Facebook Acquires New Space on West Side

As Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg was grilled last week by Congress and businesses are being forced to close due to COVID-19, the social media giant recently expanded its portfolio.

Already with an office 770 Broadway, Facebook announced on Aug. 3 that it was leasing 730,000 square feet at the Farley Building in Vornado’s Penn District.

In fact, when COVID-19 began Facebook was among the tech giants who told its employees they can work from home until 2021. Yet now one might wonder if they are reversing course. After leasing space last year at 3 Hudson Yard Towers, Facebook will now have more than 2.2 million square feet of office space on the West Side.

“We are delighted to welcome Facebook to the Farley Building, a property like no other in New York City,” said Steven Roth, chairman and chief executive officer of Vornado. “Facebook’s commitment to Farley expands our long-standing relationship and advances our vision for the Penn District, the new epicenter of Manhattan. Facebook’s commitment is a further testament to New York City’s extraordinary talent and reinforces New York’s position as the nation’s second tech hub.”

Rich History

Farley, which is adjacent to Penn Station, occupies a double-wide block between 31st and 33rd Streets and stretches from Eighth to Ninth Avenues.

Farley, once New York City’s main post office, is a landmark that Vornado is converting into a state-of-the-art, mixed-use development, featuring office space, while retaining the rich history of the building’s original design. The full complex will include Facebook’s office space, Moynihan Train Hall and 120,000 square feet of retail space with food and beverage, full-service restaurants and curated lifestyle brands. The project is expected to be completed in phases beginning by the end of the year.

“Facebook first joined New York’s vibrant business and tech community in 2007,” said Robert Cookson, vice president of real estate and facilities, Americas, EMEA and APAC at Facebook. “Since that time, we’ve continuously grown and expanded our presence throughout the city. The Farley Building will further anchor our New York footprint and create a dedicated hub for our tech and engineering teams. We look forward to being a part of this iconic New York City landmark’s future for years to come.”

Renderings of the Farley redevelopment are available at https://www.vno.com/penn-district.