Vornado Can’t Stop Signing Penn 2 Leases

Like OG Anunoby, Steven Roth can’t stop scoring in the Penn District.

For the second time in weeks, Vornado Realty Trust landed a tenant for more than 60,000 square feet at Penn 2. This time, the tenant is artificial intelligence data firm Altana, which signed a 10-year lease for 62,000 square feet on the 21st floor, the Commercial Observer reported.

The company is relocating from Global Holdings’ 25 Kent Avenue in Williamsburg, where it has occupied more than 20,000 square feet since 2022. The asking rent for its Penn 2 space was approximately $125 per square foot.

“Penn 2 sits at the center of one of the most connected hubs in the world,” Altana chief executive officer Evan Smith said in a statement.

CBRE’s Sam Seiler and JLL’s Joseph Sipala represented the tenant in the deal, but it’s unclear who represented the landlord. Seiler and Sipala declined to comment to the publication.

Penn 2 is becoming a bona fide tech hub in the heart of Manhattan. Last week, data firm Veeva Systems signed a 10-year lease for 62,000 square feet on the 11th floor of the building, relocating its New York offices from 1375 Broadway. The asking rent on its Penn 2 space was $110 per square foot.

In November, mobile banking company Current signed a 10-year lease for a little more than 62,000 square feet on the 23rd floor of Penn 2; the asking rent was $125 per square foot.

Data security firm AvePoint signed an 8,000-square-foot lease in March, while French consulting company Capgemini signed a deal for 43,000 square feet at the end of last year.

Communications and consulting firm FGS Global recently signed a 15-year lease for 80,000 square feet at Penn 2. Last summer, Verizon inked a 200,000-square-foot lease with plans to move its headquarters to the 1.8 million-square-foot building, formerly known as 2 Penn Plaza.

Other tenants include Madison Square Garden’s corporate offices, Major League Soccer and Universal Music Group.

Penn 2 recently underwent a $750 million renovation aimed at attracting blue-chip tenants. The 31-story tower was 78 percent leased after Current’s deal.

— Holden Walter-Warner