Manhattan real estate is weird. You walk past a building a thousand times and never realize it’s basically a massive engine for the city's tech and media economy. That is 440 9th Ave. It’s sitting right there on the corner of 35th Street, looking like a classic piece of New York history, but the guts of it are surprisingly modern. Honestly, if you’re looking at the Far West Side, everyone talks about the shiny glass towers of Hudson Yards, but buildings like 440 9th Ave—often called the Hudson Spire or the David Stott Building in a former life—are where the actual grit of Midtown West business happens.
It’s an 18-story powerhouse.
When you think about 440 9th Ave New York NY, you have to think about transition. It was built back in 1927. Imagine the city then. The Garment District was the world's heartbeat. This building wasn't for software engineers; it was for the people who made the literal fabric of the city. Fast forward nearly a century, and it’s been gut-renovated to handle the kind of power loads and fiber optics that would have seemed like science fiction to the original architects.
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The Evolution of 440 9th Ave
Covivio, the European real estate giant, owns this place now. They picked it up from Taconic Investment Partners and Nuveen Real Estate back in 2019 for about $430 million. That was a massive bet on the West Side. At the time, people were wondering if the area could sustain the hype. Then, the whole world changed in 2020, yet 440 9th Ave held its ground. Why? Because you can’t easily replicate 411,000 square feet of office space that has high ceilings and the kind of "industrial-chic" vibe that tech companies drool over.
The renovation was intense. They didn't just paint the walls. We’re talking about a brand-new lobby, upgraded elevators, and a massive HVAC overhaul. They even added a rooftop terrace because, let’s be real, if you’re paying Manhattan rents, you want to see the skyline while you eat your salad.
Who is actually inside 440 9th Ave?
It’s a mix. B&H Photo Video has a huge presence here. If you’ve ever bought a camera in New York, you know B&H is an institution. They use a significant chunk of the building for their corporate operations. But it's not just them. You’ve got fashion brands, tech startups, and media firms.
One of the big wins for the building was snagging Medidata Solutions. They took over a massive footprint—nearly 100,000 square feet. That was a signal. When a life sciences tech company moves in, it tells the market that the infrastructure is solid. You can't run clinical trial software on a shaky electrical grid.
Small businesses are in there too. It's not just the giants. The floor plates are flexible. You can have a 25,000-square-foot headquarters or a smaller satellite office. That’s the secret sauce of these older "side-street" towers. They offer a scale that the new Hudson Yards skyscrapers sometimes struggle with because those new builds are often looking for the "10 floors or nothing" kind of tenants.
Location is everything, but connectivity is more
You’re basically a stone’s throw from Penn Station. If you have employees coming in from Long Island or New Jersey, 440 9th Ave is a dream commute. No subway transfer needed. You just walk a few blocks west and you're at your desk.
But let's talk about the tech.
The building is WiredScore Gold certified. If you aren't in real estate, that sounds like jargon. Basically, it means the internet won't die. It has multiple fiber providers and redundant power systems. In the modern economy, five minutes of downtime is a disaster. 440 9th Ave was engineered to prevent that.
The Hudson Yards Effect
Is it part of Hudson Yards? Not officially. But it's "Hudson Yards adjacent," which is a fancy way for brokers to say "it's cheaper than the glass towers but close enough to walk to the high-end mall for lunch."
Being on 9th Avenue puts it in a prime spot for the "after-work" culture. You have the High Line nearby. You have some of the best food in the city just a few blocks north in Hell’s Kitchen. The area used to be a bit "raw," let's say. Now? It’s polished. You see people in Patagonia vests and expensive sneakers everywhere.
The competition is fierce. With Manhattan office vacancy rates being a hot topic in the news, buildings have to work harder. 440 9th Ave leans into its history. It’s got those big windows that let in actual sunlight—not that weird filtered blue light you get in some modern offices. The brickwork has character. People actually like working in buildings that feel like they have a soul.
What people get wrong about the Far West Side
Some folks think that everything west of 8th Avenue is a corporate wasteland. Totally wrong. 440 9th Ave is part of a living, breathing neighborhood. You’ve got the Moynihan Train Hall right there, which is honestly one of the most beautiful public spaces built in New York in decades.
The building is also sustainable. Or at least, as sustainable as a 1920s skyscraper can be. They’ve gone through the LEED certification process. In 2026, you can't just be a "cool old building." You have to meet carbon emission standards or the city will fine you into oblivion. Covivio has been pretty proactive about this, ensuring the building stays compliant with Local Law 97.
Facts at a glance:
- Address: 440 Ninth Avenue, New York, NY 10001
- Total Square Footage: Approximately 411,000 sq. ft.
- Built: 1927
- Major Renovation: Completed around 2018-2019
- Ownership: Covivio (purchased from Taconic/Nuveen)
- Primary Tenants: B&H Photo, Medidata, various media/tech firms
Why the rent is actually worth it
You might see the price per square foot and wince. Manhattan isn't cheap. But 440 9th Ave offers something called "efficiency." Because the floor plates are relatively square, you don't lose a lot of space to weird corners or massive elevator banks in the middle of the room. Every square foot you pay for, you can actually use.
Also, the ceiling heights are a game-changer. Most modern buildings have dropped ceilings for wires. 440 9th Ave keeps it open. It feels bigger than it is. If you're a creative agency or a startup trying to recruit Gen Z talent, the "vibe" of the office matters more than you’d think. Nobody wants to work in a cubicle farm with fluorescent lights anymore.
Real world logistics
If you're visiting or working there, the 9th Avenue entrance is the main hub. It’s secure. They’ve got 24/7 lobby attendance. It’s the kind of place where the security guys actually know the regulars.
The neighborhood can be chaotic. It’s Midtown. There are trucks, tourists, and the general hum of 9th Avenue. But once you step inside, the soundproofing is surprisingly good. The heavy masonry of those 1920s buildings does a lot more for acoustics than the thin glass of the 2020s.
The Future of 440 9th Ave
Real estate is a long game. Covivio didn't buy this to flip it in two years. They are banking on the continued westward expansion of Manhattan’s business core. As Chelsea and Hudson Yards merge into one giant tech corridor, 440 9th Ave sits right at the intersection.
There's talk about more retail on the ground floor. Right now, it’s mostly corporate, but the street-level potential is huge. Imagine more high-end coffee or specialized fitness studios catering to the thousands of people working upstairs.
Actionable Steps for Business Owners
If you are considering 440 9th Ave for your company, here is what you need to do.
First, check the sub-lease market. Sometimes larger tenants like Medidata or B&H have "excess" space they are looking to offload at a discount. It’s a great way to get into a Class A building without the Class A price tag.
Second, tour it at 4:00 PM. Don't go at 10:00 AM when it's quiet. See how the elevators handle the "end of day" rush. See what the light looks like when the sun starts to dip behind the Hudson River.
Third, look at the fiber maps. Ask the building manager for the specific ISP entry points. If you’re in high-frequency trading or heavy video rendering, you need to know exactly which pipes are coming into your suite.
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Lastly, talk to the neighbors. B&H has been in that neighborhood forever. They know the literal underground of the West Side. If a building is good enough for a massive logistics and retail operation like theirs, it’s probably solid enough for your headquarters.
440 9th Ave isn't just a coordinates on a map. It’s a testament to how New York reinvents itself. It took the bones of the industrial age and stuffed them with the brains of the digital age. It’s not the flashiest building in the city, but it’s one of the most functional. And in New York, functionality is the ultimate luxury.