BY GABE HERMAN | New development projects continue in West Chelsea, as a deal has been reached for a real estate company to redevelop office space on the top six floors of the old Morgan North Post Office.
Part of the massive Art Deco building, which was built in 1933, is still used as a postal facility. It takes up an entire city block, from Ninth to Tenth Aves. and W. 29 to 30 Sts.
Real estate company Tishman Speyer entered into a 99-year lease with the U.S. Postal Service for the deal, which includes developing 630,000 square feet of office space, according to the Oct. 2 announcement by the company.
The building has Manhattan’s largest private green roof, which is 2.5 acres and will only be for use by Tishman Speyer’s future office tenants. The deal also includes the company creating over 5,000 square feet of retail on the street level along Ninth Avenue.
The postal building used to connect with the High Line train system. The High Line park recently opened the Spur, which runs east on West 30 St. from the main High Line and follows the former tracks right up to the postal building’s western side.
Tishman Speyer President and CEO Rob Speyer said the development deal was a good fit for the company in a changing neighborhood.
“With its West Chelsea location on the High Line and just steps from the Meatpacking District, Morgan North resides at the crossroads of Manhattan’s most vibrant and dynamic neighborhoods,” said Speyer. “Just as importantly, this authentic New York City building, with its limestone and brick façade, high ceilings, massive open floors and countless outdoor amenity options, is ideally suited for today’s creative, tech-oriented workforce.”
The USPS will continue operations on the bottom four floors of the building, which connects to the Morgan South facility via a bridge across West 29 Street. The two-block complex is a combined 2.2 million square feet, making it one of the largest mail-processing facilities in the country.
Tishman Speyer’s construction for the new office development is scheduled to start in late 2020 and finish in mid-2022.
