Tishman Speyer has finalized a long-term headquarters lease with Brooklyn Defender Services at The Wheeler, the firm’s 10-story office development at 422 Fulton St. in Downtown Brooklyn. The agreement covers 212,000 square feet under a 31-year term and brings the property to fully leased status.
Brooklyn Defender Services is a public defense organization focused on providing legal representation and advocacy at no cost. Under the new lease, the organization will consolidate staff now spread across multiple locations in Downtown Brooklyn into a single headquarters at The Wheeler. The move-in is scheduled to begin in late 2026, aligning its operations under one roof for the first time.
The lease with Brooklyn Defender Services adds another institutional user to The Wheeler’s tenant roster. The development already includes Brooklyn Prospect, which entered into an agreement in March 2025 to open a high school campus encompassing 150,000 square feet. St. Francis College relocated its entire campus to The Wheeler in 2022, occupying more than 255,000 square feet. With these commitments in place, educational and civic tenants now comprise the core of the property’s occupancy.
The transaction also features multiple brokerage teams representing the landlord and tenant. Tishman Speyer was represented in-house by Megan Sheehan along with a CBRE team including Mary Ann Tighe, Joseph Cirone, Masha Dudelzak, Zachary Price and Gerry Miovski. Brooklyn Defender Services was represented by Newmark professionals Jonathan Franzel and Ryan Gessin in lease negotiations.
The Wheeler continues to be positioned as a multi-tenant office and institutional destination within Downtown Brooklyn, supported by a mix of educational and public service organizations. By securing a 31-year commitment from Brooklyn Defender Services and achieving 100% leased status, the property enters its next phase with long-term tenancy in place across a substantial portion of its floors. The consolidation of Brooklyn Defender Services’ operations at 422 Fulton St. reinforces the building’s role as a centralized hub for mission-driven and education-focused users in the submarket.
