Kushner Companies unveiled plans this week to turn 200 Lafayette Street into what officials there believe will be one of Midtown South’s most coveted office addresses.
Mr. Kushner, a principal of the large real estate investment company Kushner Companies (and owner of both The Commercial Observer and The New York Observer), bought the roughly 150,000-square-foot building in partnership with the CIM Group in January for approximately $50 million. Mr. Kushner plans to pump significant capital to restore the over 100-year-old building’s classic aesthetic while refurbishing its space to house modern amenities and infrastructure. After a jump, a tour of the building through renderings obtained exclusively by The Commercial Observer.
One of the building’s most striking amenities will be the rooftop deck
with sculpted plantings and lounge spaces. Mr. Kushner said that he
had had offers from restaurants and clubs to lease the roughly 9,000
square foot space but wanted to preserve it as a place that tenants
could use for gatherings or just to relax. Note the skylights that
will be restored and installed to provide tenants on the building’s
top floor with abundant light.
200 Lafayette Street will offer tenants a seamless mix between old and
new: clean and open layouts where restored flourishes like the
building’s historic brickwork, iron and wood support beams and tin
ceilings will blend with newer installations like glass partitioning
to create a distinctly modern, hip vibe.
Focusing on natural materials that fit within the building’s historic
aesthetic, the lobby will feature wood paneling and exposed brick.
200 Lafayette sits at the corner of Lafayette and Broome Streets, an
area of Soho that has few commercial properties and yet high demand
among tenants a pool of tenants who prefer neighborhoods like the
Meatpacking District to Midtown.
With its high ceilings, loft-like atmosphere and distinct arched
windows, 200 Lafayette Street is reminiscent of another office
property that Mr. Kushner owns nearby, The Puck Building, an iconic
Soho building whose popularity prompted him to pursue the 200
Lafayette acquisition.
