Midtown — a draw for formerly priced out office tenants

The average asking rent for office space in the northern end of Midtown has dropped significantly to $59.31 per square foot, from
$88.81 per square foot a year ago. “Tenants once priced out of Midtown
now see it as a viable destination. Demand drives deals, and we’re
seeing that play out,” said Mark Jaccom, CEO of Manhattan-based
commercial real estate services firm FirstService Williams. Other
stabilizing factors in Midtown include the amount of available
rentable space. Nearly two-thirds of the available space in Midtown is
at 450 West 33rd Street as well as the Empire State Building.
Additionally, new affordable options in Midtown and other parts of the
city have tenants flocking from downtown, which posted the largest
availability rate increase, to 13 percent up from 11.6 percent last
year, according to FirstService Williams.