Schultz of GFI leases 20,000 s/f at 144 North 8th St.

GFI Realty Services, Inc. has leased a 20,000 s/f retail space at the base of 144 North 8th St. The property features 100 ft. of frontage on three sides, 20 ft. ceilings and is a 14-story condominium building located in the Williamsburg neighborhood. The nine commercial spaces were leased exclusively by Jaime Schultz, a senior leasing broker at GFI. The tenant mix at 144 North 8th St., which is centrally located between Bedford Avenue and the East River waterfront, is diversified ranging from chic clothing retailers, a medical facility and an Italian restaurant, with square footages averaging 2,256 s/f. Crossroads Trading Co., a clothing retailer with 30 locations nationwide, signed the first lease in August 2010 for 4,160 square feet. This lease was followed by Betto, DNA Footwear and Beth Israel Medical Center. In December 2011 Antica Pesa, a high-end Italian restaurant, signed on to lease 2,500 s/f, opening its first location outside of its flagship in Rome. In 2012, the remaining spaces were leased to tenants including Juice Press, Brick & Mortar Real Estate, 16 Handles (co-brokered by JTRE's Jack Terzi and Ricky Braha), and Pearly Whites. "The tenants at North 8th Street recognize the value in leasing in North Williamsburg, an area which has been in a state of growth for the last ten years. Our strong tenant mix has been able to fill in the gaps in services and amenities, particularly with Beth Israel," said Jaime Schultz. "Currently, the businesses that have signed are performing well, notably DNA Footwear quickly became its highest grossing store a month after opening according to its owner, Daniel Kahalani." The retailers at North 8th Street are in close proximity to major outlets including American Apparel and Brooklyn Industries with more to come including Whole Foods and J Crew. Additionally, they are a block away from the L subway line on Bedford Avenue, which has the highest traffic for a single line subway station one stop from Manhattan and is the sixth most populated subway stop in Brooklyn.