Greenpoint Landing, a 22-acre project that stretches for half a mile along Brooklyn’s waterfront, is about to get its first retail tenant.
Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream, best known for its iconic yellow ice cream truck, has grown from operating in a Brooklyn apartment to becoming a widely-known brand with stores and trucks in New York City and Los Angeles. It will open at 7 Bell Slip.
The nearly 1,000 s/f store will be one of the largest Van Leeuwen locations in New York City. A Lee & Associates team that includes Peter Braus, Peter Levitan, Garry Steinberg, and Jaime Schultz represented the tenant on the deal.
“Van Leeuwen has been a distinct and well-established Greenpoint-based retailer for almost 10 years. The fact that they are to be part of this exciting new project further reinforces its emergence as a destination location,” said Ms. Schultz, who is also representing the artisanal ice cream brand in their New York City expansion.
Additional Greenpoint Landing spaces being exclusively marketed by the Lee NYC team include another at 7 Bell Slip, with 1,520 s/f; two spaces at 5 Blue Slip, comprising 843 s/f and 3,106 s/f; and a 1,533 s/f space at 33 Eagle.
Ultimately, Greenpoint Landing will stretchfor a half mile along Brooklyn’s East River waterfront. The mixed-use development will reconnect the community to the water for the first time in generations and includes approximately 5,500 housing units (1,400 of which are affordable), a new 640-seat pre-k through eighth grade District 14 public school, retail spaces, and four-acres of open space.
Greenpoint Landing Associates (GLA) in partnership with L+M Development have built three permanently affordable buildings totaling approximately 300 units — the first two buildings are occupied and the third will welcome residents this spring.
GLA in partnership with Brookfield Properties is currently constructing two towers, scheduled to be complete in two to three years.
Gary Handel of Handel Architects designed this first phase of the project. James Corner Field Operations designed the public waterfront and promenade.
Greenpoint Landing is expected to be fully built in approximately eight to 10 years.
“We’re ecstatic to welcome Van Leeuwen as our first tenant at Greenpoint Landing – it was very important to us to find a tenant that values the community as much as we do and this will be a huge value-add for the neighborhood,” said a spokesperson for Greenpoint Landing. “We’re looking forward to filling the remaining available four spaces with equally exciting tenants.”
