New York arm of ACLU inks sublease at Rudin’s One Whitehall

The New York Civil Liberties Union has new digs at Rudin Management Company’s One Whitehall Street.

The organization is subleasing about 19,000 square feet on the third floor from financial services firm Janney Montgomery Scott, representatives for the NYCLU confirmed. This will be a second location for the New York arm of the American Civil Liberties Union, which already has a main office at 125 Broad Street. The organization needed the extra space to accommodate recent growth, representatives said.

“The NYCLU and ACLU have undergone tremendous expansion in the last few years, and we expect it to continue,” Donna Lieberman, executive director of the NYCLU. “By expanding into a new space, the NYCLU will be better able to fulfill our mission to defend and promote the civil liberties and civil rights of all New Yorkers.”

Suzanne Sunshine, founder of certified B-Corp S. Sunshine & Associates, which represented the NYCLU in the deal, noted that several nonprofits occupy the building, including Lifespire, the New York Landmarks Conservancy and the Century Foundation. NYCLU’s five-year sublease brings the amount of space occupied by nonprofits in the 405,000 square-foot building to roughly 97,000 square feet. The organization, she said, wanted to find a space with “an outstanding landlord” and “like-minded nonprofits.” Finding both is increasingly challenging for nonprofits in the city.

“There is not enough affordable space for nonprofits in New York City, and it’s a growing problem,” she said. “The co-working companies have taken a lot of space off the market that would’ve been available to the not for profits.”

She declined to provide further details on the term of the lease. JLL’s Clayton Kline, who represented Janney in the deal, also declined to comment. Sources familiar with the deal said the rent was in the ballpark of $25 per square foot. Average asking rents in the Financial District fall in the high $50s per square foot, according to Cushman & Wakefield’s third quarter Manhattan office report.

Last year, The Real Deal reported that Janney was relocating to Edward Minskoff’s 1166 Sixth Avenue, inking a 10-year lease for the 21st floor. As a result, the firm decided to relocate and consolidate its other offices at Normandy Real Estate Partners’ 575 Lexington Avenue and at One Whitehall.