Vornado Realty Trust landed the biggest fish of all in its quest to make its Penn District a culinary mecca.
The immensely popular Greek seafood restaurant Avra Estiatorio has just signed a lease for a Homeric-scale eatery in the landmarked Farley Building at Ninth Avenue and West 33rd Street — a potentially transformative step in the Penn District’s evolution into a first-class office-and-recreation destination.
The new eatery marks a stunning expansion for Avra Group owners Nick Tsoulos and Nick Pashalis, who own three other thriving Avras in Manhattan. It’s also a giant leap for Vornado’s ambitions in the West 30s near Penn Station and Madison Square Garden, where “seafood” once meant Arthur Treacher’s Fish & Chips.
Vornado chairman Steve Roth knew his Penn District properties needed a food-driven component to lure office workers and to compete with neighboring Manhattan West and Hudson Yards, both of which have top-tier dining destinations.
The new Avra, to open next year, will boast 20,000 square feet, including more than 6,000 square feet of outdoor space at the Farley Building’s northwest corner. It will be designed by Shawn Sullivan, a partner in Rockwell Group which also designed always-buzzing Avra Madison on East 60th Street — a favorite as much for its open sightlines that make for great people-watching as for its sparkling-fresh piscines.
Vornado executive vice-president Ed Hogan said, “The location demands nothing short of the best possible experience from globally respected restaurateurs. We’re confident Avra will exemplify the standards of the Penn District.”
Avra will be adjacent to Meta’s 730,000 square-foot campus in the Farley Building, which it leases from Vornado. The building is also home to Moynihan Food Hall, where Vornado has 120,000 square feet of stores and restaurants.
Roth’s commitment to dining in the Penn District includes Blue Ribbon Sushi & Steak, Bar Primi and Roberta’s Pizza at neighboring office building Penn 1 and, soon, a new “concept” at Penn 2 from Cafe Chelsea creators Sunday Hospitality.
Vornado’s Penn District holdings between Sixth and Ninth Avenues comprise 10 million square feet. Vornado has invested over $2 billion in the area, including a $450 million redesign of Penn 1, the tower previously known as Penn Plaza.
The capital upgrades helped lure more than 700,000 square feet of new office leases.
Vornado also created new pedestrian plazas and other public amenities in the district, which has easy access to Amtrak, 15 subway lines, the LIRR, NJTransit and PATH.
Roth’s publicly traded giant recently demolished the Pennsylvania Hotel, where Vornado hopes one day to put up a supertall skyscraper. Until then, Vornado’s entertaining several interim ideas for the site, including outdoor tennis and pickleball courts as The Post reported last week.
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