Google has just confirmed its long-rumored purchase of Manhattan’s Chelsea Market building for $2.4 billion — all in all not a bad price, given that a one-bedroom on the West Side is going for around $2.3 billon these days (granted, that’s a rough estimate from someone who lives in Queens).
It’s a prime bit of real estate in one of New York’s hippest areas, and just a couple of blocks away from the company’s current Manhattan headquarters on 111 8th Ave.
Google’s been slowing trickling over into the space already, moving a few of its New York employees over to rented offices. Along with a smattering of Google employees, the 1.2 million-square-foot building also houses Major League Baseball and the Food Network, along with one of Manhattan’s most beloved and heavily trafficked food courts.
The company’s not revealing specifics on its timeframe for moving the whole of its offices into the space, but noted in a post, “With our purchase of the building, we’ve agreed to work together with Jamestown [Properties] to ensure a smooth transition with little or no impact to the community and tenants of the building.”
How that will impact the likes of MLB remains to be seen, but from the sound it, the food hall will remain intact for the time being. Likely Google will keep it mostly as it, given that it’s a big part of both the building and surrounding neighborhood’s appeal. Even if it can’t really compete with Google’s own cafeteria.