Amazon signed a lease for 470,000 square feet of space in this Manhattan building at 7 West 34th Street. Photo via Google Street View.
Amazon signed a lease for 470,000 square feet of space in this Manhattan building at 7 West 34th Street. Photo via Google Street View.

Amazon has inked a 17-year lease for a 470,000 square-foot space in midtown Manhattan.

Vornado Realty Trust, which owns the property across from the Empire State Building at 7 West 34th Street, confirmed the deal today.

amazonprimeThis follows a Wall Street Journal report from October, which noted Amazon’s interest in opening a physical store inside the 12-story building at 7 West 34th Street. The space was once home to an Ohrbach’s department store and the Journal reported that it will also serve as a pick-up location for people to grab their Amazon packages, as well as a distribution center for same-day delivery of a limited selection of items.

However, The Digital Reader reports that the building will not be used for retail, instead serving as the company’s New York City offices.

(Update: 4:45 p.m. — In a statement, Amazon said that “we have leased this building primarily as corporate office space and we intend to sublease to other tenants the ground floor retail space.”)

It’s unclear how much of the building Amazon is leasing, but based on Vornado’s description, it seems like all 12 floors will be used by Amazon. Here’s how Vornado describes the space:

Vornado Realty Trust is in the process of converting 7 West 34th Street into a fully modernized headquarters building. Originally built as a department store, the property offers expansive floorplates with generous ceiling heights and natural light allowing for both efficient and dramatic design for office tenants in New York City.

The building will be transformed into a 24/7 “live-work-play” destination based on its unique location, linking the best transportation corridor in New York City, the commercial district of midtown, and the upscale modern nightlife and dining amenities of the popular Midtown South district.

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 4:45 p.m. with comment from Amazon.

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