Construction Update: City Tech, 285 Jay Street

City Tech -- 285 Jay StreetCity Tech -- 285 Jay Street

The redevelopment of the New York City College of Technology’s Klitgord Center at 285 Jay Street is making significant progress; demolition of the old structure is complete, and excavation for the replacement 8-story building is well underway. The school is colloquially known as City Tech, and its newest addition will span 365,000 square feet in total; Perkins Eastman is the architect of record.

City Tech -- 285 Jay Street

City Tech — 285 Jay Street

Located at the corner of Jay and Tillary Streets, City Tech’s expansion promises to activate a sliver of Downtown Brooklyn that has remained relatively desolate. Student populations are prone to inducing 24-hour activity on streets, and creating neighborhoods that actually feel alive; while City Tech’s continued growth is a boon for DoBro, incentivizing additional academic-centric development would further enhance pedestrian activity.

City Tech -- 285 Jay Street

City Tech — 285 Jay Street, excavation proceeding

City Tech’s newest building will have a range of facilities; via Perkins’ Eastman, it will “predominantly house laboratories, classrooms, faculty offices, clinic and support spaces,” in addition to “student life/recreation areas, a 1,000-seat auditorium, and [an] 800-seat spectator gymnasium.”

The new 285 Jay Street will offer a comprehensive program for City Tech’s students, and while the building’s design may be slightly awkward, its effect on the neighborhood will be beneficial. Besides the project’s cantilever — which heralds the trend’s arrival in Brooklyn — an awkward orange semi-cylinder will be integrated into the structure’s first floor. While the City Tech building will be ‘educational,’ the apparent homage to Fisher Price may be lost on college-aged students.

City Tech -- 285 Jay Street

City Tech — 285 Jay Street

Completion of 285 Jay Street is expected in the spring of 2017.

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