BY MATTHEW CHERRY BROOKFIELD OFFICE PROPERTIES | Brookfield Place/World Financial Center is less than a year away from bringing exciting new additions to Battery Park City and Lower Manhattan.
Brookfield Office Properties, Lower Manhattan’s largest landlord, is investing $250 million to renovate the eight-million-square-foot complex to transform the shopping and dining experience. In addition, access to Brookfield Place for commuters is being streamlined via a connection to the Fulton St. and World Trade Center transit hubs.
The entry pavilion on West St. is the most visible change to Brookfield Place and for the past year, two spiraling steel basket structures have been seen rising 55 feet from the ground. Glass panels will soon be installed to create a transparent jewel box that will serve as the grand entrance.
The new glass pavilion was designed by the original architect of the complex, Pelli Clarke Pelli.
When the new Downtown transit hubs open, commuters will be able to make the trip to Brookfield Place swiftly and directly via the new underground connection, emerging from escalators into the Winter Garden.
The entry pavilion is scheduled to open this fall.
The new restaurants will offer New York City’s finest chef-inspired concepts for fast casual cuisine.
A stunning dining area, overlooking the Hudson River and designed by AvroKO, will open in 2014 with 14 eateries and 600 seats.
In the meantime, the Food Truck Court on Vesey St. at North End Ave. continues to thrive with new trucks being added to the schedule on a regular basis. Toum Lebanese and La Bella Torte are new additions to #DispatchNY, formerly known as the NYC Food Truck Association.
On the retail side, a “curated” fashion collection with world class shops, such as Michael Kors, will open a new location at Brookfield Place with similar retailers to follow suit.
Brookfield Place’s Class A office space, its waterfront location and the exciting new amenities make the complex a place that draws workers, families and visitors from New York and around the world.
Matthew Cherry is director of investor relations & communications for Brookfield Office Properties.
