Studio Space Provider Rockella Takes 16K SF at GFP’s 520 Eighth Avenue

Studio space provider Rockella is opening its first Manhattan location at GFP Real Estate’s 520 Eighth Avenue.

Rockella, which provides affordable studio spaces for artists and other creatives, has signed a 15-year lease for 16,243 square feet on the 24th floor of GFP’s 26-story office building three blocks north of Penn Station, according to the landlord.

“We are delighted to welcome Rockella to 520 Eighth Avenue,” GFP’s Matthew Mandell, who brokered the deal for the landlord, said in a statement. “The building’s flexible layouts and bright spaces are perfect for Rockella’s innovative operations.”

The asking rent was not provided, but a report from Newmark found office rents in Midtown South averaged $81.72 per square foot during the fourth quarter of 2024.

Colliers (CIGI)’ Michael Joseph and Aidan Campbell represented the tenant in the deal. A spokesperson for Colliers declined to comment, while a spokesperson for Rockella did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The deal represents Rockella’s first location in Manhattan, after previously opening three other locations in the city: 1660 East New York Avenue in Brownsville, Brooklyn; 1639 Centre Street in Ridgewood, Queens; and 1563 Decatur Street, also in Ridgewood.

Rockella’s new Midtown location will open in late spring of this year and feature studio spaces ranging from 100 to 500 square feet, GFP said. Rents vary, but a 249-square-foot studio on the second floor of the Brooklyn outpost is available for $1,100 per month, according to the Rockella website.

520 Eighth Avenue is a 860,000-square-foot office building between West 36th and West 37th streets. Tenants include real estate brokerage Denham Wolf Real Estate Services, theater group Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York, and Rooftop Hospitality Group’s 230 Fifth Rooftop Bar.

Isabelle Durso can be reached at idurso@commercialobserver.com.