Walk down the intersection of Lafayette and Broome and you'll see it. It’s that massive, seven-story brick beauty that feels like it’s been there forever. Because it has. 200 Lafayette Street isn't just another expensive piece of Manhattan real estate; it's a living timeline of how New York City shifted from a manufacturing hub to a digital powerhouse. Honestly, if these walls could talk, they’d probably start by complaining about the smell of machine oil before pivoting to talk about venture capital and open-floor plans.
Most people walk past it without a second thought. They see the clean glass and the historic facade and assume it's just another office building. But the story of 200 Lafayette Street is actually the story of how SoHo survived. It’s about a building that was nearly obsolete, then became the most coveted address in the city, and finally served as the launching pad for one of the biggest yogurt empires in history.
It’s a weirdly perfect example of "adaptive reuse." That’s a fancy real estate term, but basically, it means taking something old and making it work for the modern world without tearing it down.
The Industrial Roots of 200 Lafayette Street
Back in the late 19th century, this area wasn't for shopping or high-end lofts. It was grit. Built around 1893 to 1895, the building was designed by the architectural firm of Clinton & Russell. These guys were the heavy hitters of their day—the same team behind the Hudson Terminal buildings. They built 200 Lafayette as a powerhouse for light manufacturing.
Think high ceilings. Huge windows. Massive floor plates.
These weren't aesthetic choices back then. They were functional. You needed the high ceilings for the machinery and the big windows because electric lighting was still kind of a luxury. For decades, the building hummed with the sound of garment workers and small-scale industrial operations. It was part of the "Cast Iron District" vibe, even though this specific building leans more toward the Renaissance Revival style with its brick and terra cotta.
But as manufacturing left the city, these buildings became white elephants. They were too big to be small shops and too "industrial" to be fancy offices. For a long time, 200 Lafayette was just... there. It was functional, but it wasn't special. Not yet.
The Jared Kushner Era and the $150 Million Flip
The real turning point for 200 Lafayette Street happened around 2011. This is where the business side gets really interesting and a little bit cutthroat.
A partnership between Kushner Companies (led by Jared Kushner at the time) and CIM Group bought the building for about $50 million. At the time, that seemed like a lot for a building that was mostly empty and needed a massive overhaul. People thought they were overpaying. They weren't.
They poured about $30 million into a gut renovation. They didn't just slap on a coat of paint. They ripped out the old guts, modernized the elevators, and created the kind of "Class A" office space that tech companies drool over. They kept the soul—the brick, the light—but added the tech-ready infrastructure.
The gamble paid off spectacularly. In 2013, just a couple of years after buying it, they sold the building to SJP Properties and Aetna for a staggering $150 million.
Triple your money in two years? That’s not just luck. It was a signal that SoHo was no longer just a place for artists or tourists; it was a legitimate corporate headquarters destination. The building became a trophy asset. It proved that if you renovate these old skeletons correctly, the biggest companies in the world will line up to pay premium rents.
Why Chobani Picked This Spot
If you want to know what 200 Lafayette Street represents today, you have to look at its most famous tenant: Chobani.
When Hamdi Ulukaya was looking for a global headquarters for his yogurt empire, he didn't want a boring glass tower in Midtown. He wanted something that felt authentic. Chobani took over nearly the entire building—about 97,000 square feet.
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It was a statement move.
By placing their HQ at 200 Lafayette Street, Chobani wasn't just buying office space; they were buying a brand identity. The building's mix of "old world" craftsmanship and "new world" tech capability mirrored the company's own story. Inside, the space is legendary in the design world. It features a test kitchen, massive communal areas, and a rooftop terrace that makes every other office in Manhattan look like a cubicle farm.
Other tenants have cycled through, including companies like Lazarus and various tech startups, but Chobani remains the anchor. They basically turned the building into a vertical campus.
The Architectural Nuance
It's worth geek-ing out for a second on the actual architecture. Clinton & Russell used a "U-shaped" footprint for the building. This was brilliant because it allowed light to hit the center of the floors. In a city where buildings are usually crammed together, 200 Lafayette feels airy.
- Floor plates: Roughly 15,000 to 16,000 square feet each.
- The Windows: Over-sized wood-framed windows that actually open.
- The Facade: Ornate terra cotta details that you just don't see on modern glass boxes.
What Most People Get Wrong About SoHo Real Estate
There’s this common myth that buildings like 200 Lafayette Street are just "luxury" shells. People think they’ve lost their history. But honestly? The renovation of 200 Lafayette actually saved the building's historical integrity.
Before the 2012 renovation, the building was deteriorating. The masonry was crumbling. The internal systems were fire hazards. By investing $30 million into the "bones," the developers ensured the building would stand for another 100 years. It’s a weird paradox: to save a historic building in New York, you often have to make it incredibly expensive.
Another misconception is that it’s just a "Chobani building." While they are the primary face of the property, the building has served as a flex space for several high-growth firms. It’s a bellwether for the "TAMI" sector (Technology, Advertising, Media, and Information). When 200 Lafayette is full, the NYC economy is usually doing pretty well.
The Logistics of 200 Lafayette: What You Need to Know
If you’re a business owner or a real estate geek looking at this property, there are some practical realities to consider.
First, the location is a double-edged sword. You're right on the edge of SoHo and Little Italy. You have the N, R, W, 6, J, and Z trains all within a five-minute walk. It’s a commuter’s dream. But—and this is a big but—the foot traffic is insane. During the weekends, Lafayette Street becomes a parking lot for tourists.
Second, the "open plan" nature of the building is its biggest selling point. Because it was originally a factory, there aren't many load-bearing walls cluttering up the middle of the floors. This allows for the "collaborative" layouts that modern companies love. However, the acoustics in these old brick buildings can be a nightmare. If you don't invest in serious sound-dampening tech, a single conversation in the kitchen sounds like a riot in the conference room.
Why This Building Still Matters in 2026
We're in a weird era for office space. Remote work changed everything. A lot of Midtown towers are sitting half-empty, looking a bit sad.
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But 200 Lafayette Street is different.
Why? Because it’s an "experience" building. People don't want to go to a cubicle in a fluorescent-lit basement. They want to go to a place that feels like New York. They want the high ceilings, the history, and the rooftop views of the Freedom Tower and the Empire State Building.
The building's valuation has fluctuated with the market, but its cultural value has only gone up. It represents the successful transition of New York from a city that makes things to a city that brands things.
Actionable Takeaways for Real Estate Enthusiasts and Professionals
If you’re looking at 200 Lafayette Street as a case study, here’s the "cheat sheet" of why it worked:
- Preservation is Profit: Don't gut the character. The brick and the U-shaped layout are why Chobani paid the rent they did.
- Corner Assets Rule: Being on the corner of Lafayette and Broome provides double the light and double the visibility. Always prioritize corner lots in urban environments.
- Infrastructure Over Aesthetics: The 2012 renovation succeeded because they upgraded the HVAC and data systems first, and the "pretty" stuff second. A tech company won't rent a beautiful building if the Wi-Fi drops every ten minutes.
- Target the "Anchor": Securing a single, high-profile tenant for the majority of the square footage (like Chobani) stabilizes the asset in a way that ten small tenants never can.
If you ever find yourself in SoHo, take a second. Stand on the corner across from 200 Lafayette. Look at the way the sun hits that red brick. It’s a reminder that New York doesn't really "replace" its past—it just builds on top of it, usually with a much higher price tag.
To truly understand the value of this property, you should look into the specific zoning laws of the SoHo-NoHo neighborhood. The recent rezoning efforts in 2021 and 2022 have significantly impacted how these historic buildings can be used, potentially opening up more residential opportunities in buildings that were previously "manufacturing only." If you're tracking the future of 200 Lafayette, keep an eye on whether it ever explores a partial residential conversion—though, with Chobani still firmly planted, that's likely a long way off.
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For those interested in the architectural specifics, researching the original 1890s blueprints at the NYC Department of Buildings reveals just how much of the original structural timber was replaced with steel during the various 20th-century retrofits. It's a hybrid of three centuries of engineering.
The next time you grab a yogurt, think of the seven stories of brick and steel on Lafayette Street that helped build that brand. It's a lot more than just an office building; it's the blueprint for the modern New York workspace.