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The Bowen completes office-to-residential conversion in Downtown Brooklyn

The Bowen completes office-to-residential conversion in Downtown Brooklyn

Built World New York, NY local

A 1925 office building becomes 71 condos after a vertical expansion doubled its size.

Today: Construction complete

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

The Bowen, a 13-story condominium at 289 Schermerhorn Street in Downtown Brooklyn, is complete. The project added six floors atop a 1925 office building, doubling its size to 105,000 square feet and creating 71 units.

The conversion is part of a broader push to turn underused office space into housing. It also tests whether smaller, design-focused buildings can compete with the neighborhood's glass towers.

Why it matters

The Bowen adds 71 condos to Downtown Brooklyn without new land, showing how vertical expansions can create housing in built-up neighborhoods.

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Key Indicators

71
Condominium units
Studio to three-bedroom homes.
13
Stories
Original seven-story building plus six new floors.
105,000
Square feet
Total building area after expansion.
$800,000
Starting price
Lowest-priced studio unit at launch.
6,000+
Amenity space (sq ft)
Indoor and outdoor amenities.

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People Involved

KB
Ken Browne
Partner at Urban Development Partners
Active
ST
Szandra Toth
Founder and partner at CL-OTH Interiors
Active
GW
Greg Williamson
Sales team at Douglas Elliman
Active

Organizations Involved

UD
Urban Development Partners
Developer
Active

Developer of The Bowen.
GF55 Architects
GF55 Architects
Architecture firm
Active

Designed the vertical expansion and conversion.
IN
CL-OTH Interiors
Interior design firm
Active

Designed residences and amenities.
Douglas Elliman
Douglas Elliman
Real estate brokerage
Active

Handles sales and marketing.

Timeline

1925 November 2026

5 events Latest: Today
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Construction complete

    Today Completion

    The Bowen finishes construction, with 71 units and ground-floor retail.

  2. Retail space remains unoccupied

    Today Leasing

    Ground-floor retail is complete but has no tenants yet.

  3. Sales launch

    Sales

    Condominiums hit the market with prices from $800,000.

  4. Steel rises for vertical expansion

    Construction

    First steel elements for new floors begin to rise from the roof.

  5. Original office building constructed

    Construction

    A seven-story brick office building is built at 289 Schermerhorn Street.

Scenarios

1

The Bowen sells out within a year

Possible Resolves by Nov 5, 2027

Discussed by: Douglas Elliman and local brokers

Strong demand for smaller, design-focused condos in Downtown Brooklyn leads to all 71 units under contract by late 2027.

2

Sales stall as buyers balk at prices

Unlikely Resolves by Nov 5, 2027

Discussed by: Real estate analysts

High prices per square foot and competition from nearby new towers slow sales, leaving many units unsold after a year.

3

Retail space stays vacant for over a year

Possible Resolves by Nov 5, 2027

Discussed by: Local retail brokers

The ground-floor retail space fails to attract a tenant, signaling weak demand for storefronts on Schermerhorn Street.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

2016

70 Pine Street conversion (2016)

The 1932 Art Deco office tower at 70 Pine Street in Manhattan was converted into 612 rental apartments, preserving the exterior while modernizing interiors.

Then

The conversion filled a landmark building with residents and added ground-floor retail.

Now

It became a model for adaptive reuse of older office towers in New York City.

Why this matters now

The Bowen follows a similar playbook: keeping the original brick base and adding new residential floors.

2004

Downtown Brooklyn rezoning (2004)

New York City rezoned 22 blocks of Downtown Brooklyn to allow taller residential and commercial buildings, spurring a construction boom.

Then

Dozens of new towers added thousands of apartments and office space.

Now

The area transformed from a daytime office district into a mixed-use neighborhood.

Why this matters now

The Bowen's conversion and expansion is a later phase of that residential growth, now using existing buildings instead of empty lots.

Sources

(4)
New York YIMBY Douglas Elliman CityRealty Red Sparrow Realty