Project by: Jonah Johnson, Eiwa Colburn, Steph Do, Jules Jacolot, Kelsey Nguyen
At 222 Nevins, the reinforced concrete and towering industrial windows of the former R.G. Dun & Co. publishing plant meet the sleek lines of new construction at the Gowanus Canal’s northern edge. This 143,000 GSF campus anchors 99 residences—25% affordable and 38% premium—above 46,000 square feet of active maker spaces and a market hall, effectively creating a microeconomy of manufacturing.
Sunlight floods a central courtyard where retail and light manufacturing collide, preserving the rhythm of the neighborhood’s industrial heart. Outside, a $1.6 billion public investment is purifying the canal, turning a gritty corridor into a premier waterfront destination. The project leverages a sophisticated capital stack, layering historic tax credits and brownfield incentives, to fuel a 15% net IRR and a 2.7x equity multiple. By weaving the historically-preserved architecture of Renwick, Aspinwall & Tucker into the fabric of a modern rezoning, 222 Nevins proves that industrial heritage is the ultimate engine for high-yield, high-impact growth in the new Gowanus.
