601 West 26th Street, The Starrett-Lehigh Building Office Space

The massive building taking over a full block at 601 West 26th Street in Midtown South is one of the largest structures in New York City. It was originally completed in 1931 as an industrial building, serving as a freight terminal and warehouse for the Starrett Corporation and the Lehigh Valley Railroad.

The building, designed by Russell G. Cory, Walter M. Cory, and Yasuo Matsui, was redeveloped in 2000 to serve as a loft office and retail destination. It was named a NYC landmark in 1986, and lies within the West Chelsea Historic District.

In 2011, RXR Realty paid $900 million to purchase the property from Shorenstein Properties. RXR is currently in the midst of a major renovation of the building’s ground floor, which is set to incorporate a new entrance, retail, restaurants, and a 13,024-square-foot food hall, under the moniker Starrett-Lehigh Depot.

2.3 MSF of Class B Chelsea Office Space

The Starrett-Lehigh Building is one of the largest commercial structures in the city, incorporating 2.3 million square feet of Class B Chelsea office space across 20 stories. It’s currently owned by RXR Realty and managed by JLL, and has been retrofitted for commercial office usage in 2000.

The former industrial building features floor plates ranging in size from 18,000 to 165,000 square feet, making it an ideal destination for businesses of all sizes. The 13’ ceilings, large windows and open, loft-style spaces make the Starrett-Lehigh Building a perfect fit for media companies, fashion and design businesses, architecture firms, photographers, apparel showrooms, as well as tech companies and coworking providers.

The building underwent a $30 million renovation in recent years, which resulted in new elevators, heating plant, electrical wiring, and HVAC systems, as well as a new roof and lobby interior. Offices at 601 West 26th Street offer both city and Hudson River views and can accommodate heavy floor loads.

Getting to and from the Starrett-Lehigh Building

The Starrett-Lehigh Building benefits from an excellent location in the bustling Chelsea submarket of Midtown South, a popular destination for tech tenants and startups looking for loft-style, flexible spaces. Tenants working within the building have easy access to the Westside Highway, and they are just several blocks away from the A, C, and E subway lines.

Who is renting office space at the Starrett-Lehigh Building?

The office building at 601 West 26th Street is home to numerous businesses in creative industries like media and publishing, architecture and design, technology, and fashion and apparel. Notable tenants operating space at the Starrett-Lehigh Building include Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Martha Stewart, Justworks, Under Armour, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, StriVectin, Marchesa, Pure Space, Breather, and the Centre for Social Innovation.

How much is the rent price for office space at the Starrett-Lehigh Building?

Office asking rents at the Starrett-Lehigh Building are generally more affordable than the average of $89 per square foot commanded in Midtown Manhattan, starting at around $70 per square foot. The Midtown South submarket is also more affordable than central Midtown, though not by much. However, Class B assets such as 601 West 26th Street tend to command lower office rents than Class A office properties, while still offering all the modern features that tenants look for nowadays.