In the New York office market, the quality of the occupier experience is increasingly taking centre stage in successful letting strategies. Discerning office users now demand working environments that extend far beyond functional space. High-calibre service offerings, outdoor areas and a vibrant environment that assists companies in recruitment and staff retention are in strong demand. Developer Global Holdings is implementing this approach across its approximately 500,000-square-foot property 25 Kent in the Williamsburg neighbourhood.
As Chris Roth, Chief Operating Officer at Global Holdings, explained in an interview, the property's occupancy rate stood at 48 per cent when the firm took it over. The leasing level has since risen to 72 per cent, while contract negotiations are already underway for the remaining vacant space. The tenant roster comprises growing companies from technology, the creative industries, artificial intelligence and healthcare.
Hotel standards as a differentiator
The strategic direction draws on the firm's in-house hospitality platform Lore Group, which operates international hotels such as Sea Containers in London, the Pulitzer Amsterdam and the Riggs Washington DC. Global Holdings transfers these service standards to its commercial portfolio. Roth stressed that landlords must now create differentiated working environments to give employees a compelling reason to travel to the office. The overall concept therefore focuses on comfort, sophisticated design and communal amenity areas.
Architectural features of 25 Kent include outdoor spaces on every floor and a 12,000-square-foot roof terrace overlooking the Manhattan skyline. The property is further complemented by a fitness and wellness centre, meditation rooms, a climbing wall, an e-scooter hire scheme, an underground car park with 275 spaces, and parking for 150 bicycles.
- —Integrated tenant app for coordinating services and monthly events
- —Ground-floor retail space integrating the scheme into the neighbourhood
- —Exclusive communal lounges with a coffee bar, meeting rooms and leisure facilities
- —Modular leasing models for expanding companies
Flexible space configurations for growing businesses
To cater to the fast-paced cycles of modern firms, the building offers pre-built suites ranging between 3,000 and 11,000 square feet. Expanding tenants can adapt their space requirements flexibly: starting with co-working provider Mindspace, companies have the option to transition incrementally into larger units, up to 25,000-square-foot shell-and-core space, without having to leave the building.
With many professionals from the creative and tech scenes residing directly in Williamsburg, the quality of the location represents a decisive advantage in the competition for qualified staff, according to Roth. The working environment also serves occupiers as a vital medium to communicate their corporate culture.
