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New York

Renting out rooftops proves challenging

A rooftop farm in Greenpoint, Brooklyn
A rooftop farm in Greenpoint, Brooklyn

As interest in rooftop farms has increased, some landlords have discovered that leasing out a roof is more complicated than they thought it would be.

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With rents ranging from $1 to $4 per square foot, brokers are often not interested in dealing with rooftop rents, leaving prospective farmers and landlords to determine rents on their own, Crain’s reported. Rooftops also need to be vetted by an engineer or an architect to make sure they can bear the added load, Crain’s said.

“We look at the farm as an experiment — a successful experiment,” said Brian Coleman, CEO of Greenpoint Manufacturing Design Center, which rents a 15,000-square-foot hydroponic greenhouse to Gotham Greens, a local farmer. “Apart from found rent, though not very much, it’s good for creating jobs, it’s good for the environment, and it’s good publicity.” [Crain’s]

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