Silverstein refuses to budge on 7WTC rents

The top 10 floors of Larry Silverstein’s 7 World Trade Center remain empty two years after the tower was completed, and some wonder why the developer has refused to negotiate on the asking rents. Rents range from $75 to $85 per square foot for the top floor, and last summer the law firm of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton came close to taking space, but Silverstein was adamant about not lowering his asking price by even a few dollars. The 52nd floor is being used for movie shoots, fashion shows and receptions. Tenants in the $700 million building include Moody’s Investors Services; Mansueto Ventures, a magazine publisher; and the New York Academy of Sciences.