Transwestern represents Goodwill Industries in 30,800 s/f lease renewal

Brooklyn, NY Transwestern Real Estate Services (TRS) represented Goodwill Industries of Greater NY and Northern NJ Inc. (Goodwill NYNJ) in its 30,800 s/f lease renewal of the full third floor of 25 Elm Pl. Goodwill NYNJ provides training, placement, on-the-job coaching, and retention services from this location.

Transwestern partner Stephen Powers, executive managing director Arthur Skelskie, partner Lindsay Ornstein, senior associate Jake Cinti and senior associate Alexander Smith provided Occupier Solutions services for Goodwill NYNJ. The building ownership, J.W. Mays Inc., was represented internally by George Silva and Michael Caruso and by Robert Hebron and Rob Hebron of Ingram & Hebron Realty.

“Goodwill NYNJ has served more than 100,000 Brooklyn residents in the past five years. We are deeply committed to continuing to launch innovative programs and to provide vital training and employment services for some of the most vulnerable New York City residents from our Elm Pl. location, including people with disabilities, welfare applicants and recipients, young adults, non-English speakers, single parents with no or little work experience, and anybody with barriers to employment seeking work,” said Katy Gaul-Stigge, president and CEO of Goodwill NYNJ. “Goodwill NYNJ understands the importance of providing critical wrap-around services during this health and economic crisis, like job readiness, job search, interview preparation, English as a second language classes, mentoring, housing, child support and food services, to ensure people focus on securing the most appropriate job.”

Goodwill’s office at 25 Elm Pl. is located in the former J.W. Mays department store building, which is now home to many nonprofits, creating a hub of social services agencies. Revenue from Goodwill stores fund services, fueling the vision of Goodwill NYNJ of creating a world with no barriers to employment for all. The flagship Goodwill store is across the street to provide affordable professional clothing for job-seekers attending Goodwill NYNJ programs and clothing for the whole family.

“The lease with J.W. Mays provides Goodwill with a feeling of security in a very uncertain time,” said Powers, who leads Transwestern’s national Nonprofit Advisory Services group. “We were able to negotiate a renewal that offers 20 years of occupancy cost certainty, keeping Goodwill’s real estate costs in alignment with its funding and enabling the nonprofit to serve the downtown Brooklyn area for many years to come. Importantly, the lease provides the community with significant stability by keeping in place a strong tenant in a neighborhood that is changing rapidly.”