Watchtower building in Brooklyn Heights for sale
A giant waterfront building owned by the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Brooklyn Heights could soon go on the block – with an early estimated price tag of $120 million.
The potential sale of the nearly 1 million-square-foot building at 360 Furman St., a structure that many expect would be converted to luxury lofts, has local Realtors abuzz.
Some 400 to 500 condominium apartments could have views of Brooklyn, Manhattan, New York Harbor and the East River.
“The potential gross sellout price as condos could be half a billion dollars,” said one appraiser, who asked that his name not be used.
“Some of the top apartments will have 180-degree views, from the East River to the Verrazano Narrows [Bridge],” he said. “Those could sell for $4 million to $5 million.”
Melinda Magnett, president of the Brooklyn Corcoran Group, said a low asking price of $50 million would set off a bidding war.
” Waterfront properties are in demand,” she said, adding that a $50 million tag is “hypothetical – they might end up selling the building for a lot more.”
Realtors said that between DUMBO and Red Hook, there is nothing else quite like the structure, which eventually will be surrounded by the planned 67-acre Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Realtors compared the potential condo conversion of 360 Furman St. to the successful 126-unit conversion done at the Clock Tower at 1 Main St.
Apartments in the DUMBO building are now selling for between $500 and $625 a square foot and have appreciated as much as 40% from the original 1998 sale prices, said Domenick Neglia of Neglia Appraisals Inc. in Dyker Heights.
Witnesses shift
Built in 1928, the 12-story warehouse at 360 Furman St. sits between Atlantic Ave. and Joralemon St. The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, also known as Jehovah’s Witnesses, purchased it 20 years ago.
The society used the building as its principal shipping facility for Bibles and publications – and has for years been plagued by community complaints of truck pollution and noise.
Last fall, the Jehovah’s Witnesses decided to shift the shipping facility to their Wallkill, N.Y., center and other facilities around the world, said Daniel Rice, a spokesman for the group.
Of selling 360 Furman St., Rice said, “We don’t need it any more.”
While the group – one of Brooklyn Heights’ largest property owners – posted a press release on its Web site announcing the potential sale, the building is not formally on the market.
By MELISSA GRACE
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Here is a great story for you,
A true story, recenly on our C+I channel, which left me quite intrigued.
Reverend Johnson, a minister at a popular church at a local downtown Minnesota suburb was doing his everyday job of helping good folk find the Lord.
Turns out this good preacher had been adopted by a loving, elderly couple, when he was only fifteen and they were in their sixties. They were very well off and after 15 years or so they gave him the signing powers of their banking accounts so he could ease their burden of paying accounts and making the the evermore tiresome trips to the bank.
Naturally he started indulging in their money, as one could only expect from a man in cloth.
One fine sunny day his mother confronted him with certain issues regarding somewhat dubious amounts that had been withdrawn from their account. What could he do? He was cornered, the only obvious choice left to him, and I’m sure you will agree, was to strangle the 85 year old woman to death, Her husband 90 years old and chair ridden, heard the comotion in the other room, and could do nothing, and had to sit there in his chair while the good reverend finally turned on him and blugendoned him to death.
Quite a pretty story, wouldn’t you say. The old couple may have adopted a bad egg so to speak, but it goes to show how one can do so much good learning and teaching Bible principles. What they learn is nothing,
for any idiot in their right mind would know that after a year or two when the good couple died, they would have free reign over a lot of money.
The good news is he was found guilty, by man, not God
and I hope he enjoys the rest of his life getting his asshole getting stuffed by other equally worthless people.
Cheers,
Markus
????
laught?????????????????//
must be counting his time.
Nice lauguage. Maybe you should open a dictionary or not be on the site.
And doesn’t live by them personally!
Yeah? Don’t you know that Jws are pressured to contribute for the people who don’t ?
Why shouldn’t the headquaters be forced to sell and the money be given to people who have been hurt by WT parcitices? My family has been distroyed, my 11yr old daughter molested by a brother who was later made a ministerial servant, our family abused by an elder ( father, husband) with the society knowing about it. Get together people. Our lives are ruined. I’m sure your family, mother, father, sibllings… are shunning you as they are shunning me. Are you now lonely, alcoholics, or whatever because? And if you are offended, should you be on this site?
I went to the elders to tell them I had sinned and would not be living up to Bible standards. But for three years they knew of my orblems with an abusive elder husband who knew our daughter was molested by his brother in law. What did the elders do about it? What did the society do about it? They made my brother in law a ministerial servant. Why shouldn’t that property in Brooklyn be sold and given to the ones who have been wronged??!!!
We JW believed that all this are part of the “last days”, that many will come to oppose you because of my name” as Jesus said. Because of beig an imperfect person that eventually commit some not a really mistake, this will be the basis of the apostates and opposers to destroy God’s organization. Remember that false prophets will come up, the truth will be made wrong, and the wrong will be the one to believe.
Jehovah’s Witnesses all over the world, having the name of the only true God and with their worldwide brotherhood, know already that this will happen.
To the opposers and apostates, your day will be in Harmageddon. If you will continue your Satanic propagandas, The God of Love and Peace will be the one infront of you. I recommend the unity and endurance of JW around the world! The name of Jehovah be known to all meek ones!!
to jones;
I am a theologian teacher, but i’m not one of JW’s that others usually opposed. As i had seen, to the JW students in the University I worked with, I praise their conducts as if they are good model to students. They have the uncompromized bible-faith that nobody has! Unlike to as Catholic and other religion, we can do what we want without thinking the principles of God. Actually there’s no religion today except the JW, are peacemakers and loving. The JW are people of God where in we should respect their beliefs. There are many publications today Mr. Jones that praise JW BECAUSE THEY do not participate in POLITICS–A very dirty business.
This is one of my thelogies in fact!
Markus,
Is that a prayer?
All I can say is:
Thank God I am an atheist.
Cheers,
Markus
A Witness,
Please take the time to read the comments I made in the note above your posting. You may have a little better understanding. This website is not focused on the issues you brought up having to do with racial issues and terrorism. Those issues are constantly being addressed by our societies but not here. This is after all a site devoted to the Jehovah’s Witness and exposing the religion, the history and the discrepancies in the teachings over time. The fact that the Watchtower has spent so much time and effort in printing and distributing their religious beliefs, it has been relatively easy to keep track of what they have been doing. Do yourself a favor and read objectively the topics in this website. Then make up your own mind as to why so many are so opposed to JW’s. It is true that many have gone overboard in their hatred of your religion. That is what happens with free debate. You get the good, the bad and the ugly. I don’t think that any religion anywhere has not had their criticism. Your religion by its actions is a closed one and only the “perfect” ones who don’t stray in word or deed are allowed to participate. The other ones who stumble, or speak out about teachings or activities are shunned or disfellowshipped.
Puzzled,
Obviously you are comfortable and secure in your religion. Many are not. This website and forum has offered to these people a connect with others who share their experiences. Please don’t judge these individuals for whatever reason they are where they are. Many have studied and found reason to doubt. Many have been disfellowshipped for reasons that are not valid under your leadership. Many are bitter because they have lost loved ones because they followed your advise and just left. You see, in your religion there is no way to just leave and not be separated from the people they love. Because you have the idea and belief that only you are the one and only true religion. Anyone outside of that belief do not warrant your association and love. That is a very heavy load for any human to handle with grace and kindness. Can you understand that? Just remember, they experience unbearable pain and no one is there to comfort them. May I offer you a little advise. Look at your belief system. Examine thoroughly what you believe and teach. You may be not so puzzled when you finish.
No wonder your name is called puzzled!
I’m curious as to what any of these comments have to do with the above-referenced article. Hate all you want, the religion will thrive because it is true. A few ‘bad’ people within the religion don’t make the religion wrong. And not one has to ESCAPE… You escape from burning buildings…not this religion. Just LEAVE…And folks who leave and complain after usually do so because they can’t adhere to the moral standards. No one who commits any kind of moral outrage within the JW is ‘coddled’. They’re all taught from the Bible what’s right from wrong. If they don’t ‘pay’ for their violation of Bible principles NOW, they will with God. So why sweat what JW believe? Why not get a life of your own and live it, if it makes you all so ‘happy’. What a bunch of whining, apostate complainers.
hei…….i am one of the Jehovas Witnesses and im just wondering……..why do you people hate os so much what have we done to you people……why os, why not an other religion not because i mean that you should do that because that was not what i meant, but why i still dont get why not pick on those hoh hates black people or the terorrism……i think that, that is a better way to fight for a cause…….
Hello Fri, I was thinking the other day that employment many JW’s should consider other than window cleaning would be joining the circus as a clown.
The circus moves around constantly like the mental personality of a JW, they wear make-up to hide their true identity (JW’s hide behind their lack of knowledge & the WTS), and the circus is always the same predictable show (JW’s are always the same predictable show as well).
I call some people I work with clowns, however that’s all in fun. To be honest I can’t stand clowns, especially ass clowns like the Little One-Trick Pony above and his one-dimensional show of stupidity.
Have a great day Fri and let’s see how many repeating JW messages transpire today, you know the drill, same rhetoric, insults, horrendous grammar & spelling & no facts to support any argument.
Take care,
James
The postings of Curtis (Bipolar, MPD, Nutjob, Moron, Retard) Jackson merely reflect how many JW’s sound to other people, especially to those of us who escaped the cult. To be such an ignoramus and not see it is one of those wonderful things in life isn’t it? Curtis, you might want to get back on the short bus (don’t forget your helmet), have your mother pack you lunch and go visit the zoo. You will find that the zoo holds creatures that are closer to your level of limited intelligence.
What is youre FUCKING problem BITCH……ber…..ill track you down BITCH and have a little chit chat with you……PRO ASS MOTHERFUCKER
To Curtis:=======Hey what is this? Another bipolar jw??
EY…….you FUCKING with my friend BITCH!!!you want me to give you a ninemillimeter gun in youre brain MOTHERFUCKER!!!!!!!!!!!!
hehehe Bitch!!!!
James my friend, It looks as if Al Capone or ASS Capone the “wanna be gangster” is a bit upset with me; I don’t understand why, such a nice guy I am. At least I though I was, he he he he he he…..
Do you think that perhaps the elders are getting on his ass because of not enough hours in field service????
No you are not a fucking gangster, you are a fucken idiot that is what you really are!
Must be another JW uneducated moron trying to be something that aren’t. Go back to washing windows or cleaning toilets and leave the intellectual stuff to those of us who have a brain.
Thanks for coming out My Little Pony Gangster.
FUCK YOU FRI…….
yeah what ever…..I like what im doing for a living…..im not jw……im a Fucking gangster ….from southside motherfucker……..HAHA!!!!!!!FUCK YALL…
Actually it was Noah, not Noa, perhaps your home language is not English, but I have not seen a Bible with Noa in it.
Cheers,
Markus
You are correct, you are not “selling jehova magazine or books” you are in fact selling magazines and books for the watchtower!
You claim to be “warning people about hamageddon” I have never heard of this word before, would you care to explain more?
The more I read you post the more I “laughft”. Did you ever pass second grade?
Why cant the watchtower send someone smart to defend their crazy ideology, why always a window washer that cant even spell?
May I ask what you do for a living? Are you the new rocket scientist for the watchtower??? My God we are doomed! Marcus you are an embarrassment to the JW’s.
If I had the same name, I think I would commit suicide!
Please go back to whatever you do, do not embarrass the witnesses anymore
Hello everybody i do not agree with you people that(posibly)hates Jehovas people and there publishment…i am not selling Jehovas magazine or books im knocking at the door and im telling them about god…some wants it some dont.We are warning the people about hamageddon…..i have truly felt gods pleasents and im not lying because then i wouldtn be a jehovas witness…..why do you think we warn the people….thats because we dont want it to go the way it did go ad the time ad Noa, when the ungoddish died because they laughft when Noa and his family where building the ark instead of helping they laught and where mad at Noa and his family but at the end died….Jehovah has promissed that he will not use the overrun of water again but he will do it another way…the evidence of that he will not make that thing again is the rainbow that was something he set on earth as a promise……but i have nothing else to say then considder what or huh youre pointing fingers at because there are many in this world that is doing the same thing as you might think the jehovas witnesses are doing….and for the record they are going to use the moneys for a bigger building to much more publications….well that was my little speach and i hope you will see Jehovas Witness with other eyes…love Marcus…
No anonymous, you are the one who has it all wrong! The local congregation does buy the property most of the times with money borrower from the society with interest. However, once the property is paid up the title is reverted back to the society. The local congregation will no longer own the property but the WT.
ON the low interest loan the society should not charge any interest, after all the bilbe does say not to charge interest to a brother. Why cant the society follow the rule set on the bible?
You are right John, that’ the way it is and was done here in Germany. JWs don’t know or like to admit that the WTS is a wealthy organisation which makes much profit and owns masses of properties. Tony
This is not totally true.
It IS usually paid for by the local congregation with donations, or a loan from the Society. Afterwards it is deeded over to the Society. This is How the Society has property holdings throughout the World.
More recently the local congregations have actually become the owners of the property though. This was done for liability issues arising mainly from the child molestation cases; i.e. the person can only sue the local congregation and not the Society, since it is not the property owner.
I was on the building comittee.
you have it all wrong. generally the local congregation buys the property not the society. the society will help them with a low interest loan if it is needed to buy and build the kingdom hall. after the loan is paid off there is no rent to pay. whoever told you that is telling you an out and out lie. the local congrgation is the real owner of the kingdom hall.
On the subject of of the WTS and money, can anyone shed some light on how Kingdom Halls are financed?
The way I see it:
1) WTS buys property outright.
2) WTS mortgages the property to the local congregation. ( I believe the current rate is 8%, which would be very high.)
3) Local congreation pays princple and interest over life of loan.
4) The debt is paid.
This where is gets confusing.
4) After the mortgage is paid, the congration cannot actually own the property, since it is not a distinct legal entity apart from the WTS, and there are no shareholders. So the WTS bought the property from itself. But it owned the property all along…
5) The congregation then has to rent the Kingdom Hall, because it doesn’t actually own it. They just paid for it…
If this is true, it is quite a sweet deal for the society, -especailly when one considers the fact that the fact that the local congregation is responsible for all repairs and upkeep.
As it’s said in the book of Knorr Chapter 1 Verse 3: “The flock itself has become fleeced.”
Rob,
interesting thought, thank you.
Shouldn’t the WTS use EVERY avenue possible to declare the “good news”? Many other churches are making good use of the internet to spread their message.
I was a pioneer before becoming a MS and the reason I was not appointed earlier was because in my FS report the elders could see that I placed bibles and tracts and only seldom WT lit. I was told that before they could appoint me as MS I needed to place more magazines and books. The elders didn’t like me placing ASV and KJV even though these were published by the WTS. I was the literature servant, but didn’t feel comfortable “selling” WT literature when going from door-to-door. Well, to please the elders (not Jehovah) and wanting to be an example to the other publishers in the congregation I started placing mags & books in the ministry.
Doesn’t all of this sound very commercial and business like to you? Have you ever wondered why JW’s ask “How many publishers do you have in your congregation?” or “How many publishers do we have in this or that country?”
How come JW’s don’t ask “How many CHRISTIANS do you have in your congregation?”
The WTS is a cultic-money-making-publishing-company.
Tony
On the subject of of the WTS and money, can anyone shed some light on how Kingdom Halls are financed?
The way I see it:
1) WTS buys property outright.
2) WTS mortgages the property to the local congregation. ( I believe the current rate is 8%, which would be very high.)
3) Local congreation pays princple and interest over life of loan.
4) The debt is paid.
This where is gets confusing.
4) After the mortgage is paid, the congration cannot actually own the property, since it is not a distinct legal entity apart from the WTS, and there are no shareholders. So the WTS bought the property from itself. But it owned the property all along…
5) The congregation then has to rent the Kingdom Hall, because it doesn’t actually own it. They just paid for it…
If this is true, it is quite a sweet deal for the society, -especailly when one considers the fact that the fact that the local congregation is responsible for all repairs and upkeep.
As it’s said in the book of Knorr Chapter 1 Verse 3: “The flock itself has become fleeced.”
Think for a moment: if the Watchtower Society’s real mission was to spread the good news, as recorded in their publications, why wouldn’t they just put in all on the internet? It would be extremely cheap and available in all countries – even countries where it’s banned.
NO, the Watchtower’s main business is to sell literature to the 6 million active publishers mentioned here. (Although it is not fashioned as selling, but as “contributing”.) As we all know the inputs to production are plant and equipment, property, LABOR and taxes.
The society, doesn’t pay any of these items, so all money collected is pure profit. (The summer assemblies are simply marketing events to sell books quickly and efficiently.)
To Comment by Wes (Comment ID: 20232), “Watch out for false profits”?
What type of money are we talking here?
1975 was not the last time that the end was proclaimed to come to an end. Please do better research next time.
Thanks,
FRI
Watch out for false profits. This is what the bible teaches. Did you know that the year 1914 was originally prophesied to be the end of the world by the WTS. Then there was four other years proclaimed to be the end of the world, 1975 being the last. These facts are what finally freed me from the so called truth, wich I now know is a lie. Remember to get know Jehovah, you must go thru his son Jesus Christ, not a earthly society. Love to all. Keep knocking and the door will be answered.
The “word of god” says, “God is Love”. It does not teach the destruction of families and individuals. And the converting of people into slaves for a huge cooperation. The Word of God teaches about a real hope for mankind, through God’s Plan for mankind.
Not the conditional hope preached by the WT.
please find out the real meaning of cult. you dumbbutt.
you are a poor soul…..open you eyes to reality. we are the only org. who preaches the word of god, and who follows the bible teachings.
Time to get a life there Sparky! Many institutions over the years have done this, that or the other thing, it doesn’t mean they are the truth. Publishing tons of publications (why by the way, their message has been the same since it’s inseption?!), all the while pedophiles running around, WTS collecting tons of your money, WTS association with the UN & arms manufacturing companies, condoning bribery in Mexico, outright lying to it’s rank & file, changing passages in the scriptures to support their doctrine, false prophecies, yep, sounds like God’s organization right there?!
Dear brother,
I am a youth from the marylebone congregation in London. I am congratulating you for the great effort you put into the WATCHTOWER and other BETHALS.
I visited your bethals not to long ago, i went to Patterson, Wall Mall and the factory in late April.
What you do with the contributions is magnificate.
I’m sure you have made Jehovah proud.
Look forward to seeing you next year.
With brotherly love,
Mulenga Kasoma
How much money would you need to provide millions of magazines, Books, Bibles, Videos for the Deaf, Brail & audio CD’s & tapes for the blind? Not only for over 6 million active witnesses, but for the public in general?
Millions? Billions of Dollars?
What other organization spends this much effort to provide spiritual food for mankind FREE of charge?
Sound like God’s people to me.
I wonder how many BILLIONS upon BILLIONS of dollars they are worth all together world wide….Does anyone out there have an estimate?
ANYONE WHO CAN SIT BACK AND WATCH WHAT THEY DO AND FOR MONEY COMING IN AND SAY THEY ARE NOT A CULT IS NOT THINKING TOO GOOD. I HEAR NOW, THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE THEIR FREE LABOR FORCE BUILD YET MORE HIGH RISES, RIGHT ON THE WATERFRONT. MORE AND MORE MONEY COMING IN. THEN THEY ASK A YOUNG WOMAN TO PAY THEIR ATTORNEYS FEES, WHEN SHE SHOULD HAVE TAKEN MILLIONS FROM THEM. THIS IS WHAT YOU CALL A REAL CULT.