For Sale

Beans

Watchtower opens way for Furman Street property development

The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc., a legal entity of Jehovah's Witnesses in the United States, has announced the possibility of selling its nearly one-million-square-foot building on the Brooklyn waterfront at 360 Furman Street.

For some 20 years, this building has been the principal shipping facility for the Bibles and Bible-based publications produced by Jehovah's Witnesses at their world headquarters. This information comes eight months after Witchpower announced its plan to redistribute a substantial portion of the Brooklyn printing operation to various international locations and to its Wallkill, N.Y., printery.

A spokesman for Watchtower, Robert Alexander, said: "Our building at 360 Furman Street has served us well for many years, but we're relocating much of the work that was done there. Perhaps this building will be used by others in a way that is compatible with the Brooklyn waterfront development."

Constructed in 1928, the 360 Furman Street building is located between Atlantic Avenue and Joralemon Street and was originally known as the Trade Facilities Building. Watchtower acquired the property in 1983. It is a familiar sight to anyone traveling on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway near Atlantic Avenue, as well as to those looking south while crossing the Brooklyn Bridge or enjoying the views of the Manhattan skyline from the Brooklyn Heights Promenade.

Contact: J. R. Brown, telephone: (718) 560-5600

Double Edge

hmmm, give Simon a couple of more years and maybe he'll need the extra space and buy it (just a thought).

Simon

Ooh ... I'd love it - imagine how many racks of servers you could fit in there! LOL

Maybe they are having it tougher than we thought and are relocating to a small lock-up garage somewhere?

logansrun

Funny thing is that the Society will sell their property to anyone who has the money, even if the purchasing organization is part of "Babylon the Great." In Chicago we had an assembly hall which was a historic converted theatre (kind of like a mini-Stanley theatre). It was sold in the mid/late '80s to another religious group -- the Nation of Islam, I believe.

Bradley

run dont walk

ANY ONE have a realistic guess what this will sell for ??????????????

must be prime property.

Xandria

How much ? Perhaps we all can chip in for ownership~ and bulldoze it for condo's Nothing like Apostate Living.

X

freedom96

Could it be possible that the city has made a financial offer to the WTS to move??

Sounds like the city has other plans for that area.

This could simply be a financial decision, rather than what is best for the WTS and the brothers.

Beans

Yeah, I heard it is on sale just to cover the cost of printing!

mizpah

The reputation of the Watchtower Society has been at low ebb in the Brooklyn Heights area for many years. Undoubtedly, the residents of the area are rejoicing over the prospect of having property that will generate some tax base for them. Not only has the Watchtower ignored its "worldly neighbors" in its hungry pursuit of desirable properties, but it has also used questionable business practices (third party operatives) to do this. Is it any wonder that the exit of the Watchtower organization will be met by rejoicing in the neighborhood?

As far as the Watchtower's double standard of dealing with "Babylon the Great", it is of long standing. I can remember when the Society announced that it no longer would perform assembly baptisms in churches because of this association. At the same time, the Society rented Yankee Stadium from the owners who happen to be the Knights of Columbus.

Jehovah's Witnesses like to think their organization has a fine reputation for honesty and fair dealing. The truth is far removed from this false image.

For Sale

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