Tesla Motors is set to anchor LIVWRK’s office conversion at 160 Van Brunt Street in Red Hook, marking the electric car giant’s first foray into Brooklyn, The Real Deal has learned.
Elon Musk’s company signed a lease for a new showroom, office and service center on the ground floor spanning roughly 40,000 square feet at the 98,650-square-foot property, sources said. The former home of the Golten Marine Terminal is now being converted into an office destination for tech firms and startups.
Asking rent at the building is $45 per square foot.
Tesla is in the process of outfitting its space at the three-story building, sources said. The company recently posted job postings for the new location online.
The lease term is not clear, though sources said Tesla usually signs leases for between 10 and 15 years.
A representative for LIVWRK, led by Asher Abehsera and Aaron Lemma, declined to comment. LIVWRK acquired the warehouse in 2014 from Golten Marine, the longtime marine engine repair shop, for $21.5 million. The developer is also behind the Dumbo Heights office complex, in partnership with Jared Kushner’s Kushner Cos. and Aby Rosen’s RFR.
The deal marks an early step in a push Tesla is making to establish a presence in Brooklyn, sources said. At the moment, there are three small charging stations in the borough – at 66 Rockwell Place in Fort Greene, 75 Smith Street in Downtown Brooklyn and 34 North 6th Street in Williamsburg.
The Palo Alto-based startup, now valued at about $30 billion, is also on the hunt for a new showroom space in Manhattan. The lease for its current showroom at 511 West 25th Street in Chelsea expires in July. Tesla was looking to relocate to 860 Washington Street, but talks broke down.
Elsewhere in Brooklyn, high-end Italian scooter brand Vespa has a showroom and repair space at 215 Park Avenue in Clinton Hill.