By Sarah Trefethen
MKF Group has tapped Murray Hill Properties as the leasing agent for the former H&H Bagel Factory on 46th Street, across West Side Highway from the Intrepid Air and Space Museum.
The two-story, 25,000 s/f commercial building offers flexible floor plates and easy highway access that could suit a wide range of uses, from a combined distribution center and retail space to an entertainment venue, said Jesse Rubens, a senior executive at Murray Hill.
“There’s a lot of commodity office space in midtown, but there’s not a lot of flex space, let’s call it, where you can have a combination of retail, maybe a distribution component a delivery component – where you need fast in and out curb cuts onto the highway,” he said, adding later, “For someone who wants an entertainment venue, we have this terrific roof deck with views of the Hudson.”
Planned renovations include new windows, an updated facade and new elevators and bathrooms, Rubens said. The asking rent is in the mid-40s psf, he said, with the expectation that the tenant will take over most daily operations of the building.
Rubens lead the leasing team that brought together Hewlett-Packard and the Chelsea Art Building last year. That was a similarly open-ended space, he said, and they entertained diverse range of potential tenants in both entertainment and retail before striking the deal with HP.
“We’re seeing a groundswell of these distinct and unusual uses,” Rubens said.
In addition to proximity to the Intrepid, the building is located north of the planned Hudson Yards development and near the path of the city’ planned expansion of the number 7 subway line.
“The far West Side is the last frontier of this city, and it’s coming — it’s coming hard and it’s coming fast,” Rubens said.
