Saint Ann’s School in Brooklyn Heights has purchased a new building, expanding the footprint of the pre-K-12 private learning institution.
The school, whose campus currently contains seven buildings in the neighborhood, purchased 142 Pierrepont St. for $16 million, according to a deed signed April 30 and added to city public records Thursday. The new addition falls between that of its main building, 129 Pierrepont St., and its lower school, at 153 Pierrepont St.
The seller was Jonathan Rose Cos., which acquired the lot that includes the Pierrepont Street building in 2015 for $36.5 million. It developed a luxury rental building at nearby 146 Pierrepont St.
Before purchasing the building, Saint Ann’s leased the 6-story former bank starting in 2023, according to city records, but it did not occupy the space. Construction to renovate the site began in the summer of 2024 and is still ongoing.
The school plans to use the 25,000-square-foot building as a home for its kindergarten, including a rooftop play space to be designed by toymaker Cas Holman, according to a release from the school’s advancement office. In addition to the kindergarten, Saint Ann’s plans to add four classrooms for older students, a science lab for elementary students as well as art, community and dance spaces.
The school had been searching for a site for a decade, according to the release. To support acquiring and renovating the building, it launched a $30 million fundraising campaign.
Saint Ann’s enrollment has grown just slightly in the past two decades, from 1,010 non-pre-K students in the 2003 academic year to 1,042 in 2021, the most recent year for which public data is available.
It is among the local private schools with a more liberal reputation. Teachers do not give grades, instead opting for narrative reports of progress, according to the school’s website. There are no AP or honors classes offered. Nearly every graduating senior attends a selective college, according to a 2024 class profile published by the school. Tuition at the high school level is a little more than $60,500, according to the school’s website.
Notable alumni include late artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, writer and actress Lena Dunham, and fashion designer Zac Posen.
Neither Saint Ann’s nor Jonathan Rose Cos. responded to requests for comment before press time.
