Wall Street is occupying Brooklyn.
JP Morgan Chase, the financial giant that helped to plunge the world into the economic crisis of 2008, is moving 2,000 workers to Downtown’s MetroTech Center. And, hiss as protesters might if they were still organized, some local bigwigs are welcoming the company with open arms.
“We think it’s great,” said Alan Washington, director of real estate and planning for the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership. “It adds to the diverse group of people working here.”
JP Morgan owns two buildings in the sprawling Downtown office complex, located on Myrtle Avenue between Bridge Street and Flatbush Avenue Extension. Mega-developer Forest City Ratner owns the rest.
The transplanted employees will make the move in the next year from all corners of the company, including some from its headquarters in lower Manhattan, a representative for the bank said.
“We’re continually reviewing our space and occupancy strategy to insure it aligns with the ever-evolving needs of our business,” said spokeswoman Melissa Shuffield.
The move comes at a time when Brooklyn office space is at a premium and only becoming more scarce, according to one realtor.
“The demand has never been higher,” said Chris Havens, a broker with aptsandlofts.com. “We’re all getting calls for requests that we just can’t satisfy.”
The banking firm’s Brooklyn offices currently house between 3,000 and 4,000 workers.
