Wholesaler Liba Fabrics Takes 4K SF at 149 West 36th Street

Family-owned textile importer Liba Fabrics has moved its offices within Manhattan’s Garment District.

The fabric wholesaler has leased 4,000 square feet on the entire ninth floor of The Frangene Company’s 149 West 36th Street, according to tenant broker Lee & Associates NYC. The lease runs for seven years and seven months.

The deal represents a bit of a downsizing for Liba, which left its 7,500-square-foot office across the street at 132 West 36th Street for its new space at the building between Broadway and Seventh Avenue in May, Lee said.

Liba, which was founded in 1962, had been headquartered at 132 West 36th since 1988, as Commercial Observer previously reported.

“Liba Fabrics has been a staple of New York City’s textile industry for over 60 years, and it was a pleasure to secure the ideal office space to support their continued success,” Lee’s Woody King, who brokered the deal for the tenant, said in a statement. “149 West 36th Street offered exactly what they were looking for, a full-floor layout and an abundance of natural light.”

The asking rent was not provided, but a report from Colliers found office rents in Midtown averaged $79.12 per square foot in May.

Newmark’s Kenneth Kronstadt represented the landlord in the deal. Spokespeople for Liba and Newmark did not immediately respond to requests for comment, while a spokesperson for the landlord could not be reached for comment.

Other tenants of the 12-story Garment District building include printing company Sheer Print Solutions and men’s clothing store Robbie & Co. in the ground-floor retail space.

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