How do we get workers to want to go back to the office? That is a question companies have been asking since the pandemic began to subside.
According to the Partnership for New York City, which surveyed Manhattan office employers and workers, 49% of Manhattan office workers are in the workplace as of September 2022, and 54% of Manhattan office workers are expected to be in the office on an average weekday by January 2023.
Now that offices are once again becoming a space where many of us will spend the majority of our hours during the week, making them healthier, more comfortable places to work is an obvious decision. The healthy building movement promotes the health and well-being of all occupants but also can protect the environment and improve bottom lines.
Full-service real estate firm Dynamic Star will soon be joining the healthy building movement at
its ‘Opus Point” project in Long Island City, one of the most exciting neighborhoods in New
York’s Outer Boroughs.
Opus Point – LIC’s First WELL Certified Office building
Brad Zackson, co-founder and director of development of Dynamic Star, says they will soon be constructing the healthiest new office building in Long Island City. Located at 23-10 Queens Plaza South, “Opus Point” is being designed according to the WELL Building Standard®. The WELL Building Standard is a performance-based system for measuring, certifying, and monitoring features of the built environment that impact human health and well-being through the air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort, and mind. This system results from seven years of research and collaboration among leading physicians, scientists, and industry professionals.
A new study in the Journal of Building and Environment found that WELL Certification “unequivocally” drives significant benefits across occupant satisfaction, perceived health, well-being and productivity. The study’s survey of six North American companies found:
- Almost 30% improvement in overall satisfaction with the workplace
- 26% overall increase in reported well-being scores
- 10% increase in mental health and a 2% increase in physical health
- 10-point jump in median productivity scores.
Inside Opus Point, Dynamic Star is designing the building to meet this standard and accommodate our new reality. They will outfit the building with HVAC systems that prevent the spread of COVID-19, touchless fixtures, and spaces allowing for social distancing.
In the Harvard Business Review in 2020, academics researched and discovered that you will take two million breaths in your office in a typical year. Even the nicest office can become stuffy after spending so much time inside. To remedy this and benefit workers’ health and wellness, the building will feature operable windows that can open and close. In addition, the fifth floor will have a 17,000-square-foot outdoor terrace. Employees will undoubtedly appreciate the windows and the landscaped roof. Zackson believes having access to green space and fresh air will increase productivity.
Betting on the Outer Boroughs
Dynamic Star acquired the property in 2019. Currently, they are seeking approvals through the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) to construct a vibrant new 27-story office tower at the former site of the Eagle Electric Manufacturing Co., a maker of electrical devices founded in Long Island City in the 1920s. The City of New York rezoned the neighborhood in 2001, aiming to jumpstart a central business district by increasing the potential for mixed-use development. Opus Point signifies the yearslong transformation of Long Island City from an industrial area into a popular neighborhood where people can live, work and play.
Opus Point’s transit-oriented location is optimal for today’s hybrid workforce and commuters seeking offices closer to where they live in the outer boroughs. Located in Queens Plaza, the property is surrounded by seven subway lines serving four stations and is at the foot of the new Queensboro Bridge pedestrian path. Plus, midtown Manhattan is only five minutes away.
Zackson notes that SLCE Architects James Davidson’s innovative design for Opus Point will make an inventive and stimulating addition to the Queens Plaza skyline.
The retail tenant mix will include an organic grocery, restaurant, cafe, and even a museum dedicated to Eagle Electric. Office tenants will enjoy a host of top amenities, such as an 8,000-square-foot health club and a half-court basketball court on the lower level. The fifth-floor terrace will feature 17,000 square feet of landscaped outdoor space, 2,300 square feet of outdoor seating for a restaurant or bar and a 6,000-square-foot indoor conference space for office tenants. At street level, a 2,400-square-foot community meeting space will be included for public use as well.
Zackson hopes this tower will redefine the idea of the traditional office and serve as a blueprint for future developers. John Reinertsen and Michael Lee of CBRE are handling the leasing at Opus Point. Construction is expected to begin in Q2 of 2023 and wrap up 18 months later.
Brad Zackson is a veteran in real estate development, finance and management in New York City. He started his career as a broker, becoming the exclusive broker and manager for one of the largest privately held multi-family portfolios, where he managed and supervised over 45,000 residential units.
