Ralph Lauren is quietly bulking up its Chelsea footprint again, tacking on about 22,000 square feet of office space at RXR’s Starrett‑Lehigh Building and nudging its presence in the West Side landmark to roughly 280,000 square feet. The new block of space stretches across a cluster of mid‑building floors on a multiyear term, signaling a small but notable pivot after years of slimming down its Manhattan offices. For local brokers, the move is one more data point that heavily amenitized, trophy‑style buildings can still lure marquee tenants even as many companies stay picky about where they sign.
As reported by CoStar, the fashion house added roughly 22,000 square feet at 601 W. 26th St. this week. The New York Business Journal reports the expansion brings Ralph Lauren’s total occupied space at Starrett‑Lehigh to about 280,000 square feet.
Where the new space sits and how long the deal runs
According to Bisnow, the fresh square footage will cover part of the second‑floor mezzanine along with portions of the fifth, sixth and seventh floors, on a lease term of roughly 13 years. The outlet names CBRE’s Eric Deutsch as the tenant broker, while RXR in‑house leasing executives Daniel Birney and Denise Rivera represented the landlord.
A modest rebound after a big pullback
Ralph Lauren has seen its footprint at Starrett‑Lehigh swing sharply over the last decade. The company once went on an expansion tear at the property, and in 2018 the company added about 350,000 square feet, bringing its presence there to nearly 450,000 square feet, according to Commercial Observer. The brand later trimmed that space. The Real Deal reported a 2023 renewal for roughly 250,000 square feet, so the latest 22,000‑square‑foot add looks more like a careful reconsolidation than a return to its former near‑half‑million‑square‑foot sprawl.
Why landlords say Starrett‑Lehigh still punches above its weight
RXR has been working to keep 601 W. 26th St. in the “must‑see” column for creative tenants, refreshing the property with new amenities and communal areas pitched squarely at fashion, media and design firms, according to the building’s leasing materials. Starrett‑Lehigh marketing highlights an indoor culinary collective, upgraded fitness options and terrace and event space that ownership says help retain large, campus‑style occupiers that might otherwise scatter across the city.
What the move signals for Ralph Lauren and Chelsea
For Ralph Lauren, the extra space lines up with a strategy built around scaling in key cities and building out its broader consumer ecosystem, as described in its investor materials. Ralph Lauren characterizes the plan as continued investment in city hubs even while the company tightens its belt elsewhere. On the ground in Manhattan, brokers see the latest Starrett‑Lehigh add as one more sign that the right mix of amenities, branding and deal terms can coax legacy names to take back at least a bit more office space in a still‑shaky market.
