A new Brooklyn building, vying for a place in Sunset Park’s emerging creative hub, got the "Broad City" treatment with a vibrant mural by artist Mike Perry, the designer behind the Comedy Central show’s animated intro.
The almost 360-degree mural incorporates vivid colors and shapes to create a cityscape with nods to Sunset Park’s hills, its buildings, its view of the water and the Statue of Liberty.
Perry, a Brooklyn artist, equates the painting with life in New York City, telling amNewYork it’s on "all different scales" and that the "deeper and deeper into the piece you look, you see more details and weirdness in it." .
The actual facility that houses it — "Sunset Yards" at 341 39th St. — is one of the newest of the renovated factories near the neighborhood’s waterfront, with hopes to attract more companies and foot traffic to the area.
It’s off to a good start — the loading dock will serve as the lunchroom and lounge for those who work at the businesses that eventually open there, but will also be accessible to the public, according to representatives of Madison Realty Capital, the real estate investment firm behind the facility.
When food trucks pull up to the dock, its doors will be open to all who want to stop by for lunch. Sunset Yards could become a shopping destination, and retail space is planned.
Sunset Yards combines two former garment factory buildings into one office complex, offering 200,000 square feet of space with 360-degree views of the Manhattan skyline and the Verrazzano Bridge. It’s situated between the D, N and R train lines and the Brooklyn Queens Expressway and is a five-minute walk from Industry City.
Those qualities are what makes Sunset Park so desirable for investment firms and companies, according to Jeremy Laufer, the district manager of Community Board 7.
"It’s an old industrial community that has fallen on hard times and has empty space, which has provided both private developers and the city opportunities to rehabilitate buildings and create spaces that are not available in many parts of the city," he told amNewYork. "There are very few places in the city that can provide a floor plan like this community has."
The neighborhood also may become the next film and TV production hub — in August, the Economic Development Corporation and Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment requested that developers propose ways to create a 196,000-square-foot film space at the Bush Terminal Campus.
Of course, when a neighborhood gets "discovered," there are always challenges that come with growth.
In Sunset Park’s case, the "old industrial community" has to deal with increased demands on managing sewage, more commercial traffic, and impacts on housing costs.
Mostly though, the community is hoping good comes from businesses moving in, including jobs for locals, according to Councilman Carlos Menchaca, who represents the district.
"The biggest concern is whether the local Sunset Park community will benefit from this influx of businesses," he said in an email. "What we are seeing happen in neighborhoods across the city is that businesses promise that their presence will create jobs and opportunities, but it is often unclear whether local residents are the targeted beneficiaries. This is true in Sunset Park as much as anywhere else."
Sunset Yards is currently seeking tenants with opportunities for multiple companies or just one to move in, and plans to open in 2019.
Madison Realty Capital says it plans on promoting the local creative community and working with neighborhood partners to create a "top-in-class commercial office destination," and a "cultural gateway to the community."
