Amazon Adds 112K SF at Brookfield’s 5 Manhattan West

Amazon is adding to its footprint at 5 Manhattan West, but not directly.

The tech giant’s space at the Midtown West office building is expanding by 112,000 square feet, the New York Business Journal reported. Amazon already occupied 360,000 square feet at the Brookfield Properties building, an even 20 percent of the 1.8-million-square-foot property.

The latest lease, however, actually belongs to co-working company WeWork, which will operate the space on behalf of Amazon. The deal was disclosed in a monthly office report by CBRE.

Partnering with WeWork creates flexibility for both the tenant and the landlord. Amazon can optimize its space and if needed, escape the space without being tied to a long-term lease (depending on its deal with WeWork). The landlord, meanwhile, will have options if the Amazon occupancy doesn’t pan out.

This is a growing model for Amazon and WeWork, which bills itself as a partner “supporting its real estate strategy across key markets.” In November, the co-working firm inked a 304,000-square-foot lease at Vornado Realty Trust’s 330 West 34th Street, also operating it on behalf of Amazon.

Details of the latest lease for WeWork, which is a sublease, were not disclosed. Amazon’s initial deal at 5 Manhattan West ties the company to the building until 2032.

Other tenants at the 16-story office building include weight loss startup Noom and JPMorgan Chase, which opted to triple its space at the property back in 2017. Whole Foods also leases 60,000 square feet of retail space at the property, at 450 West 33rd Street.

In January, Manhattan office leasing jumped 24 percent from the previous month, according to Colliers, as tenants signed deals for 3.6 million square feet. Related Companies’ 30 Hudson Yards — a stone’s throw from 5 Manhattan West — landed the two largest deals of the month with investment firm Stonepeak inking a 149,000-square-foot lease and Visa taking 146,000 square feet.

— Holden Walter-Warner