The pandemic is shifting what tenants want from office space, which some say is good for Brooklyn. Though it doesn't point to the Site 5 project.

Landlord commentary can of course be self-serving, but do note Bisnow's 7/30/21 report, Brooklyn Office Market Could Benefit From Pandemic Shifts In Demand:

Tenants are currently looking for shorter lease terms, coworking space in the building and something of an experience when they come into work, according to speakers on an office panel during Bisnow’s Brooklyn’s Rally To Reopen event on Thursday.

“It feels like we live now in the year 2035 … working from home used to be 5%, now it’s 30%,” said Matthias Hollwich, founder of architecture firm HWKN. “The future is, we have to offer experiences to people to work for our companies … that's changing everything in the way we think about these buildings.”

Since the coronavirus pandemic hit, design has shifted away from focusing primarily on efficiency to focusing on quality, amenity and location, he said. And in addition to space, tenants want events, concerts and ways to connect the public with their workplaces.

That said, only certain locations (like, perhaps, Williamsburg, Industry City) offer the access to outdoor space that may be sought.

And the flexibility required surely makes ground-up office space--like the two-tower project planned for Site 5, catercorner to the arena--less likely for now. 

Note that Site 5 requires 1) eminent domain, currently stalled because of litigation, for the P.C. Richard parcel and 2) a public process, at least a year, to move unused bulk from the unbulit "Miss Brooklyn" tower planned for what's now the arena plaza. 

And then it needs to be built. Though building a million square feet of office space without an anchor tenant is very unlikely. Also note that, while proffered as an office project, Site 5 could also be built significantly residential.