Vornado’s Hotel Pennsylvania could transform into Facebook-anchored supertall

The renderings all feature Facebook's logo although no public announcement has been made

Vornado CEO Steve Roth and a rendering of 15 Penn Plaza (Credit: Getty Images)
Vornado CEO Steve Roth and a rendering of 15 Penn Plaza (Credit: Getty Images)

Vornado Realty Trust has released new renderings for what could be one of the biggest office buildings in New York City, with an eye toward attracting technology tenants. A certain technology tenant, to be specific. Facebook.

In its 2018 fourth quarter earnings call, Vornado CEO Steve Roth indicated the real estate firm may be courting technology tenants for its Farley Post Office redevelopment project. And after announcing that its Penn Plaza redevelopment project at Penn Plaza would be entirely self-funded, the latest renderings for 15 Penn — currently the Hotel Pennsylvania — signal that they have have similar ambitions for the supertall tower at 401 Seventh Avenue.

Every rendering of the office tower tower features either Facebook’s logo on the page or featured in the rendering itself. One rendering, labeled “Facebook Tower Lobby,” shows a glassy lobby with Facebook’s logo spanning several stories. Rafael Vinoly would design the project, according to New York YIMBY, which first spotted the renderings.

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Counting on Facebook as a possible anchor tenant at 15 Penn Plaza may be wishful thinking, however, since the social media behemoth has already committed to SL Green Realty’s One Madison Avenue in NoMad, and they have not said anything publicly in relation to the supertall tower, YIMBY reported.

The rendering for the supertall tower, which would dwarf the nearby Empire State Building, features open-floor offices and green spaces, and one of the renderings feature a skateboard and a bicycle. Nearby, Vornado is redeveloping One Penn and Two Penn Plaza into a 4.4 million square foot mega-campus. [NY YIMBY]Georgia Kromrei