At 53 stories, this is the latest residential high-rise being completed in an area marketed as the Brooklyn Cultural District. Located at 250 Ashland Place, it's called The Ashland. Nearly half of the 586 apartments are affordable. In addition, the building offers plenty of amenities.
"We have a screening area," said David Picket, President of Gotham Organization. "We have an outdoor bar and lounge area. And indoor outdoor lounge at the west side of the building with a full glass wall that open up to a deck."
There are views of Manhattan and Fort Greene Park. But developers hope the biggest draw is on the ground floor — the Gotham Market at The Ashland. Eight restaurants spread across 17,000 square feet. The hope is this will be a destination for tenants, nearby residents and people visiting the neighborhood to go to the Brooklyn Academy of Music and other cultural spaces.
"The restaurants are lined up for here," said Picket. "We have a guy who started Dinosaur BBQ coming in and doing a pizza and a chicken concept. As well as running a very large center bar so after some of the shows people have a place to hang out."
Mu Ramen in Long Island City and Mason Jar in Midtown also plan to open outposts here. The new space is modeled after the Gotham West Market in Manhattan, which opened in 2013 with 10 restaurants.
"People come home, they have terrific restaurants and bars at the bottom on their building and they don't have to go far," said Christopher Jaskiewicz, President of Gotham Properties and Hospitality. "And it's great handmade food that they would otherwise travel a distance for. They have so many options under one roof. It is terrific. It's been a real hit and that's why we're going to do it at The Ashland."
But the Brooklyn site will also offer a rent-free, pop-up kitchen for aspiring chefs.
The Ashland's first tenants are expected to move in in the coming weeks. The market will open in the Fall.