European Indoor Soccer Field To Come To Sunset Park, Developers Say
A soccer organization has signed a lease with a realty firm to establish its first U.S. indoor facility on the third floor of the Brooklyn Whale Building in Sunset Park, developers announced this week.
Urban Soccer, which operates several soccer leagues in Europe, is taking 63,000 square feet at 14 53rd St. in Sunset Park.
Madison Realty Capital purchased the seven-story Brooklyn Whale Building, for $82.5 million last summer, which is now considered Whale Square by developers. At the time it was listed as being 400,000 square feet, but after tenant buyouts and remeasurements, the firm pegged it at 500,000 square feet.
“We’re incredibly excited about our investment in Whale Square because we see such a massive opportunity in Sunset Park,” said Josh Zegen, Co-Founder of Madison Realty Capital. “With this transaction, we can see that Urban Soccer shares our excitement – they have chosen Whale Square for their first indoor location in the United States.”
The Whale building comes with high ceilings, large windows, and panoramic waterfront views of the New York Harbor and Lower Manhattan. Although it has a large enough space to
hold a soccer team, the firm says it wants to make other improvements such as designing a new lobby and lounge for locals.The Urban Soccer deal follows after another Sunset Park acquisition by the realty group. The firm recently purchased 341 and 353 39th St., two adjacent warehouses covering 200,000 square feet, within a short walk of Industry City. Madison expects to unveil redevelopment plans for those properties later this year.