US: Coliving operator QUARTERS has opened a new property in the Williamsburg district of Brooklyn, its fourth location in the city.
The 41,000-square-foot property built in a former school features 160 bedrooms in suites and duplex units.
Amenities include a 6,000 square-foot outdoor roof deck with 360-degree views of Manhattan’s skyline, Williamsburg Bridge and Brooklyn. It includes Weber grills, outdoor sink and shower, multiple seating areas and a 60-foot canopy for shade.
The custom-built lofted rooms feature 15-foot ceilings. Duplex units offer private outdoor space. The location features terms from three to 12 months. Rents start at $1,375 monthly.
“We had to navigate challenges with adhering to social distancing during construction and development to ensure the safety of our crew and employees,” said Rui Barros, co-CEO and COO of QUARTERS Co-Living. “We also are a very global team with employees in Berlin, Mexico City, Atlanta and New York City, all working remotely to bring this building to life. Not being able to have members of our core project team available on-site due to travel restrictions to oversee the completion was a big challenge for us.”
“In projects of this scale, normally you take a ‘hope for the best, plan for the worst’ approach,” Barros said. “For us, we approached our Williamsburg development from a perspective of ‘the worst will probably happen.’ We planned for every possible thing that could go wrong and made sure we would be ready to tackle those problems in a moment’s notice. We also took an all-hands approach to our opening. Whomever was available in New York City was on-site during opening week and throughout the project to ensure everything was running smoothly. It really does take a village, and everyone from partnerships to marketing team members worked together to ensure a great opening for our first members moving in.”
In August, Esther Bahne joined QUARTERS as co-CEO and chief marketing officer, after seven years as a BMW executive.
