The Meatpacking District is getting another techie tenant.
Web design firm Wix has leased retail space in the posh Manhattan neighborhood as a showcase for its own offices — joining Samsung, Palantir, Live Nation, Google, Alibaba and soon, Yext.
Situated directly across from the Whitney Museum of American Art at 100 Gansevoort St., Wix’s 15,784 square feet on the ground floor wrap around the corner of the landmarked building onto Tenth Avenue, and overlooks the West Side Highway and Hudson River.
“A lot of our users enjoy going to the museum,” says Joe Pollaro, general manager of US operations for Wix. “Our [JLL] broker team came up with this idea … as we can really use it as a showcase for our brand.”
Wix was represented by Michael Berg of JLL. “He really knew what we are going for, and the team really understood the brand vision,” said Pollaro. “Part of our strategic vision is in really penetrating the professional and designer market. This building signifies us planting our flag in New York and makes it known that New York is a key location for us.”
The new office is at the base of a TF Cornerstone apartment building and has its lobby at 95 Horatio St.
Steve Gonzalez of TF Cornerstone represented the building, which has stores that include Intermix and Christian Louboutin.
Asking rents were not available but, according to the Real Estate Board of New York’s fall retail report, nearby West 14th Street has retail asking rents of $345 per square foot, but some streets are higher.
Similarly, many office rents in the area are now more than $100 a square foot and nearing $200.
In New York, Wix first opened a small office at 235 W. 23rd St. that included a free co-working facility for its users. Most recently, it has been operating out of a WeWork.
A key element is that it was large enough to host the Wix Design Playground. This is a free, three-month summer design academy where participants also partner with local nonprofits to create a free website design, said Sara Parker, vice president of communications for Wix. “It’s one of the best parts of the curriculum,” she said.
Along with housing its sales, product and marketing teams plus HR and operations, the office has plenty of space for classes, events and Wix Partner programs.
Architect ShaGa Studio is designing the space. “It was designed so it looks great from the outside and will be an eye-catching place for our brand,” adds Pollaro.
