DECEMBER 7, 2015
UNITED STATES
Witnesses Begin Highly Anticipated Sale of Brooklyn Properties
NEW YORK—Jehovah’s Witnesses are selling some of the most sought-after properties in Dumbo and Brooklyn Heights in Brooklyn, New York. The competitive offering process has begun for 85 Jay Street, one of Brooklyn’s largest undeveloped sites, and the ten-story residence at 124 Columbia Heights. The current location of their world headquarters, 25/30 Columbia Heights, is also on the market. The three properties are being offered by the Watchtower Real Estate Office and are expected to sell in separate transactions.
Richard Devine, a spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses, states concerning the 135,000-square-foot (12,542 sq m) parcel at 85 Jay Street: “The site spans an entire city block in the dynamic Dumbo neighborhood and has nearly one million square feet of development rights.”
The Witnesses’ 152,000-square-foot (14,121 sq m) residential building at 124 Columbia Heights is located on the promenade in the acclaimed Brooklyn Heights Historic District. “It’s a remarkable building with spectacular views of the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty, and the impressive Lower Manhattan skyline,” states Mr. Devine.
The world headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses has been located at 25/30 Columbia Heights (top image) for decades and is familiar to many New Yorkers for its marquee Watchtower sign and clock. The property, totaling over 733,000 square feet (68,098 sq m), covers almost two city blocks and offers unobstructed views of the Brooklyn Bridge.
Commenting on the larger scope of the Witnesses’ plans, Mr. Devine adds, “These sales are the next steps in relocating our world headquarters to Warwick, New York.”
Media Contact:
David A. Semonian, Office of Public Information, tel. +1 718 560 5000