The car-hailing app Uber will soon base some of its employees in Long Island City.
The company that has been clashing with the Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) and Mayor Bill de Blasio over its operations will move into the Falchi building, one floor below the TLC’s third floor office.
Uber announced on Friday that it will be leasing the second floor of the Long Island City retail space, a total of 20,000 square feet, for 10 years. In November, the TLC will move into a 70,000-square-foot space on the third floor. Rental rates at the Falchi building, which is owned by Jamestown, run in the $40s per square foot.
According to Crain’s, which first reported the story, a leasing team from Cushman & Wakefield and JRT Realty Group represented Jamestown in the deal, while JLL represented Uber.
The Falchi building seems to be a popular site for car services. Last year, Uber’s competitor Lyft signed a 5,000-square-foot lease. The livery service has received criticism from Mayor de Blasio for causing congestion but that has not stopped its widespread growth. With an estimated worth of $51 billion, the company added 20,000 drivers last year.
The Falchi building is home to an eclectic mix of stores including Doughnut Plant and Stolle, a Russian bakery whose first U.S. outpost opened in the Long Island City building this summer.
