Design firm to drop anchor at Dock 72 on Brooklyn waterfront

The design-and-innovation firm Huge signed a two-floors lease at Dock 72 at the Brooklyn Navy Yard — and it’s huge for Boston Properties and Rudin, the joint-venture developers of the ship-shaped waterfront building that shouts “cool factor.”

The deal for 71,000 square feet on Dock 72’s top two office floors marks a welcome advance for the project, where the pandemic slowed leasing efforts after an earlier WeWork deal for 220,000 square feet. After that, Boston and Rudin drew blanks in the tough market until digital culinary hub Food52 inked a 42,000-square-foot lease last October. The uniquely-designed waterfront building has 675,000 square feet.

Huge will move from 45 Main St. in Dumbo. The company says its new digs will serve as a “Global Experience Center offering employees and guests a complete reimagining of the traditional workplace.”

It’s exactly the kind of tenant the landlords had in mind. 

“We designed, developed and programmed Dock 72 to appeal specifically to creative companies that thrive on innovation, creativity and authenticity,” said Rudin EVP Michael Rudin.

Mat Baxter, Huge’s global chief executive officer, said its home at Dock 72 “will function more like a clubhouse” than a traditional office setup.

Dock 72, situated at the Navy Yard’s NYC Ferry stop, boasts 35,000 square feet of amenities, including a food hall managed by FLIK Hospitality and Danny Meyer’s Union Square Events.

Huge was repped by Winter Stockwell in-house and by CBRE’s Cara Chayet, David Hollander, Liz Lash and Ken Rapp. Ownership was repped by Boston’s Andrew Levin and Rudin’s Robert Steinman, as well as by Cushman & Wakefield and CBRE teams.