The Refinery at Domino, Two Trees’ long planned conversion of the old Domino Sugar works on the Williamsburg waterfront, is now roughly 90 percent leased after a burst of recent deals. That mark caps a slow-and-steady strategy of chopping up massive industrial floor plates into smaller, flexible offices and pairing them with a hefty amenities package. For neighbors and Brooklyn workers, it means the restored refinery is finally operating like a real office district instead of a beautifully lit but mostly empty landmark.
Recent leases that pushed occupancy
Two Trees Management reached the 90 percent figure after two late April transactions, according to Commercial Observer. Event operator Skylight expanded its penthouse footprint by about 11,000 square feet, bringing its top floor presence to roughly 13,600 square feet. Brooklyn based job search platform Bandana signed for about 10,380 square feet on the 14th floor. Those commitments, along with a steady stream of midsize leases, nudged the 15 story brick conversion firmly into high occupancy territory after a deliberately cautious rollout.
Deals that pushed leasing over the mark
“The Refinery is one of the most significant buildings we’ve operated in,” Skylight president Tiffany Aprile told Commercial Observer when explaining the expansion. Two Trees handled the landlord side of both deals in house and has been pitching smaller, flexible suites to growing tech and creative tenants. The result is a roster built around serial midsize leases rather than a single trophy anchor tenant, a pattern the developer says lines up with how tenants are actually searching for space right now.
How the old factory was reborn
The Refinery at Domino inserts a 15 story glazed office structure inside the landmarked 19th century masonry shell, creating about 460,000 square feet of Class A office space when it opened in 2023. The adaptive reuse keeps the heavy brick facade and arched windows while layering in a modern curtain wall, a glassy penthouse and a suite of tenant amenities. Architectural Record has broken down the engineering moves and daylight strategies that made the delicate conversion possible.
Who's moving in
Leasing materials and local listings point to a tenant mix that leans into tech, AI and creative companies, with lifestyle and retail operators layered in. Names appearing in recent coverage include Whop, Plastic Labs and other startups. The LoopNet listing for 300 Kent Avenue flags Equinox and additional amenity providers among the occupants, and the property’s marketing plays up move in ready suites sized for small teams. To put the Refinery in context, coverage of the borough’s office pipeline has tracked how Brooklyn buildings are repositioning to lure the same tenants circling Manhattan. LoopNet and CityRealty lay out snapshots of that broader shift.
What it means for the market
The Refinery’s leasing streak fits into a larger reset in which landlords are cutting space for smaller, high growth teams and leaning hard on amenities to win deals. Brokers and recent local reporting note that buildings offering flexible terms, prebuilt suites and robust lifestyle perks are seeing the strongest interest. That approach helps outer borough projects compete with Manhattan for midsize tech and AI tenants. Earlier leasing recaps and neighborhood coverage trace how the Refinery’s repositioning has unfolded over the past year. Mann Report chronicled previous expansions and tenant growth at the property.
The New York Post first noted the 90 percent milestone in a May 25 report, and subsequent industry coverage filled in the deal terms behind the figure. Two Trees has declined to offer fresh comment beyond statements already given to trade outlets, but brokers and Brooklyn watchers will be keeping an eye on leasing at the Refinery as the larger Domino campus continues to roll out its mix of retail and residential pieces.
