Towering Bjarke Ingels-Designed Gowanus Complex Preps for Foundation Work

Nearly unchanged for more than a decade, a prominent but long inactive site in Gowanus is moving forward after a change of owners and plans. The new design by starchitect Bjarke Ingels Group, or BIG, for a much bigger and taller building will dramatically change the corner of 3rd Avenue and 3rd Street, rising steeply at the edge of the sidewalk across from Whole Foods and obscuring the landmarked canal-side Powerhouse Arts.

Ringed by a green construction fence, the site at 175 3rd Street has been cleared of its last structure, a single-story brick building. For years, the property comprised a Verizon parking lot and single-story industrial structures. Permits for excavation and foundation work were issued in July and August of 2025, and some materials and portable toilets are visible on site.

While the permit for the new building has not yet been issued, an application submitted in September of 2025 says it will include 1,071 apartments over 27 stories, reach 281 feet tall, and have roof terraces on the 14th, 16th, and 18th floors. About 250 apartments will be set aside as affordable housing under Mandatory Inclusionary Housing, triggered by the Gowanus rezoning. It will also include 84,220 square feet of commercial space.

Developers Charney Companies and Tavros Capital unveiled updated renderings last year for the project, designed by Bjarke Ingels Group and dencityworks|architecture.

The proposal features connected concrete and glass towers rising along 3rd Street between the canal and 3rd Avenue. Gridded facades with chamfered corners and exposed structural elements give the development a distinctive look.

The building rises 16 stories straight up from the sidewalk, and its full 27 stories will tower over nearby low-rise structures. These include Powerhouse Arts and, across the street, the Coignet Building and the American Can Company Building — all individually landmarked.

Giant at around 1.08 million square feet, the all-electric complex will include ground-floor retail, artist workspaces, and amenities including fitness areas, social spaces, and a rooftop with an outdoor pool, according to the developers.

A key part of the project is a 28,000-square-foot public esplanade along the Gowanus Canal, designed by Field Operations in collaboration with the city’s Parks Department, and required by the terms of the rezoning. The sloped waterfront park is designed to absorb stormwater and mitigate flooding, according to BIG. Plans call for a multi-use court, dog run, lawn, seating areas, and plantings along the canal edge.

The current proposal is a departure from BIG’s earlier concepts for the site under its previous owner, which envisioned a smaller 374-unit, 651,000-square-foot structure with a publicly accessible ramp swooping up the sides of the building. The revised plan almost triples the number of apartments while increasing the building’s height and density.

Charney Companies principal Sam Charney said the development team selected BIG after a competitive process involving several architecture firms, citing the firm’s understanding of Gowanus and its industrial history. BIG is a globally prominent firm with an office in Brooklyn and headquarters in Copenhagen.

The nearly three-acre site was purchased for $160 million in April of 2025 from developer RFR, which had secured a 421-a tax abatement and completed environmental remediation work.

The project is one of a number in the neighborhood being developed by Charney and Tavros, who have dubbed their four sites across Gowanus with one name, Gowanus Wharf. Together, the developments are expected to have around 2,000 residential units.

[Photos by Susan De Vries]

Related Stories

• New Renderings Show Towering Concrete Gowanus Project by Bjarke Ingels
• Bjarke Ingels’ Wild Design for Gowanus Site Unlikely to Be Built by New Owners
• Bjarke Ingels’ Checked Design Swoops Like a Rollercoaster Between Batcave and Whole Foods

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