Manhattan, NY RFR sold 522 Fifth Ave., the 23-story, 600,00 s/f class A office building located at the southwest corner of Fifth Ave. and West 44th St., to an owner-occupier.
RFR acquired 522 Fifth Ave. from Morgan Stanley in 2020. The firm then developed a comprehensive repositioning plan, including the acquisition of the retail condominium to consolidate the building and redevelop the lobby, enlarging the building’s windows and activating over 17,000 s/f of outdoor space, along with other targeted improvements. Built in 1896, the property served as headquarters for JP Morgan and then Morgan Stanley. The property is located near Grand Central and Bryant Park.
New York tri-state multifamily investors are increasingly reallocating capital to less-regulated markets across the U.S. as rent control and legislative risk erode returns at home. With over 60% of New York City’s rental housing stock classified as rent-stabilized, the traditional value-add model — buying under-performing buildings,