CIM Group Files Plans for 661 Apartments at Former Watchtower Site in Brooklyn Heights

• CIM Group, led by Shaul Kuba, Avi Shemesh, and Richard Ressler, filed plans to redevelop the former Watchtower headquarters in Brooklyn Heights.
• The proposal would create 661 apartments, including 165 affordable units, across the waterfront complex.
• The site at 25 and 30-58 Columbia Heights has remained largely vacant for about seven years.

CIM Group Moves Forward With Watchtower Site Redevelopment

Developer CIM Group, co-founded by Shaul Kuba, Avi Shemesh, and Richard Ressler, has submitted a rezoning application to redevelop the former Watchtower complex in Brooklyn Heights into a large residential project. The site, located at 25 and 30-58 Columbia Heights, previously served as the headquarters for the Jehovah’s Witnesses, which published the Watchtower magazine from the Brooklyn waterfront campus. The religious organization sold the properties in 2016 for $340 million to CIM Group and LIVWRK, who initially converted the 750,000-square-foot complex into office space. However, much of the property has remained vacant in recent years, prompting CIM Group to pursue a residential conversion.

What The Redevelopment Will Deliver

If approved, the proposal would create 661 residential units, including 165 apartments designated as affordable housing. The plan would convert two of the largest historic buildings on the site into residential space. Both buildings were originally constructed in the 1920s and 1930s, reflecting the industrial history of the Brooklyn waterfront. The redevelopment proposal would also allow developers to expand the structures, adding five stories to one building and one additional story to another as part of the residential conversion. Additional details about amenities or retail components have not yet been released.

What The Project Means For The Brooklyn Waterfront

The proposal would add hundreds of apartments to the Brooklyn Heights waterfront, an area that has seen increasing residential development in recent years. Developers have been actively targeting waterfront neighborhoods across Brooklyn, bringing new rental and condominium projects with affordable housing components. Other nearby developments include Williamsburg Wharf by Naftali Group, a residential tower at 1 North Fourth Place by Douglaston Development and Corebridge Real Estate Investors, and a multifamily project in Gowanus by Midwood Investment & Development. Before construction can begin, the rezoning proposal must receive approvals from Brooklyn Community Board 2, the Brooklyn Borough President, and the New York City Council.