One World Trade Center hunting tenants for top floors — the highest offices in NYC: ‘Once-in-a-generation'
Nearly 1,100 feet above Lower Manhattan, the top two floors of office space at One World Trade Center — the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere — are hitting the leasing market for the first time, offering what its developers are calling a 'once-in-a-generation' opportunity for tenants seeking rarefied air and even rarer space.
Yes, businesses can occupy what's being billed as the highest-elevated offices available in New York City.
The 89th and 90th floors, totaling 46,000 square feet, are now available for lease as premium office space — a move that marks both a symbolic and financial turning point for the 3.1 million-square-foot tower, which is now 95% leased, according to a press release.
The Durst Organization, which co-developed the skyscraper with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, is seeking rents of up to $160 per square foot — a price more commonly associated with Midtown trophy towers.
9 For the first time since opening its doors, the highest office floors at One World Trade Center — the 89th and 90th stories — are hitting the leasing market, offering what's being billed as the tallest office space available in New York City.
Christopher Sadowski
9 The Durst Organization, which co-developed the tower with the Port Authority, is asking up to $160 per square foot for the roughly 46,000 square feet of panoramic space — a premium price point more in line with Midtown's trophy towers.
Durst Organization
'It's certainly likely to be something in finance,' Eric Engelhardt, who oversees leasing of the penthouse levels for Durst, told Bloomberg, which first reported the news. 'Maybe it's a venture capital that invests in these technology companies that we have all over the building.'
The offering arrives as companies continue to jockey for premiere space in a city where location and prestige remain levers to draw workers back to the office five years after COVID-19.
Manhattan leasing activity jumped 46% in the first four months of the year compared with the same period in 2024, and Lower Manhattan just notched its strongest office leasing quarter since before the pandemic.
9 Renderings show what the leased office space could look like.
Durst Organization
9 The listing comes as demand for top-tier office space rebounds, with companies seeking to attract employees back with sweeping views and high-end amenities.
Durst Organization
The new tenants will ascend via a pair of elevators in just 75 seconds to floors with 20-foot ceiling heights and 360-degree views that span from the Atlantic Ocean to the bridges of the East River.
The space includes floor-to-ceiling windows on both levels and an abundance of natural light — elements developers say are key in today's amenity-focused office climate.
'For a decade after 9/11, it was just a giant hole in the ground and it was very sad for us New Yorkers to endure,' Shaia Hosseinzadeh, founder of OnyxPoint Global Management, which moved into the 45th floor of the tower in 2017, told Bloomberg. 'You have this tower that stands as a testimony to the resilience.'
9 Until now, the 89th and 90th floors had been occupied by a Chinese business center and broadcast equipment, both of which have since vacated.
Durst Organization
Until recently, the top floors served unconventional purposes.
The 90th housed bulky broadcast equipment for the tower's antenna — now largely obsolete due to tech advances — while the 89th was leased by a Chinese business center affiliated with Vantone Holdings that ultimately never occupied the space.
Now, with the market's renewed appetite for ultra-prime locations, the Durst Organization believes the penthouse office could appeal to top-tier tenants once again.
'Tenants are looking for premium, top-of-house offices in New York City's trophy buildings — and supply is limited,' David Falk, President of Newmark's New York Tri-State Region, said in a statement.
9 The building is already 95% leased.
Durst Organization
'The new penthouse floors at One World Trade Center are truly unique spaces that present the opportunity to build a custom office with endless possibilities.'
The project also reflects the evolution of the Financial District.
Once defined by the towering presence of banks and brokerages like Morgan Stanley — now headquartered farther uptown — today's FiDi has become a mixed-use hub for commerce, dining and high-end living.
9 The building is already home to tenants like Condé Nast and Energy Capital Partners.
Durst Organization
9 Brokers say a major firm could soon take the plunge downtown, as Midtown's soaring rents push companies to reconsider Lower Manhattan.
Durst Organization
'The Port Authority has reimagined the World Trade Center as not just a workplace, but a destination,' Jolene Yeats, World Trade Center Director at the Port Authority stated in the release.
'We're looking forward to welcoming even more unique companies to this vibrant neighborhood offering top-notch shopping, dining and cultural experiences.'
One World Trade already hosts a diverse slate of tenants, including Condé Nast, Wunderkind Corp., Carta, Ameriprise, Celonis, Stagwell and Energy Capital Partners.
9 The neighborhood transformed in the years since 9/11 from a finance-dominated district into a dynamic mix of luxury condos, retail and next-generation office space.
Christopher Sadowski
Building amenities include a 'Well& by Durst' sky lobby on the 64th floor — offering curated events, gourmet meals, and event space.
'The penthouse at One World Trade Center offers a once-in-a-generation chance for a visionary company to develop an office that soars above,' Jody Durst, president of The Durst Organization said in a statement.
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