UN Population Fund Reduces Its Office Footprint in Midtown

The United Nations Population Fund (UNPF) is executing an ongoing space consolidation plan by relocating its office from 605 Third Ave. to 730 Third Ave. in Midtown East. This move will drastically reduce the organization’s total office space in Manhattan as it cuts its current allocation of 130,000 square feet at its premises at 605 Third Ave. by more than half.

The UNPF will occupy 59,166 square feet across the 13th, 14th and 15th floors of the new building. Details of the UNPF lease, including duration and broker identity, remain unclear as Nuveen Real Estate, the building’s owner, declined to comment on the deal specifics.

The building at 730 Third Ave. is a 28-story, 701,722-square-foot structure that was completed in 1957 and later underwent a $120 million renovation led by Gensler in 2021 and advised by Taconic Partners. Tenants such as flexible workspace provider Industrious; law firm Goulston & Storrs; and financial services company CBIZ currently occupy space there. The building’s amenities include a double-height lobby; an 8,000-square-foot fitness center; a 6,000-square-foot sky lounge; in-house catering; a golf simulator lounge; and a bike room accommodating 49 bikes. TIAA has been headquartered in the building since its unveiling.

This downsizing by the UNPF follows a June announcement that the organization had consolidated operations split between 1 and 2 United Nations Plaza into the latter facility. The need for less space stems from two factors — more agency employees working from home and the relocation of some staff to Nairobi, Kenya, according to agency representative Anna Jefferys. This reduction is also part of a broader trend as the U.N. has remarkably reduced its leased footprint in the city by half in the last decade and is seeking to cut an additional 1,100 employees from its New York payroll.