About Us

The Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center (GMDC) is the premier nonprofit industrial developer in New York City. Since its inception in 1992, GMDC has rehabilitated eight manufacturing buildings in New York City for occupancy by small manufacturing enterprises, artisans and artists and the organization currently owns and manages six of these properties. GMDC has begun work on its first new construction project that will be known as the GMDC Brownsville Industrial Center at 805 Rockaway Avenue in Brownsville, Brooklyn. The $118m development will be the first-of-its-kind mixed-use project to combine light manufacturing with affordable and supportive housing. Once fully built out, the project will add 39,000 square feet of new industrial space to the organization’s existing 685,000 square foot portfolio that is home to more than 125 businesses and over 700 employees.

GMDC has played a vital role in helping meet New York City’s need for affordable, flexible production space for small and medium-sized manufacturers. As long as visionary designers, committed manufacturers, and active small businesses look to grow and thrive in New York City, GMDC will be there to help them realize their ambitions.

GMDC’s Mission

The Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center creates and sustains viable manufacturing sectors in urban neighborhoods through planning, developing, and managing real estate and offering other related services.

GMDC’s proven method includes:

  • Acquiring, rehabilitating, and managing neglected industrial properties
  • Acting as advocates through collaboration and coalition building among key stakeholders
  • Creating and influencing industrial development policy
  • Building the field and promoting its model by publishing, presenting at conferences, and providing technical assistance to other communities

The organization formally incorporated in 1992. The first major GMDC project involved the purchase and redevelopment of a 360,000 square foot industrial complex located at 1155-1205 Manhattan Avenue in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. In this venture, GMDC leveraged public and private capital of some $8 million, to successfully convert a neglected historic industrial building into a multi-tenant project that currently serves more than 70 small businesses that employ nearly 400 workers. The building hosts two photovoltaic arrays, one at 51 kW and the other at 59 kW.

GMDC’s work has attracted the attention of economic development policy makers and practitioners nationwide, as a replicable model to help low-income communities revitalize their business and employment base. GMDC’s efforts have been acknowledged by:

  • Ernst and Young Entrepreneurship Award
  • Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence
  • HUD Economic Excellence Award
  • Architects, Designers and Planners for Social Responsibility Award
  • Governor’s Award for Small Business Advocacy
  • NYC Chamber of Commerce/NYC Partnership Small Business Creation Award
  • Union Square Social Entrepreneurship Award
  • Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce’s Building Brooklyn Awards
  • NYC Department of Small Business Services Neighborhood Achievement Award
  • New York State Office of Historic Preservation Project Achievement Award
  • National Development Council Project Showcase

GMDC has leveraged its work at Manhattan Avenue to redevelop seven additional industrial centers. These buildings, like Manhattan Avenue, preserve and create permanent affordable space for small to medium-sized manufacturers who employ New Yorkers from every strata: high school to college graduates; life-long NYC residents to recent immigrants; and workers just developing their skill set to those trained in specific trades.

GMDC has built a model where hard-working, local New York businesses can find security with long-term leases and affordable rents. The small businesses that occupy GMDC’s buildings keep the city’s manufacturing sector active and lucrative, providing over 700 quality jobs to a diverse group of local New York residents. The 2022 average annual salary of $54,587, compared to the $37,140 in the retail sector and $34,860 in food prep and service, provides GMDC employees with a pathway to the middle class. GMDC continues to seek opportunities to leverage public and private funds to convert deteriorated buildings into thriving centers of hands-on work.

Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center 1155 Manhattan Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11222

Phone: (718) 383-3935 Fax: (718)964-9080

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