300 Ashland's expansive public plaza adds much-needed space to a busy Brooklyn intersection

The 15,000-square-foot plaza was built at a cost of $6 million

Two Trees Management unveiled the 15,000-square-foot public plaza at the base of its massive rental building at 300 Ashland Place Tuesday night. The public plaza is located at the intersection of Flatbush and Lafayette Avenues, and is the culmination of a decade-long collaboration between a host of city agencies, the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, and Two Trees management to enliven an under-utilized intersection.

Enrique Norten, the same architect who designed the rental building, also designed the public plaza. While the $6 million project was developed by Two Trees, ownership will soon be transferred over to the city. The stepped plaza, replete with trees and other plantings, will also serve as an open space for programming and performances, Jed Walentas, the principal of Two Trees, said in a statement.

The public plaza will also likely complement the cultural aspects of this project. Two Trees has built out a 50,000-square-foot space at the base of 300 Ashland that will ultimately serve as an extension for BAM Cinemas, and have spaces for a branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts, and 651 Arts. The anchor tenant however is the 365 by Whole Foods grocery store that's set to open by the end of the year.

"This public plaza introduces a spectacular new open space to the heart of the Brooklyn Cultural District," Regina Myer, the president of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, said in a statement. "The 300 Ashland plaza marks an important step forward in Downtown's wider renaissance."

• Brooklyn Cultural District's 300 Ashland reveals its amenity spaces [Curbed]
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• BAM-Adjacent Rentals at Fort Greene's 300 Ashland Start From $2,800 [Curbed]