One of Brooklyn’s most iconic signs is about to go the way of the Dodo thanks to a group that bought the building on which it sits; The former Jehovah’s Witnesses’ headquarters in Brooklyn Heights.
The “Watchtower” sign that sits on the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Watchtower building complex (located at 25-30 Columbia Heights in Brooklyn Heights) may be gone soon. The Witnesses filed permits to take the sign down in May and they were approved earlier this month.
The development team that bought the complex last year plans to turn it into a fancy office and retail destination called Panorama. The Panorama project will be spread out over the five buildings, including the three brick and timber buildings that date back to late 19th century, and the two main buildings that were originally built in 20s.
Once complete, Panorama will offer 635,000 square feet of interconnected office space and 35,000 square feet of retail and outdoor areas. Below is a rendering of how the Panorama complex will look after renovations.
The development team is a collaboration between is a collaboration between Kushner Companies, CIM Group, and LIVWRK. They paid $340 million for the Jehovah’s Witnesses property, as they, the Witnesses, plan on moving their operation to upstate New York.
Although all this paints a very bleak future for the Watchtower sign it’s fate still hangs in the balance.
Featured image source [Flickr | Lorena Valdez]