Empire Stores Makes an Award Winning Transformation in Brooklyn

An experienced construction executive in New York, NY, Kenneth Hart established the full-service real estate development firm, Veracity Partners, LLC, in 2017. Kenneth “Ken” Hart continues to lead Veracity Partners, a construction management company that was involved in the restoration of the Empire Stores in Brooklyn.

Empire Stores has been named a winner at the 2019 Urban Land Institute Global Awards for Excellence. General contractor Veracity Partners worked with several developers, designers, and structural engineers on the 1.82-acre development. Previously, the Empire Stores location was the home of a series of historic warehouses blocking surrounding neighborhoods from the waterfront and Brooklyn Bridge Park. Today, Empire Stores retains much of the 19th-century aesthetic while providing shoppers and locals with a host of local businesses, including the Sugarcane raw bar and grill, the Brooklyn Historical Society, and Time Out Market.

Some of the architectural details of note at Empire Stores range from the historic masonry facades to a series of schist structural walls. Individuals can learn more about the development project and current activities at Empire Stores at Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass by visiting www.empirestoresdumbo.com.

Renaissance New York Midtown Hotel Enhances Pennsylvania Station Area

Renaissance Hotel Entrance image from marriott.com

Based in New York, NY, Kenneth “Ken” Hart leads the construction firm, Veracity Partners, LLC and pursues high-profile projects spanning residential and commercial properties. One of the projects that Kenneth Hart has been integrally involved in is a luxury hotel upgrade of Manhattan’s Pennsylvania Station neighborhood.

Situated on 34th street, the 38-story Renaissance New York Midtown Hotel opened in 2016 and represented the third property in Manhattan to bear Marriott International's Renaissance branding. The four-star property pairs 340 guest rooms with eight suites on the top floor. The latter is targeted at top-name musicians and celebrities who perform at Madison Square Garden, just across the street.

Unique features incorporated into the Renaissance property include a hotel lobby situated on the sixth floor that includes the Lobby Bar, a library lounge, a DJ booth, and a balcony overlooking terraces. In addition, there is a living wall that utilizes state of the art technologies in interacting with guests as they make their way through the lengthy entrance hall.

HH Builders - 2014 Big Apple Brownfield Awards under the VCP

Prior to co-founding the New York, NY, firm Veracity Partners in 2017, Kenneth Hart founded HH Builders in 2000. Kenneth "Ken" Hart served for 7 years at HH Builders, which is considered a full-service development firm. There, he was responsible for streamlining building processes.

HH Builders earned the economic development award at the 2014 Big Apple Brownfield Awards for the remediation of the building 2329 Frederick Douglass Boulevard, in Manhattan. The property was remediated under the New York City Voluntary Cleanup Program (VCP), and it's currently a vibrant commercial center.

The VCP is a program of land cleanup managed by the Office of Environmental Remediation, and helps developers who want to enroll properties that are in need of remediation. The projects in the VCP are eligible for city grants and have access to a clean soil bank, in addition to hazardous waste fee exemptions. At the end of the remediation, the VCP grants the developer an NYC Green Property Certification plaque.