The big tech takeover of Penn Plaza continues.
Apple is in talks with Vornado Realty Trust to take space at the 1.15 million-square-foot 11 Penn Plaza, according to the New York Post. The iPhone-maker is reportedly considering taking a 200,000-square-foot space that is currently leased to Macy’s.
It comes after Apple lost out to Facebook for office space at Vornado’s redevelopment of the James A. Farley Post Office building. Apple was reportedly looking to take only a portion of its space, while Facebook committed to the entire 740,000 square feet.
Facebook’s victory at the Farley Building will make it one of the largest tenants in the city, and follows a 1.5 million-square-foot lease it signed at Hudson Yards late last year.
Apple has been in the market for several hundred thousand square feet of office space as it seeks to expand on its current 50,000-square-foot office at 100-104 Fifth Avenue in the Flatiron District, where it houses its marketing division and software engineers.
Asking rent in 11 Penn Plaza is reportedly priced at mid-$60 a square foot. It’s unclear if Vornado will approve Apple as a sublessor, or replace the Macy’s lease with an agreement with Apple.
Vornado, led by CEO and founder Steve Roth, purchased 11 Penn Plaza and 2 Penn Plaza in a $437 million portfolio deal with Bernard Mendik in 1997. The building’s lobby and facade was last renovated in 1982. [NYP] — David Jeans