Jonathan Resnick & Sons' 199 Water Street reopens after Hurricane Sandy

Jonathan Resnick & Sons' 1.1 million s/f office building at 199 Water St. reopened on December 5th, less than six weeks after Hurricane Sandy filled its infrastructure-laden basement with 8 million gallons of sea water and turned its ground floor lobby into a 4-ft. wading pool. Now dry, clean and operational, Jack Resnick & Sons is intent in keeping it that way, regardless of Mother Nature. The Resnick firm is planning to move all of the building's critical infrastructure, such as electrical switchgear equipment, emergency generators, fire life safety mechanicals and telecom equipment rooms, from the basement to higher floors, utilizing valuable rental space to house the various systems. Although it could have salvaged and re-used much of the water damaged electrical system, the Resnicks are replacing the entire system with all new and modern equipment and materials. As part of the overall repositioning of 199 Water St., Swanke Hayden Connell Architects, the same firm that originally designed the building, is creating a new lobby experience for the building, which will be highlighted by a new energy efficient LED lighting scheme and new exterior and interior signage. While the new lobby was in planning prior to Superstorm Sandy, many of its amenities, such as a destination-based dispatching system for elevators and new cab finishes, were decided on post-Sandy. The upgrade is expected to be completed by April. "We've weathered the storm; now with hard work and diligent planning, we're confident that the best is still ahead of us," said Resnick, president of Jack Resnick & Sons. "Our building is a great example of the strength and resiliency of the downtown office market." Currently 70,000 s/f of prime office space is available on two full floors, and approximately 300,000 s/f of virtually column-free, waterfront tower floors offering incredible views will be available for lease in the first quarter of 2015. Built in 1984, the LEED certified building, also known as One Seaport Plaza, is occupied by such prominent tenants as AON, Allied World Assurance, BGC/Eurobrokers, Computershare, SCOR Insurance and Tullet Prebon Americas.