Douglaston Brings Sculpture to Waterfront

Douglaston Development has brought the giant “OY/YO” sculpture back to the Brooklyn waterfront. Created by Deborah Kass, the sculpture now stands by the N. 5th St. Pier in Williamsburg.

“Public art is its own reward,” said a Jonathan Fair, executive vice president for Douglaston Development, which unveiled the sculpture July 13, 2017. The eight-foot-tall yellow letters, created by artist Deborah Kass, can be seen from Manhattan spelling “YO.” To Brooklynites looking towards the East River, the letters read as “OY.”

“The costs are significant – site preparation, insurance, moving – but worth it,” said Fair. Another developer, Two Trees Management, had earlier placed the sculpture by its developments on the waterfront in DUMBO.

“We didn’t do this with any particular motive, and there’s no community benefit agreement requiring us to do it,” said Fair. “We’d like to bring attention to this portion of the Williamsburg waterfront that we’ve been working on since 2005, and which we changed from a long ignored vacant industrial site to a vibrant neighborhood featuring thousands of new apartments with amazing views and great amenities.”

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