Global insurance broker Howden has locked in a full-floor perch above Times Square, signing a lease for the entire 53rd floor at One Five One, the Durst Organization’s tower at 151 West 42nd Street. The deal covers roughly 31,500 square feet on a reported 10-year term and will relocate Howden from its current Midtown offices, adding one more full-floor commitment to a building that keeps drawing tenants hunting for upgraded, amenity-heavy space.
According to Commercial Observer, the lease runs for 10 years and spans about 31,519 square feet across the entire 53rd floor. Michael Landa, vice chairman of Howden U.S., said the new offices “reflect our ambition to create beautiful, welcoming spaces where collaboration and creativity flourish,” per that reporting and the landlord’s statement.
Why One Five One drew Howden
The Durst Organization recently wrapped a multi‑year capital program at One Five One, upgrading the lobby, elevator systems and base building infrastructure, and adding a large tenant amenity floor under its Well& brand. The landlord says those improvements help the tower compete with much newer Midtown product. The property clocks in at roughly 1.8 million square feet and sits just steps from Bryant Park and major transit hubs, according to the Durst Organization’s building materials.
What the lease signals for Midtown
The Howden deal lands at a time when the best-located, well‑amenitized office blocks are still capturing most of the leasing action in Manhattan. Midtown asking rents averaged about $59.62 per square foot in the first quarter of 2026, according to a CBRE snapshot cited by Commercial Observer, a reminder that upgraded space continues to command attention in a choppy market.
Colliers represented Howden in the transaction, while the Durst Organization handled leasing internally, according to the New York Business Journal. Howden’s U.S. operations currently list a Midtown address at 1350 Avenue of the Americas in company filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and SEC documents show the firm’s U.S. contact information at that location.
Move-in timing for the One Five One space has not been disclosed, but the lease adds another major tenant to a tower that has been steadily refilling since its renovation. For Midtown landlords and blue-chip tenants alike, the deal is one more data point suggesting that central location and freshened, service-rich buildings remain key to landing long, direct commitments from global finance and insurance players.
