205 Water Street
205 Water Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
DUMBO, Brooklyn
BBL 3000317503 · BIN 3000037
- Year built
- 2010
- Type
- Condominium
- Units
- 65
- Floors
- 9
- Landmark
- Designated
- Subletting
- permitted; standard condo right of first refusal
- Pied-à-terre
- permitted
- Washer / dryer
- permitted, in-unit
- Pets
- permitted
Compiled by The Roebling Research Desk from the building’s offering plan, amendments, and related building documents (primary source dated 2026-08). Reported and subject to confirmation. Board policies can change by amendment — confirm at the offer stage.
Every recorded sale at this building, 2012–2026
Price-per-square-foot over time, the line- and floor-premium curves, and every recorded sale.
- Median $/sf
- $1,862
- Listing discount
- -1.8%
- Recorded sales
- 151
- On record
- 2012–2026
Own an apartment here? See what it would sell for.
A Private Pricing Opinion — what your apartment at 205 Water would likely sell for today, what it costs to sell, and what you’d walk away with — reviewed personally against condition, exposures, renovation quality, and the competition actually on the market.
205 Water Street is the rare DUMBO condominium that is neither a loft conversion nor a glass tower. When the DUMBO Historic District was designated in December 2007, nearly all of the district's residential inventory already existed inside converted factory shells — the Robert Gair Company's reinforced-concrete daylight factories and the brick warehouses that Two Trees and other converters had been turning into lofts since the late 1990s. New construction inside the district boundary requires Landmarks Preservation Commission approval, and very little of it has been built. 205 Water, developed by Toll Brothers City Living and completed at the turn of the 2010s, is one of the few ground-up buildings to have cleared that bar.
The architectural response is the reason it cleared. The design — credited to S9 Architecture, whose founding team executed the commission within GreenbergFarrow, the architect of record — is built from cast-in-place architectural concrete, the same structural material as the Gair loft buildings that define the district, with large multi-pane windows scaled to the industrial fenestration around it and Cor-Ten weathering-steel accents that echo the neighborhood's rusted metalwork and the Manhattan Bridge's steel presence overhead. A cantilevered penthouse balcony on the Plymouth Street elevation makes the bridge reference explicit. The lobby carries reclaimed Coney Island Boardwalk wood, and the project earned LEED Gold certification — with more than 40 percent recycled material content documented in the project records.
The result reads from the street as a modern member of the factory district rather than an interloper, and it reads from inside as a loft building with new-construction systems: 10-foot ceilings, oversized triple-paned windows, fumed white oak floors, and architectural-concrete accent walls in the residences. For buyers who want DUMBO's loft character with central air, a warranty-era envelope, and a full amenity floor, the building occupies a position that the district's converted inventory cannot replicate.
The location is the district's quieter eastern quarter — the cobblestone blocks of Water and Plymouth Streets between Jay and Bridge Streets, a block from the Vinegar Hill seam east of DUMBO and a short walk from Brooklyn Bridge Park, the York Street F station, and the retail spine along Front and Washington Streets. The immediate context is historic-district fabric on all sides, which caps the surrounding development envelope and gives the building's light and outlooks unusual stability for new construction.
Architecture and unit composition
The 65 residences distribute across the building's upper floors in loft-style configurations from studios and one-bedrooms through three-bedroom and penthouse-tier homes. Interior specifications documented in the project records include:
- Ceiling heights of approximately 10 feet
- Oversized, triple-paned multi-pane windows scaled to the district's industrial fenestration
- Fumed white oak flooring and cast-concrete accent walls
- Central air conditioning
- In-unit washer/dryers
- Private outdoor space on select units, including the cantilevered penthouse balcony on the Plymouth Street elevation
The through-block lot gives the building two street presences — Water Street and Plymouth Street — with exposures over the low historic-district fabric toward the Manhattan Bridge and, from upper floors, the East River and skyline. Unit-level exposure and light vary meaningfully by line and floor; line-specific comparison matters more here than building averages.
Building operations
205 Water operates as a full-service boutique condominium: attended lobby with doorman/concierge service, fitness center, residents' lounge and screening room, landscaped interior courtyard, common roof deck, central laundry, bike room, and limited on-site parking and storage. The amenity load is substantial for a 65-unit building, and buyers should model common charges accordingly — boutique buildings distribute fixed service costs across fewer units than the district's larger conversions. Staffing levels and any amenity fees should be confirmed with the managing agent during diligence.
Policy framework
The building operates under the standard New York condominium framework, which is structurally permissive relative to the cooperative alternative:
Pets: Permitted under condominium rules.
Pied-à-terre: Permitted.
Subletting: Permitted; the condominium board exercises a right of first refusal rather than cooperative-style purchaser approval. Minimum lease terms should be confirmed with management.
LLC, trust, and foreign purchasers: Standard condominium flexibility applies; confirm current house rules at offer stage.
Flip tax / transfer fee: None publicly documented; verify against the offering plan and current closing-cost schedule.
The building's offering plan and amendments are held in The Roebling Research Library and are reviewed with clients during diligence.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $36,126/yr
- Per unit / month range
- $0 – $46
Source: NYC LL84 benchmarking and PLUTO · The Roebling Research Library. City record last verified September 2026.
See full Local Law 97 analysis — emissions history, scenarios, methodology →Facade safety — Local Law 11
The latest available FISP filing classified the facade as Safe — no repairs were required at that inspection. Facade inspections run on a fixed five-year cycle; future inspection, repair, and any assessment decisions remain building-specific.
How to read this, and where it comes from
QEWI = Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector — the licensed engineer the city requires to sign the report (the independent expert, not the managing agent).
Source: NYC DOB facade filings (FISP) · The Roebling Research Library. City record last verified September 2026.
421-a Tax Abatement
- Last year of benefit
- FY2028
- Years remaining
- ~3 yrs
- Program
- 421-a (15-year)
The 421-a benefit ends within a few years. Taxes will step up toward the full assessed amount as it phases out — factor the post-abatement tax into any resale math.
Source: NYC Dept. of Finance property-tax exemption records (421-a), refreshed 2026-09-06 · The Roebling Research Library. Confirm the exact step-up schedule on the building’s DOF tax bill. Years shown are NYC tax years, which start July 1 — FY2029 runs July 1, 2028 to June 30, 2029.
Recent sales
Recent closings at this building, curated by The Roebling Team research desk. Prices are the transfer amounts recorded with the NYC Department of Finance; apartment-level detail is checked against the building’s own file in The Roebling Research Library before publishing.
| Date | Unit | Apartment | Price | PPSF | vs. Ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 7, 2026 | P18 | 145 sf | $150,000 | $1,034/sf | off-mkt |
| Feb 3, 2026 | 2C | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,286 sf | $2,075,000 | $1,614/sf | +9.3% |
| Nov 14, 2024 | 7B | 3 BR · 2 BA · 1,641 sf | $2,843,381 | $1,733/sf | -5.1% |
| Jan 11, 2024 | P71 | 145 sf | $200,000 | $1,379/sf | off-mkt |
| Nov 30, 2023 | P27 | 145 sf | $185,000 | $1,276/sf | off-mkt |
| Oct 20, 2023 | P72 | 145 sf | $117,000 | $807/sf | off-mkt |
| Jul 31, 2023 | P58 | 145 sf | $200,000 | $1,379/sf | off-mkt |
| May 24, 2023 | P73 | 145 sf | $150,000 | $1,034/sf | off-mkt |
Market read. Most recent trades (2026) cleared a median $1,862/sf across 1 sale. Median listing discount -1.8% over ask.
The retrade record
Lines that have traded more than once in the public record — the building’s appreciation arc, apartment by apartment.
Full closing history with price-per-square-foot over time, the complete retrade record, and every line that has traded.
Sales sourced from NYC Department of Finance recorded transfers (BBL 3-00031-7503) and verified listing data. Apartment-level facts (line, condition, asking-price context) curated and cross-verified by The Roebling Team research desk. Not all transactions cross-verify with ACRIS records — sponsor and LLC purchases sometimes record at stipulated values rather than market price; square footage from recorded condo declarations and offering plans.
What to know if you’re buying
The historic-district setting is a structural advantage. The surrounding blocks are landmarked, which constrains new construction around the building and stabilizes light, outlooks, and streetscape in a way most new-development purchases cannot claim.
New construction inside the district is scarce by design. LPC review makes ground-up development in DUMBO rare; buildings offering loft scale with modern systems, central air, and in-unit laundry form a thin slice of the district's inventory.
Model the boutique amenity load. Sixty-five units support a doorman, fitness center, screening room, courtyard, and roof deck; run True Monthly Carrying Cost analysis on the specific unit's common charges and taxes rather than assuming large-building economics.
Check the record on completion vintage. City records cite 2010 while project materials cite 2011–2012; for financing and insurance purposes the certificate of occupancy history should be confirmed during diligence.
Transit is a walk. The York Street F station is the closest subway; the A/C at High Street and the 2/3 at Clark Street serve the wider area. Buyers commuting daily should walk the route at commuting hours.
What to know if you’re selling
Marketing should lead with the district position. Ground-up construction approved inside the DUMBO Historic District, LEED Gold certification, and the S9/GreenbergFarrow design story differentiate the building from both conversion stock and post-2015 new development along the Jay Street corridor.
The loft-with-systems argument is the buyer hook. Ten-foot ceilings, oversized windows, central air, and in-unit laundry inside a factory-district streetscape address the exact objections buyers raise against older conversions.
Price to line-specific comparables. Exposure, outdoor space, and floor height vary widely across 65 units; recent same-line trades anchor pricing more reliably than building averages.
Closing timelines are condominium-fast. Right-of-first-refusal mechanism; 30–45 day pacing is typical.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 205 Water Street, also evaluate:
- 133 Water Street — boutique new-construction condominium peer on the same street
- 98 Front Street — recent-vintage DUMBO new-development alternative
- 1 John Street — boutique new-build at the Brooklyn Bridge Park edge of the district
- 51 Jay Street — loft-conversion condominium peer on the eastern blocks
- 168 Plymouth Street — factory-conversion peer around the corner on Plymouth
- Bridge No. 50 (50 Bridge Street) — Kirkman soap-works loft conversion on the same block
- The Sweeney Building (30 Main Street) — classic DUMBO loft conversion alternative
- J Condominium (100 Jay Street) — larger full-service new-development alternative one block west
- 70 Washington Street — large Gair-building loft conversion; the district's conversion benchmark
How to read the facts on this page. Items attributed to an offering plan describe the building as it was offered at that filing — unit mix, square footage, the amenity program as planned. They are not a statement about how the building operates today. Tax and compliance figures are sourced separately to current City records and carry their own dates. House rules, staffing and fee policy can change by board resolution without any public filing: treat every policy line here as a starting point for diligence and confirm it with the managing agent. Where this page compares one building or neighborhood to another, that is our analysis of the recorded record — it names the measure, the period and the sample it rests on, and it is an observation about medians rather than a prediction about any particular apartment.
Considering a move at 205 Water?
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