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First wave of new commercial tenants begin to fill historic Refinery at Domino development

Two Trees Management fosters industry in creative fields: marketing, art, beauty, events and technology

April 29, 2024 Special to BROOKLYN SPACE

Havemeyer’s chimney. Photo by Max Touhey

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WILLIAMSBURG — One of Brooklyn’s most transformative waterfront projects has begun leasing commercial space to creative new industries. Two Trees Management Co., a family-owned, Brooklyn-based real estate development firm, has announced four lease signings across the third and fourth prebuilt floors at The Refinery at Domino, the crown jewel of the 11-acre Domino Sugar Factory site, bringing the building’s total leased footprint to 34,000 square feet. Among the new tenants at The Refinery are the following companies:

Eko, a visual commerce startup that creates interactive product videos for some of the world’s biggest and most innovative brands, is relocating from a coworking space in north Williamsburg, taking 3,191 square feet at The Refinery.
The Beachwaver Co., a renowned hair care company founded by three sisters, will occupy 5,100 square feet at The Refinery that will serve as office, studio and showroom space. Relocating to New York from Chicago, The Beachwaver Co.’s location in Brooklyn will provide them with access to a diverse talent pool.

Whop, a digital marketplace startup offering a diverse range of digital products and offerings from trading software to reselling communities, will relocate from Ten Grand Street, a Two Trees office property also in Williamsburg, to their new headquarters at The Refinery. Whop will take space spanning 9,554 square feet, which will serve as both office and studio space for content creation.
Skylight, the venue development firm behind the country’s most prolific cultural programming, will have its NYC headquarters occupy 2,631 square feet. A female-owned venue development group, the company works to unite distinct real estate and global brands to create cultural centers across the U.S. Skylight is activating a portion of The Refinery’s penthouse as a premier event space, and this office lease is a natural expansion of Skylight’s ongoing partnership with The Refinery.

Sarah Potempa, The Beachwaver Co. CEO and Co-Founder and Celebrity Hairstylist; Erin Potempa-Wall, The Beachwaver Co. Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder; Emily Potempa, The Beachwaver Co. Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder. Photo courtesy of The Beachwaver Co.

“We’re thrilled to have found a curated office space perfect for our team. Collaborating closely with Two Trees, we’ve been able to design a blend of office and studio space to suit our in-house content creation and hosting needs for the beauty industry,” said Sarah Potempa, CEO of The Beachwaver Co. “The allure of being on the Williamsburg waterfront and immersed in the dynamic atmosphere of Brooklyn is aligned with our team’s creative aspirations.”

Steven Schwartz, Co-Founder of Whop. Photo courtesy of Whop

“We are super excited to move into one of the most beautifully architected buildings in NYC as we scale to 50 people,” said Steven Schwartz, Co-Founder of Whop. “As a hardcore in-person company, we take our space very seriously and try to make the most amazing, aesthetic environment possible. We have a music room, podcast room, and lounge for visiting creators and plan to do many meetings in the cold plunge in the basement.”

Stephanie Blake, CEO of Skylight. Photo courtesy of Skylight

“We’re thrilled to be moving to the iconic Refinery at Domino, where we will be activating one of our best venues in the penthouse and working every day,” says CEO of Skylight, Stephanie Blake. “Brands around the world are looking to align themselves with this building and neighborhood. We believe where we come together as a team matters, and we are fueled and inspired by the energy and soul of this location.”

Tal Zubalsky, Co-Founder and CPO of Eko Photo courtesy of Eko

“Moving to The Refinery couldn’t have come at a better time for us as we look to grow our business,” said Tal Zubalsky, Co-Founder and CPO of Eko. “With so many of our team members already calling the area home, this inspiring new office is just what we need to keep our momentum going.”

The transformation of the iconic building on the Williamsburg waterfront into a 15-story, 460,000-square-foot steel and glass office space was completed last September. As the second commercial building at Domino, behind the fully leased Ten Grand Street next door, The Refinery is the newest building in Brooklyn catering to top companies seeking to offer a one-of-a-kind experience for their employees.

Plantings between The Refinery's new and old facades. Photo by Max Touhey — Plantings between The Refinery’s new and old facades. Photo by Max Touhey

Alyssa Zahler, Managing Director of Leasing, Two Trees Management. Photo courtesy of Two Trees Management

“The Refinery is unlike any other office building in New York right now from its unique architecture to its location in the epicenter of Williamsburg,” said Alyssa Zahler, Managing Director of Leasing at Two Trees Management. “The neighborhood has been a hub of creative innovation for the last decade, and we are thrilled to welcome this next wave of creative leaders to The Refinery, where business is enhanced by our vibrant waterfront neighborhood, award-winning Domino Park, and best-in-class amenities from Saga Hospitality, Skylight, and Equinox.”

The Refinery at Domino combines the history and charm of a landmarked building with all the advantages of new construction. The architectural masterpiece offers an unmatched amenity program, including a triple-height atrium lobby featuring a full-service concierge and security, shared amenity floor featuring open workspaces, multiple private conference rooms and communal spaces, a retail fitness club with an indoor pool and full-service gym, as well as access to the building’s 27,000-square-foot glass dome penthouse with sweeping 360-degree views that serves as a communal workspace, private club and event space.

Penthouse tenant amenity space at dusk overlooking NYC skyline. Photo by Max Touhey

About Two Trees Management

Two Trees Management Company is a family-owned, Brooklyn-based real estate development firm best known for its singular role in transforming DUMBO from a neglected industrial waterfront into a vibrant mixed-use community, as well as the ongoing creation of the Domino campus on the Williamsburg waterfront. Two Trees owns and manages a real estate portfolio worth more than $4 billion, including more than 4,000 market and affordable-rate apartments and over 3 million square feet of office and retail space in New York City. Since its founding in 1968, Two Trees has operated under the fundamental belief that successful neighborhoods offer a wide variety of uses and attract diverse groups of people and that developers must play an essential role in cultivating livable streetscapes because people prosper when neighborhoods bloom. In addition to the residential and commercial buildings across DUMBO, Williamsburg, Fort Greene, Brooklyn Heights, Hell’s Kitchen and Flatiron neighborhoods, other notable projects include Domino Park, The Plaza at 300 Ashland, The Refinery at Domino, River Ring, The Wythe Hotel and Jane’s Carousel.