Construction Tour: 90 Sands
Supportive housing provider Breaking Ground is set to turn a former hotel for the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society into permanent supportive and affordable apartments for formerly homeless and low to moderate income individuals. Located at 90 Sands Street in Downtown Brooklyn, the 29-story tower was built in 1992 to house members of the Jehovah’s Witness. As part of a larger selling off of the Jehovah’s Witness’ assets in Downtown Brooklyn, the building was sold in 2017 and eventually acquired by Breaking Ground from RFR in 2018.
The current plan to repurpose the former hotel requires approval through the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) given the site’s zoning for manufacturing use. When completed, the Beyer Blinder Belle led renovation will offer 507 residential units ranging from studios to 1-bedroom apartments. Residents will have access to a range of health and employment services as well as a multipurpose room for community events and meetings, a digital library, a fitness room, and plaza space for public use. Breaking Ground will also seek out community serving uses for the existing vast spaces at the lower levels for meetings and food service that were built for the hotel. Before construction begins later this year, I was given a tour of the building which has not been altered since the Jehovah’s Witness moved out in 2017.
Lobby
Lower Level Meeting and Food Preparation
Residential Floors
Rooftop Terrace
Architect (Renovation): Beyer Blinder Belle; Landscape Architect: W Architecture and Planning; Client: Breaking Ground; Program: Supportive and Affordable Housing; Location: Downtown Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY; Completion: 2021.
