Sources say former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has signed a lease on a Brooklyn Heights office tower for her still-unannounced campaign for president. NY1's Bobby Cuza filed the following report.
It may have missed out on the Democratic convention, but it turns out Brooklyn will play a leading role in the 2016 presidential race after all.
On Friday, a source confirmed that Hillary Clinton is leasing two floors of office space at One Pierrepont Plaza. The 19-story building boasts underground parking, 24-hour security, easy subway access and great views of Manhattan.
Workers here, while generally excited, wondered about potential impacts.
"Definitely increase traffic. Definitely, definitely increase security," said one worker.
"If there's going to be, like, secret service, or if there's going to be, like, metal detectors, or like, what does this mean? I don't know yet. I'm sure we'll find out," said another.
The building is situated right on the border of Brooklyn Heights and downtown Brooklyn in an area heavy with government offices. U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch also has offices in the building, which sits right across the street from three courthouses and just up the road from Brooklyn Borough Hall.
Friday's news was welcomed by Tucker Reed, president of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, though he said Clinton's move won't help attract other businesses here. That's because with a 3 percent vacancy rate, downtown Brooklyn has no more room.
"In a lot of ways, they're actually lucky to find any space here at all, if they do choose to come, because our office vacancy rate is one of the lowest – certainly in the history of our office market here in downtown Brooklyn – but one of the lowest in the city," Reed said.
The lease signing, meanwhile, could signal more news to come. Under federal election rules, once a candidate engages in campaign activity, he or she has just 15 days to file campaign paperwork.
Of course, Clinton, who appeared in Brooklyn earlier this week alongside First Lady Chirlane McCray, may not be here all that often, particularly once the campaign gets into full swing. The Iowa caucuses. after all, are now less than 10 months away.