Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the DUMBO Historic District in 2007. Inside the district, changes to the exterior of a building are reviewed by LPC. For an office tenant that rarely affects the day-to-day, but it does affect a few things tenants care about.

• Exterior signage. Blade signs, lettering on glass, banners and illuminated signs generally need LPC approval in addition to any Department of Buildings permit. Plan for review time and design restraint.
• Storefronts. Ground-floor tenants who want new glazing, doors or awnings should expect LPC review and designs that respect the building’s historic fabric.
• Windows. Replacing windows usually requires matching historic profiles. That is mostly the landlord’s concern, but it affects comfort and energy cost in your suite.
• Rooftop equipment. New mechanical units or rooftop features visible from the street may need LPC sign-off, which matters if your fit-out needs extra cooling.
• Interior work. Pure interior work is usually less of an issue, but work that needs a DOB permit in a landmarked building may still need an LPC sign-off before permits issue.

LPC issues several kinds of permits depending on the scope of work, and procedures do get updated. Confirm current requirements with LPC, and ask the landlord how they handle filings. In most of our leases we make the landlord responsible for securing LPC approvals for any exterior signage they promise you, and we tie your obligations to those approvals.

Two Trees and the way the neighborhood was assembled

You cannot talk about DUMBO office space without mentioning Two Trees Management. Associated with the Walentas family, Two Trees began buying industrial buildings in the area around the early 1980s, when the neighborhood was mostly empty warehouses, and played a long role in converting them into offices, studios, apartments and retail. That history is why so much of DUMBO feels coordinated: shared storefront standards, cultural programming and a careful mix of uses.

Ownership in DUMBO has also broadened over the years, with other owners holding major buildings. We do not publish a current portfolio list for any owner, because buildings trade and the details change. On any search, we confirm the current owner of each building through public records and the listing broker, so you know who you are actually negotiating with.

Floor plates, windows and light in a converted loft

The loft building is DUMBO’s selling point, and the reason companies pay to be here. It also has quirks that only show up once you start planning seats.

Column grids and deep floors

Concrete factory buildings typically have a steady grid of thick columns, often with flared capitals. They are handsome, but they dictate desk layouts and conference room sizes. A deep floor can leave a dim core far from the windows. We ask for a test fit before negotiating so you know the real usable count.

Windows and views

Big factory windows bring in a lot of light, and some floors look straight at the Manhattan Bridge, the Brooklyn Bridge or the Lower Manhattan skyline. Views can carry a premium. Single-pane historic windows can also be drafty or loud, so check whether the windows in your suite have been upgraded.

Ceilings and mechanical

Tall exposed ceilings look great and complicate HVAC and acoustics. Exposed ductwork, sprinkler lines and concrete surfaces bounce sound around an open office. Budget for acoustic treatment, and ask how heating and cooling are delivered and controlled after hours.

Freight elevators, Belgian block and getting deliveries in

These were factories, so most loft buildings still have freight elevators. That is a real advantage for move-ins, furniture installs, equipment-heavy studios and any tenant who ships product. But freight service is shared and scheduled, and older cars can be slow or small.

• Freight hours. Ask when the freight elevator runs, whether after-hours use costs extra, and how far ahead you have to book it for your move.
• Car size and door clearance. Measure against your largest item. Long conference tables and printing or fabrication equipment have surprised more than one tenant.
• Loading at the curb. Many DUMBO buildings have no off-street dock. Trucks stop on narrow streets, and some blocks are crowded with pedestrians, photographers and event traffic on weekends.
• Belgian block streets. The stone streets people call cobblestones (most are actually Belgian block) are part of the historic look. They are hard on hand trucks, rolling carts and delicate shipments. Some tenants pad deliveries more than they would elsewhere.
• Courier and food delivery. If your staff orders in a lot, see where couriers can actually stop and how the lobby handles packages.

We build the freight and loading terms into the lease where it matters: guaranteed move-in time on the freight, reasonable after-hours charges and a clear rule on how deliveries reach your floor.

Commuting in: the F at York Street, the A/C at High Street and the ferry

DUMBO is small enough that every office is within a walk of a subway, but which station is closest changes the commute for your staff.

Driving is the weak spot. Street parking is tight and garage spots are limited. If clients or staff need to drive, price parking in advance.

Bridge noise and cobblestone rumble

The neighborhood’s name says it: Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass. Subway trains cross the Manhattan Bridge overhead, and cars and trucks thump over the Belgian block below. Buildings right beside the bridge can pick up rumble and vibration, especially on lower floors facing it.

For most office users that is a manageable trade for the setting. For podcast studios, sound-sensitive production, medical or lab users, it can be a deal breaker. Tour at rush hour, stand at the windows facing the bridge, and ask whether the landlord has upgraded the glass. If you need real sound isolation, get an acoustic consultant into the space before you sign, and put the cost in the buildout budget.

How to evaluate a specific address, such as 18 Bridge Street

People often search for a single building, like 18 Bridge Street, because they saw a listing or a friend’s company is there. We are not going to recite facts about a particular building that we have not verified ourselves. What we can do is show you the process we run on any DUMBO address before a client signs.

1. Certificate of occupancy. Pull the CofO from the Department of Buildings and check that it covers office use (or your actual use) on your floor, and the occupancy load you need. Older loft buildings sometimes have older or mixed CofOs.
2. Landmark status. Check LPC’s maps to see whether the building is inside the DUMBO Historic District or individually landmarked. That tells you what exterior changes need review.
3. DOB records. Look up open violations, complaints, active permits and elevator and facade inspection history. Open issues can delay your permits.
4. ACRIS. The City’s property records show the deed, mortgages and other recorded documents, so you know who owns the building and whether there are signs of financial distress.
5. Building class and zoning. City property data shows the building class (office, loft, mixed use, residential) and the zoning lot, which helps confirm what the building is legally used for. ZoLa, the City’s zoning map tool, shows the zoning district.
6. Physical tour. Freight, windows, HVAC, restrooms, accessibility, bridge noise and the actual light on your floor.
7. Landlord and listing broker. Confirm availability, asking terms and what work the landlord will do. Confirm current availability and terms in writing.

This is the same review we would run on any building in the neighborhood, and it often surfaces something that changes the negotiation.

DUMBO vs Downtown Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights and the Navy Yard

Almost every DUMBO search turns into a comparison with the neighborhoods around it. Each one answers a different question.

If you also need production space, look at the industrial campuses in Sunset Park, including the Brooklyn Army Terminal and Industry City. For loft character farther north, Williamsburg is the other big comparison.

Buildout in a historic loft: what we price before you sign

Loft space often looks finished on a tour because of the brick and timber, but the work behind a usable office can be bigger than tenants expect. As a builder, Sal DiBenedetto looks at it the way a contractor would. We price these items early, so the landlord’s work letter or allowance is negotiated against a real number:

• HVAC capacity and distribution for a full headcount, plus after-hours cooling for server rooms.
• Restrooms and accessibility, including whether existing restrooms meet current code for your occupancy.
• Electrical capacity and new circuits for a dense open office.
• Acoustic treatment for concrete ceilings and hard floors.
• Pantry plumbing, which is easier near existing risers.
• Sprinkler and fire alarm modifications when walls move.
• Any LPC review tied to exterior work, signage or rooftop units.

We can manage the buildout too, through our project management service.

DUMBO office tenant checklist

• Headcount now and in three years, and the seats you need per person.
• Test fit on each shortlisted floor, accounting for columns and the deep core.
• CofO, landmark status, DOB violations and ACRIS ownership checked for each building.
• Freight elevator hours, size and move-in booking written into the lease.
• Delivery plan for a building without an off-street dock.
• Bridge and street noise checked at rush hour on your actual floor.
• Window condition and HVAC controls, including after hours.
• Signage rights, with LPC approvals assigned to the landlord where possible.
• Staff commute map using the F at York Street, the A/C at High Street and the ferry.
• Buildout budget compared against the landlord’s allowance.
• Attorney review of the lease before signing.

How DiBe Real Estate represents DUMBO office tenants

We represent tenants, not landlords, and we are not the leasing agent for any DUMBO building. We start with your headcount, budget and timing, build a short list across DUMBO and the neighborhoods that compete with it, run the address-level review above, and tour with you. Then we negotiate rent, concessions, the work letter, freight and signage terms and your renewal and expansion options.

Read more on our Brooklyn tenant representation page and the DUMBO neighborhood guide, or contact us. Call or text 239-256-5005, or email info@diberealestate.com.

A hypothetical: a design studio choosing between two loft floors

For example, imagine a hypothetical design studio of about thirty people choosing between two DUMBO floors. Floor one faces the Manhattan Bridge with big skyline views. Floor two faces an interior street, sits higher, and has upgraded windows.

On the tour, the view floor wins everyone over. Then the details come in. The test fit shows the bridge-side floor loses seats to a column line, and trains overhead are loud enough at rush hour to disrupt client calls in the corner meeting room. The interior floor fits more people, is quieter, and the landlord has already replaced the windows, so the HVAC and acoustic budget drops.

Neither answer is wrong. The point is that the studio can now decide on cost per usable seat and working conditions, not only on the view. That comparison is how we run every DUMBO search. This example is illustrative only and does not describe a real client or deal.

Ground-floor and studio users on the Belgian block

Not every DUMBO tenant is an office. Galleries, showrooms, fitness studios, cafes and retailers lease ground-floor space on the main blocks, and weekend foot traffic near the waterfront and the Archway under the Manhattan Bridge can be heavy. For these users, storefront design inside the historic district, sidewalk use, deliveries and noise all matter more than they do upstairs. Confirm permitted use on the CofO and any LPC requirements before you design.