Vera Institute of Justice Relocates to Brooklyn’s Industry City

NEW YORK CITY—The Vera Institute of Justice is relocating to Industry City, a commercial district near the waterfront in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park. The non-profit focused on criminal justice reform signed a 15-year lease to move into a new 35,000 square-foot office space at Building Four, 34 35th St., in the 16-building, six million square-foot campus. The asking rent was is the mid-30s per square foot.

Vera will take its current headquarters that handles local and national work from 233 Broadway, the Woolworth Building in Tribeca, to Industry City in fall 2019. The institute currently occupies the full 12th floor, and Crain’s had reported their rent was in the $50s per square foot. 

The group addresses the causes and consequences of mass incarceration, racial disparities in the justice system, and the loss of public trust in law enforcement. It also focuses on the unmet needs of vulnerable people victimized by crime and violence. Nicholas Turner, the president of Vera, explains how real estate can be intertwined with and boost organizational goals.

“More so than ever before, our task is to drive significant reform of our justice system, injecting innovation and big ideas. Industry City—and Brooklyn—is dynamic, diverse and a central hub for innovation and invention,” says Turner. “It is a great place for us to call home. We will have room to grow, and will be closer to many of the communities we serve locally.”

Vera conducts research and engages in projects with the following priorities: reducing the numbers of people incarcerated; promoting equal justice throughout the diversity of America’s population; and transforming conditions of confinement, emphasizing rehabilitation and socialization over retribution.

For example, one of their studies found that immigrants with legal representation are tenfold more likely to remain in the US, following their hearings. The institute’s studies have helped various legal advocacy groups raise money to provide lawyers for detained immigrants facing deportation.

In recent years, the organization has been growing in both size and scope, which has been reflected in its choice of new office space.

Denham Wolf, a real estate firm that provides services for the New York City nonprofit community, represented Vera. Kathe Chase and Jeff Fein provided in-house representation for Industry City.  Industry City’s website notes that the 6.5-million square-foot complex of industrial, office and retail space spans 30 acres at the historic Bush Terminal. It also states the enterprise is led by managing partners Jamestown, Belvedere Capital and Angelo, Gordon & Co. In addition to office space, it houses textile, light manufacturing, data centers, warehousing and creative businesses.

“When identifying a site for Vera, several considerations came into play,” says Paul Wolf, co-president of Denham Wolf. “The space needed to suit Vera in the present and well into the future. In addition to practical concerns, such as affordability and access to public transit, Vera’s core values had to be at the heart of our search.”

When fully built out, Vera’s new offices will be connected by a central stairway that enhances interaction among staff members and showcases local art. In designing the space, STUDIOS Architecture directly responded to staff requests and included diverse workspace options, flexible meeting and presentation space, and an on-site café. Denham Wolf is also serving as Vera’s project manager in the office’s interior fit-out.

Chase, the director of leasing at Industry City, points out there are diverse communities of innovative companies on the campus. “There are natural opportunities for collaboration between Vera and the many nonprofits, academic partners, and progressive companies based at Industry City.”

The industrial park was launched in 2013. Over the past five years, Industry City has invested over $300 million into the property and leased more than three million square feet of space, including one million square feet of manufacturing space. Throughout this period, businesses based at the property have collectively grown by an average of 100 jobs per month, more than tripling from 1,900 jobs in 2013 to 7,000 jobs today.

Highlights of some of the other tenants in the building include Amnesty International, Arts in the Armed Forces, CAMBA, Evergreene Architectural Arts, Grow NYC, Kara E. Walker Inc. and New York City’s Departments of Finance, Law and Probation.