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ince 2007, GFI Group has occupied 55 Water St. and is now more than doubling its footprint there. The company will add 64,993 square feet and extend its lease on an additional 63,756 square feet. The 1972‑built tower commands a rent of $59 per square foot, a rate that reflects the premium over Midtown and World Trade Center prices. This expansion consolidates GFI’s former 70,000‑square‑foot space at 199 Water St. The lease, the largest direct commitment in the district since August 2023, was brokered by CBRE’s New Water Street team—led by Howard Fiddle, Brad Gerla, Evan Haskell and William Hooks—while Newmark’s Jared Horowitz and Hall Stein represented GFI. The 4‑million‑square‑foot tower, which had 200,000 square feet leased earlier this year, now has 436,000 square feet of space still available, including a sizable 330,000‑square‑foot block. Gerla praised the deal as a significant win for the building and the submarket, noting that downtown is on track for its highest leasing volume since 2019.

    Meanwhile, law firm Rottenstreich Farley Bronstein Fisher Potter & Hodas moved 18,820 square feet from a sublease to direct tenancy at SL Green’s 500 Park Avenue. Managing partner Dan Rottenstreich said the building’s distinctive character and location make it feel more like a home than a typical office. 500 Park Avenue offers 201,000 square feet of upscale office and retail space, with tenants such as Vera Wang, Tom Ford Fashion and The Georgetown Company. The property is 90.1% occupied, with asking rents of $120 per square foot.