MISSION:
BUILD A PROPOSED
ECONOMIC PLATFORM
TO HELP MAKE FIDI
A MODEL DISTRICT
FOR THE FUTURE
SUMMARY:
Invent City is a proposed economic development platform for New York City’s Financial District (FiDi). It would build a global urban solutions industrial cluster around the forces reshaping cities: demographic change, the climate crisis, and the rapid rise of AI and robotics.
The cluster would be anchored by an urban Trade Mart filled with immersive showrooms. Together, the FiDi cluster, Trade Mart, showrooms, events, media, and digital channels would reduce friction, increase visibility, accelerate adoption, and create measurable economic value for New York City.
MODELED RESULTS:
- $4 billion in annual economic activity
- 15,000 jobs
- $380 million in annual tax revenues
STRATEGY:
LEAD WITH ECONOMICS,
USE PROVEN MODELS,
ACTIVATE WHAT EXISTS,
SCALE WITH AI
Economics is the fastest path to scale the urban solutions cities need now. Invent City starts from a simple premise: the cost of inaction is now higher than the cost of action. The goal is to build a marketing engine that moves critical urban solutions faster from idea to sale, deployment, and measurable impact — from water-stressed Cape Town to flood-exposed Jakarta and New York.
For investors, cities are a . More than half the world already lives in cities, and the urban share is projected to reach about 68% by 2050. Capturing this opportunity means understanding the reshaping urban life, public spending, and private investment: AI and robotics, climate risk, and demographic change.
Winning this market requires precision. The decide what gets funded, approved, procured, operated, trusted, and scaled. means better quality of life, stronger assets, more jobs, growing businesses, deeper local economies, and a larger tax base. The will turn stakeholder needs, barriers, budgets, and priorities into market intelligence — helping Invent City assemble the right companies, capital, and A/E partners to deliver at scale.
The Potsdam Institute estimates climate damages could cost the global economy about $38 trillion annually by 2050, while the urban-solutions markets Invent City targets could exceed $43 trillion in annual revenue by mid-century.
Demographics
Urban growth is expanding demand for housing, mobility, services, and infrastructure.
Rising Urban Populations
Growth in Developing Cities
AI impact
AI is reshaping city systems, improving performance while raising new risks and governance questions.
AI Spendingby Area
Immediate potential of AI in NYC
Environmentals
Heat, flooding, and climate stress are driving demand for more resilient urban systems.
Sea Level Rise
Rising Temperatures
An is a concentrated marketplace where companies, buyers, talent, capital, suppliers, and institutions move faster together. London and finance, Napa and wine, and New York and advertising show the model. Invent City applies that logic to urban solutions: a focused ecosystem for the products, services, systems, and capital cities need next.
The are practical: faster innovation, stronger sales, more investment, new business formation, and greater demand for companies in the cluster. The include companies, investors, agencies, operators, project teams, researchers, institutions, and other partners that shape urban demand.
Invent City targets segments driven by urgent city-scale needs: water stress in Cape Town, Phoenix, and Las Vegas; sea-level rise, flooding, and subsidence in Jakarta, Miami, and New York; and extreme heat in Karachi, Basra, and Delhi. These are also opportunities because the problems are critical, expensive, and often existential. Climate risk is now a market, infrastructure, insurance, public-health, and quality-of-life issue — and cities need scalable solutions now.
Invent City will anchor the urban cluster with an Urban Trade Mart: a year-round marketplace built from FiDi’s vacant office, retail, and underused urban assets. The Mart will give urban-solution companies a permanent New York platform to demonstrate products, launch pilots, meet buyers, secure financing, and move faster from visibility to sales, adoption, and deployment.
The Invent City Trade Mart model draws from such as Chicago Merchandise Mart, AmericasMart Atlanta, EUREF-Campus Berlin, and Zhangjiang Science City / Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park. Invent City brings that logic to FiDi — not as a temporary trade show, but as a permanent district-based marketplace for the technologies cities need next.
the Mart creates a faster path to market by concentrating customers, partners, investors, agencies, and project teams in one place. it cuts through noise by making solutions easier to find, compare, test, finance, and deploy in real FiDi conditions — supported by AI tools, virtual showrooms, and data-rich demonstrations.
make the market tangible. Complex urban solutions become visible, comparable, testable, and easier to buy. Events bring buyers in, digital platforms take the market global, and AI matches needs to solutions, models outcomes, and converts interest into action.
turn marketing into proof. Buyers can walk through future streets, buildings, parks, rooftops, waterfronts, and operating systems before they invest. AI simulation, live data, and scenario testing make value easier to see and risk harder to hide.
Buildings
Urban Agriculture
Consumer Products
Energy & Power
Urban Robotics
Urban AI
Wastewater
Water Systems
Transportation
NYC gives Invent City global credibility. FiDi gives it leverage: transit, capital, visibility, history, waterfront risk, underused space, and direct access to the buyers, investors, agencies, and institutions that can move urban solutions from idea to deployment.
because New York is a global center of finance, media, culture, tourism, talent, public agencies, and decision-makers. That gives Invent City immediate scale, credibility, visibility, and market reach.
is the launch platform. It has deep transit access, major real estate assets, financial institutions, waterfront risk, historic identity, and investor networks — plus vacant office and retail space that can be reactivated faster and at lower cost than ground-up development or wholesale conversion.
could be a major public-realm upside of Invent City, including support for projects such as Gotham Park. It is not required for the concept to work, but phased pedestrian upgrades can increase foot traffic, strengthen retail, improve the visitor experience, and make FiDi a more livable, future-facing district.
John Street
Nassau Street
S William and Beaver
Under the FDR
Broad Street @ NYSE
William Street @ Fosun Plaza
Wall Street
Gotham Park
The venue strategy is practical: use existing vacant office, retail, and public-realm assets first. That lowers cost, speeds activation, and turns underused FiDi space into productive economic infrastructure.
By filling underused space with a high-growth urban innovation economy, Invent City can help stabilize commercial real estate, strengthen property values, support small businesses, attract visitors, and give global companies a new reason to come to Lower Manhattan. Existing space also lowers upfront cost, reduces time to market, and improves phasing flexibility.
Office vacancy
Vacant FiDi office space can become productive economic infrastructure faster than major redevelopment.
OfficeVacancy
Retail vacancy
Vacant storefronts can become street-level showrooms, pop-ins, pilots, and visitor-facing demonstrations.
RetailVacancy
Lower cost
Existing FiDi space can be activated faster and at far lower cost than conversion or ground-up development.
RedevelopmentCosts
Faster revenue
A Trade Mart can move from vacant space to market activity much faster than major redevelopment.
Time toRevenue
Flexible rollout
The platform can start small, prove demand, and expand as companies, buyers, and capital follow.
FlexibleRollout
could consolidate essential street-level services in one place: package logistics, Blue Highway freight transfer, e-bike charging and battery exchange, micromobility, micro-waste collection, public toilets, seating, water, and shelter for delivery workers. Building on models like NYC Deliverista Hubs, these nodes can reduce street clutter, improve last-mile operations, support cleaner logistics, and make the city more humane, efficient, and easier to manage.
FiDi can become a living lab for urban AI and robotics: a real-world platform to demonstrate value, test performance, expose risk, and set better deployment standards. The goal is clear: use AI and robotics to make cities more efficient, resilient, and humane — not more unequal, opaque, or automated without accountability.
fast. AI can cut costs, improve service delivery, optimize infrastructure, sharpen forecasting, automate routine work, and reshape how cities operate and compete. Invent City gives cities and companies a place to test those gains in real conditions.
fast. AI can displace workers, widen inequality, weaken privacy, increase cyber exposure, and push critical decisions into opaque systems. Invent City will examine both sides: what AI can do, what it should do, where it should be constrained, and who benefits.
Invent City will extend the cluster beyond FiDi. Events, media, data, digital platforms, and AI can keep the market active globally — expanding discovery, deepening relationships, and supporting sales around the clock.
Events, media, and digital channels will carry Invent City far beyond FiDi, attracting founders, buyers, investors, policymakers, operators, delegations, and press while expanding awareness, credibility, and market reach.
Digital tools and AI will keep the platform active across time zones, making it easier to explore, compare, share, and engage at any time. That supports continuous lead generation, buyer education, and always-on commercial activity.
Together, physical and digital channels will build trust over time, keep high-value prospects engaged longer, and turn one-time attention into repeat business, partnerships, and long-term platform value.
Events
Live programming turns attention into meetings, pilots, partnerships, and deal flow.
Events
Media
Content expands the Trade Mart beyond FiDi and keeps buyers engaged between visits.
Media
Digital reach
Digital and AI channels keep discovery, comparison, and follow-up active 24/7.
DigitalReach
FOR NYC:
$4B IN ECONOMIC ACTIVITY,
15,000 JOBS,
$380M TAX REVENUES
Tourism imports outside dollars into New York’s economy. Invent City can add a high-value business and innovation visitor stream to FiDi — supporting hotels, restaurants, retail, culture, transportation, jobs, and taxes.
Tourism is already one of New York’s strongest economic engines. A platform that brings buyers, delegations, trade events, and global attention to FiDi can add a business-and-innovation layer to that base.
International visitors tend to stay longer, spend more, and ripple through hotels, food, retail, transportation, culture, and services. That makes them especially valuable for a district built around global visibility and deal flow.
Business travelers spend more, travel year-round, and create steadier demand. Invent City is designed for exactly that visitor: buyers, sellers, operators, investors, project teams, and delegations.
| Tourism summary | Mid |
|---|---|
| Annual visitors | 1,000,000 |
| Traveler spending ($/yr) | $1,348,750,000 |
| Total economic impact ($/yr) | $2,090,562,500 |
| Tourism-supported jobs | 6,034 |
| Modeled taxes and fees ($/yr, no PIT) | $159,240,625 |
| Rounded taxes and fees ($/yr, no PIT) | $159,200,000 |
| Note: PIT excluded to avoid double counting with Trade Mart payroll impacts. | |
| Tourism summary | Low | Mid | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual visitors | 1,000,000 | 1,000,000 | 1,000,000 |
| Traveler spending ($/yr) | $1,035,000,000 | $1,348,750,000 | $1,768,750,000 |
| Total economic impact ($/yr) | $1,604,250,000 | $2,090,562,500 | $2,741,562,500 |
| Tourism-supported jobs | 6,034 | 6,034 | 6,034 |
| Modeled taxes and fees ($/yr, no PIT) | $123,684,375 | $159,240,625 | $206,796,875 |
| Rounded taxes and fees ($/yr, no PIT) | $123,700,000 | $159,200,000 | $206,800,000 |
| Note: PIT excluded to avoid double counting with Trade Mart payroll impacts. | |||
| 1. Base assumptions: 1.0M visitors/yr | Visitors/year | Avg nights | Hotel room-nights | Visitor-days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| International overnight | 250,000 | 5 | 1,250,000 | 1,250,000 |
| Domestic overnight | 250,000 | 2 | 500,000 | 500,000 |
| Domestic day | 500,000 | 0 | 0 | 500,000 |
| Total | 1,000,000 | — | 1,750,000 | 2,250,000 |
| 2. Spending inputs | Low | Mid | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel room-nights | 1,750,000 | 1,750,000 | 1,750,000 |
| ADR ($/room-night) | $250 | $325 | $425 |
| International other spend ($/day) | $350 | $450 | $600 |
| Domestic overnight other spend ($/day) | $200 | $275 | $350 |
| Domestic day other spend ($/day) | $120 | $160 | $200 |
| Note: ADR = average daily hotel room rate. “Other spend” = non-hotel visitor spending. | |||
| 2A. Hotel and other traveler spending | Low ($/yr) | Mid ($/yr) | High ($/yr) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel revenue | $437,500,000 | $568,750,000 | $743,750,000 |
| Other spending (non-hotel) | $597,500,000 | $780,000,000 | $1,025,000,000 |
| Total traveler spending | $1,035,000,000 | $1,348,750,000 | $1,768,750,000 |
| Formula: Other spend = sum of (visitor-days by segment × spend/day by segment). | |||
| 2B. Total economic impact | Low | Mid | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traveler spending ($/yr) | $1,035,000,000 | $1,348,750,000 | $1,768,750,000 |
| Impact ratio | 1.55x | 1.55x | 1.55x |
| Total economic impact ($/yr) | $1,604,250,000 | $2,090,562,500 | $2,741,562,500 |
| Rounded total economic impact ($/yr) | $1,604,000,000 | $2,091,000,000 | $2,742,000,000 |
| Formula: Total economic impact = traveler spending × 1.55. | |||
| 3. Tourism-supported jobs | Input / Output | Value |
|---|---|---|
| NYC visitors (2024) | 64.3M visitors | |
| NYC tourism-supported jobs (2024) | 388,000+ jobs | |
| Jobs per 1M visitors | 6,034+ jobs | |
| IC annual visitors (assumption) | 1.0M visitors | |
| IC tourism-supported jobs (modeled) | 6,034+ jobs | |
| Formula: Jobs per 1M visitors = 388,000 / 64.3. | ||
| 4A. Hotel room taxes and fees | Low | Mid | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| NYS sales tax on hotel rooms (4.0%) | $17,500,000 | $22,750,000 | $29,750,000 |
| NYC sales tax on hotel rooms (4.5%) | $19,687,500 | $25,593,750 | $33,468,750 |
| MCTD sales tax on hotel rooms (0.375%) | $1,640,625 | $2,132,813 | $2,789,063 |
| NYC hotel occupancy tax (5.875%) | $25,703,125 | $33,414,063 | $43,695,313 |
| NYC per-room hotel tax ($2.00 × room-nights) | $3,500,000 | $3,500,000 | $3,500,000 |
| NYS hotel unit fee ($1.50 × room-nights) | $2,625,000 | $2,625,000 | $2,625,000 |
| 4B. Sales tax on other spending | Low | Mid | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| NYS sales tax (4.0%) | $23,900,000 | $31,200,000 | $41,000,000 |
| NYC sales tax (4.5%) | $26,887,500 | $35,100,000 | $46,125,000 |
| MCTD sales tax (0.375%) | $2,240,625 | $2,925,000 | $3,843,750 |
| Total sales tax on other spending | $53,028,125 | $69,225,000 | $90,968,750 |
| 4C. Tax totals roll-up (no PIT) | Low | Mid | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| NYS total (hotel + other) | $44,025,000 | $56,575,000 | $73,375,000 |
| NYC total (hotel + other) | $75,778,125 | $97,607,813 | $126,789,063 |
| MCTD total (hotel + other) | $3,881,250 | $5,057,813 | $6,632,813 |
| Grand total (no PIT) | $123,684,375 | $159,240,625 | $206,796,875 |
| Rounded grand total (no PIT) | $123,700,000 | $159,200,000 | $206,800,000 |
| 4D. Tax formulas and notes | Low | Mid | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel revenue formula | room-nights × ADR | room-nights × ADR | room-nights × ADR |
| NYS hotel-room sales tax | Hotel revenue × 4.0% | Hotel revenue × 4.0% | Hotel revenue × 4.0% |
| NYC hotel-room sales tax | Hotel revenue × 4.5% | Hotel revenue × 4.5% | Hotel revenue × 4.5% |
| MCTD hotel-room sales tax | Hotel revenue × 0.375% | Hotel revenue × 0.375% | Hotel revenue × 0.375% |
| NYC hotel occupancy tax | Hotel revenue × 5.875% | Hotel revenue × 5.875% | Hotel revenue × 5.875% |
| NYC per-room hotel tax | $2.00 × room-nights | $2.00 × room-nights | $2.00 × room-nights |
| NYS hotel unit fee | $1.50 × room-nights | $1.50 × room-nights | $1.50 × room-nights |
| NYS sales tax on other spending | Other spending × 4.0% | Other spending × 4.0% | Other spending × 4.0% |
| NYC sales tax on other spending | Other spending × 4.5% | Other spending × 4.5% | Other spending × 4.5% |
| MCTD sales tax on other spending | Other spending × 0.375% | Other spending × 0.375% | Other spending × 0.375% |
| Scope note: PIT excluded to avoid double counting with Trade Mart payroll impacts. | |||
The Trade Mart turns urban innovation into recurring commercial activity. The economic case is jobs, payroll, procurement, buyer traffic, events, business travel, regional spillovers, and a larger tax base.
A Trade Mart can support direct on-site jobs, event and production work, local services, building operations, hospitality demand, and wider knock-on activity. The value is recurring commercial activity anchored in one place.
The model is designed for repeat traffic from buyers, sellers, delegations, trade events, project teams, and business visitors — supporting steadier hotel demand, year-round activity, and stronger district spending.
The upside is broad: payroll, commercial rent, property-value support, sales taxes, hotel taxes, permits, business activity, and multiplier effects. More productive space and more recurring activity can expand the city’s tax base.
| Trade Mart summary | Mid |
|---|---|
| Direct on-site jobs | 8,500 |
| Direct payroll ($/yr) | $1,427,500,000 |
| Local procurement ($/yr) | $428,250,000 |
| Total direct activity ($/yr) | $1,855,750,000 |
| Note: Direct activity shown here is kept separate from tourism and real-estate modules to reduce double counting. | |
| Trade Mart summary | Low | Mid | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct on-site jobs | 8,500 | 8,500 | 8,500 |
| Direct payroll ($/yr) | $1,140,000,000 | $1,427,500,000 | $1,790,000,000 |
| Total jobs incl. indirect + induced | 12,750 | 15,300 | 17,850 |
| Knock-on jobs | 4,250 | 6,800 | 9,350 |
| Note: Only direct jobs should be treated as additive across modules to avoid double counting. | |||
| 1. Jobs based on area | Area | Density | Direct jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Showrooms | 1,000,000 sf | 1,000 sf/job | 1,000 |
| Support offices | 1,500,000 sf | 200 sf/job | 7,500 |
| Trade Mart total | 2,500,000 sf | — | 8,500 |
| Formula: Jobs = Area / Density. Example: 1,500,000 sf / 200 sf per job = 7,500 jobs. | |||
| 2A. Low-case payroll detail | Jobs | Low wage ($/yr) | Payroll ($/yr) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Showrooms | 1,000 | $90,000 | $90,000,000 |
| Support offices | 7,500 | $140,000 | $1,050,000,000 |
| Total for direct | 8,500 | $1,140,000,000 |
| 2B. Mid-case payroll detail | Jobs | Mid wage ($/yr) | Payroll ($/yr) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Showrooms | 1,000 | $115,000 | $115,000,000 |
| Support offices | 7,500 | $175,000 | $1,312,500,000 |
| Total for direct | 8,500 | — | $1,427,500,000 |
| 2C. High-case payroll detail | Jobs | High wage ($/yr) | Payroll ($/yr) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Showrooms | 1,000 | $140,000 | $140,000,000 |
| Support offices | 7,500 | $220,000 | $1,650,000,000 |
| Total for direct | 8,500 | — | $1,790,000,000 |
| 2D. Direct jobs | Jobs | Low wage | Mid wage | High wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Showrooms | 1,000 | $90,000/yr | $115,000/yr | $140,000/yr |
| Support offices | 7,500 | $140,000/yr | $175,000/yr | $220,000/yr |
| Total direct jobs | 8,500 | — | — | — |
| Total payroll ($/yr) | 8,500 | $1,140,000,000/yr | $1,427,500,000/yr | $1,790,000,000/yr |
| 3. Local procurement | Low | Mid | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Procurement assumption (% of payroll) | 20% | 30% | 40% |
| Local procurement ($/yr) | $228,000,000 | $428,250,000 | $716,000,000 |
| Formula: Local procurement = Payroll × Procurement share. | |||
| What it reflects: Tenant and campus operating spend—security, cleaning, repairs, IT/AV, catering, event staffing, printing/signage, and local logistics; excludes landlord building OpEx. | |||
| 4. Direct campus activity (Economic expansion) | Low | Mid | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll ($/yr) | $1,515,000,000 | $1,902,500,000 | $2,390,000,000 |
| Local procurement ($/yr) | $303,000,000 | $570,750,000 | $956,000,000 |
| Total direct activity ($/yr) | $1,818,000,000 | $2,473,250,000 | $3,346,000,000 |
| Formula: Total direct activity = Payroll + Local procurement. | |||
| 5. Indirect and induced jobs | Low | Mid | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct jobs | 8,500 | 8,500 | 8,500 |
| Total jobs incl. indirect + induced | 12,750 | 15,300 | 17,850 |
| Knock-on jobs | 4,250 | 6,800 | 9,350 |
| Implied total multiplier | 1.50x | 1.80x | 2.10x |
| What this shows: Additional off-site jobs supported through suppliers, vendors, and household spending. | |||
| Definitions: Direct = on-site Trade Mart jobs. Indirect = supplier and vendor jobs supported by Trade Mart spending. Induced = jobs supported by household spending from wages. Knock-on = indirect + induced combined. | |||
| 6. Modeled tax revenues | Low | Mid | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| NYS PIT | $62,700,000 | $85,650,000 | $116,350,000 |
| NYC resident PIT | $34,200,000 | $45,680,000 | $60,860,000 |
| MCTMT | $10,203,000 | $12,774,125 | $16,020,500 |
| Sales tax on employee spending | $17,688,469 | $22,150,602 | $27,779,445 |
| Sales tax on local procurement | $10,117,500 | $18,998,344 | $31,772,500 |
| Total modeled taxes ($/yr) | $134,908,969 | $185,253,070 | $252,782,445 |
| Rounded total modeled taxes ($/yr) | $134,900,000 | $185,300,000 | $252,800,000 |
| NYS stands for New York State, NYC for New York City, PIT for personal income tax, and MCTMT stands for the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation Mobility Tax. | |||
| 6A. Tax assumptions and formulas | Low | Mid | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| NYS PIT effective rate | 5.5% | 6.0% | 6.5% |
| NYC resident PIT rate | 3.0% | 3.2% | 3.4% |
| MCTMT rate | 0.895% | 0.895% | 0.895% |
| Employee spending sales tax assumption | Payroll × 35% local spend × 50% taxable × 8.875% | ||
| Procurement sales tax assumption | Local procurement × 50% taxable × 8.875% | ||
| Procurement assumption | Payroll × 20% | Payroll × 30% | Payroll × 40% |
| NYS PIT formula | NYS PIT = Payroll × NYS PIT rate | ||
| NYC resident PIT formula | NYC PIT = Payroll × NYC resident PIT rate | ||
| MCTMT formula | MCTMT = Payroll × 0.895% | ||
| Employee spending sales tax formula | Payroll × 35% × 50% × 8.875% | ||
| Procurement sales tax formula | Local procurement × 50% × 8.875% | ||
| 6B. Scope note and caveat | Value |
|---|---|
| Scope note | NYC resident PIT assumes employees are NYC residents. If some workers commute from outside NYC, this line should be reduced accordingly. NYS PIT would still apply. |
| Additivity note | To avoid double counting across modules, only direct jobs should be treated as additive; indirect and induced jobs should not be added again in Tourism or other spillover modules. |
Real estate matters because underused FiDi space can become productive again. Filling 3.0 million square feet can support NOI, values, refinancing, reinvestment, street life, and recurring NYC revenue capacity.
Filling 3.0 million square feet could expand NYC’s recurring revenue base. More occupancy means more income, stronger values, and greater long-term tax capacity.
The real-estate case is direct: absorb vacant office and retail space, improve NOI, support valuations, and rebuild confidence in FiDi.
Vacancy is the opening. Existing space can move faster and cost less than ground-up development, while AI is reshaping what tenants need from buildings, systems, and districts.
The Trade Mart can also become a company-attraction engine. A year-round marketplace in FiDi would give firms a reason to locate near buyers, investors, agencies, partners, media, and talent — strengthening New York City as the global base for urban innovation.
| Real estate summary | Low | Mid | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stabilized leased area (sf) | 3,000,000 | 3,000,000 | 3,000,000 |
| Annual rent ($/yr) | $165,000,000 | $165,000,000 | $165,000,000 |
| NOI ($/yr) | $111,750,000 | $106,860,000 | $102,000,000 |
| Illustrative implied value at 6.0% cap ($) | $1,862,500,000 | $1,781,000,000 | $1,700,000,000 |
| Modeled recurring NYC revenue capacity ($/yr) | $69,704,500 | $70,675,890 | $71,313,250 |
| Rounded recurring NYC revenue capacity ($/yr) | $69,700,000 | $70,700,000 | $71,300,000 |
| Note: This module is kept separate to avoid double counting with jobs, tourism, and construction modules. | |||
| 1. Leasing assumptions | Area | Asking rent | Annual rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trade Mart - Showrooms | 1,000,000 sf | $40/sf/yr | $40,000,000/yr |
| Trade Mart - Support offices | 1,500,000 sf | $60/sf/yr | $90,000,000/yr |
| Trade Mart - Total | 2,500,000 sf | — | $130,000,000/yr |
| Additional offices (separate) | 500,000 sf | $70/sf/yr | $35,000,000/yr |
| IC rent total (all space) | 3,000,000 sf | — | $165,000,000/yr |
| 1A. Average gross rent across all space | Value |
|---|---|
| Total area (sf) | 3,000,000 |
| Total annual rent ($/yr) | $165,000,000 |
| Average gross rent ($/sf/yr) | $55.00/sf/yr |
| 1B. Operating expense assumptions | OpEx ($/sf/yr) |
|---|---|
| Low | $17.75 |
| Mid | $19.38 |
| High | $21.00 |
| 1C. Cap-rate assumptions | Cap rate |
|---|---|
| Low cap | 5.5% |
| Base cap | 6.0% |
| Higher cap | 7.0% |
| High cap | 8.0% |
| 1D. Property-tax uplift assumptions | Value |
|---|---|
| NYC Class 4 assessment ratio | 45% |
| NYC Class 4 tax rate | 10.848% |
| Illustrative phase-in | 50% / 75% / 100% |
| 1E. CRT assumptions | Value |
|---|---|
| Rent base proxy ($/yr) | $165,000,000 |
| Effective CRT rate | 3.9% |
| Coverage factor | 70% / 85% / 95% |
| CRT gross upper bound ($/yr) | $6,435,000 |
| 1F. Vacancy context | Value |
|---|---|
| FiDi Financial East office vacancy (a) | 26.0% |
| FiDi Insurance office vacancy (a) | 29.5% |
| Retail storefront vacancy in FiDi/BPC (Q3 2024) (b) | 24% |
| Source note | (a) Cushman & Wakefield, Q4 2025; (b) Small Business Services |
| 2. Real-estate logic | Definition |
|---|---|
| Gross rent | Total annual rent collected |
| OpEx | Building operating expenses |
| NOI | Gross rent minus OpEx |
| Implied value | NOI divided by cap rate |
| 2A. NOI per square foot | Gross rent ($/sf/yr) | OpEx ($/sf/yr) | NOI ($/sf/yr) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low expense | $55.00 | $17.75 | $37.25 |
| Mid expense | $55.00 | $19.38 | $35.62 |
| High expense | $55.00 | $21.00 | $34.00 |
| 2B. Total NOI on 3.0M sf | NOI ($/sf/yr) | Area (sf) | Total NOI ($/yr) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low expense | $37.25 | 3,000,000 | $111,750,000 |
| Mid expense | $35.62 | 3,000,000 | $106,860,000 |
| High expense | $34.00 | 3,000,000 | $102,000,000 |
| 2C. Implied value from capitalized NOI | Cap rate | Implied value ($) | Value per sf |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low expense | 5.5% | $2,031,818,182 | $677.27/sf |
| Low expense | 6.0% | $1,862,500,000 | $620.83/sf |
| Low expense | 7.0% | $1,596,428,571 | $532.14/sf |
| Low expense | 8.0% | $1,396,875,000 | $465.63/sf |
| Mid expense | 5.5% | $1,942,909,091 | $647.64/sf |
| Mid expense | 6.0% | $1,781,000,000 | $593.67/sf |
| Mid expense | 7.0% | $1,526,571,429 | $508.86/sf |
| Mid expense | 8.0% | $1,335,750,000 | $445.25/sf |
| High expense | 5.5% | $1,854,545,455 | $618.18/sf |
| High expense | 6.0% | $1,700,000,000 | $566.67/sf |
| High expense | 7.0% | $1,457,142,857 | $485.71/sf |
| High expense | 8.0% | $1,275,000,000 | $425.00/sf |
| 2D. Plain-English economic benefits | Value |
|---|---|
| Benefit 1 | Fills vacant office and retail space |
| Benefit 2 | Creates steady rental income |
| Benefit 3 | Improves NOI |
| Benefit 4 | Supports stronger building values |
| Benefit 5 | Helps owners refinance, reinvest, and stabilize assets |
| Benefit 6 | Can improve confidence in the broader FiDi market |
| 3. Job-counting treatment | Value |
|---|---|
| Approach | This module does not claim incremental job creation, to avoid double counting with separate Trade Mart operations, tourism, and construction modules. |
| Why | It shows how filling vacant space can improve building income, support asset value, and expand recurring city revenue. |
| Caveat | Stabilizing vacant space can still support employment indirectly by making buildings more viable and attracting more tenants, activity, and investment. |
| 4A. Commercial Rent Tax (CRT) | Low | Mid | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| CRT gross upper bound ($/yr) | $6,435,000 | $6,435,000 | $6,435,000 |
| Coverage factor | 70% | 85% | 95% |
| CRT modeled ($/yr) | $4,504,500 | $5,469,750 | $6,113,250 |
| Rounded CRT modeled ($/yr) | $4,500,000 | $5,500,000 | $6,100,000 |
| 4B. Property-tax capacity uplift (mid-case illustration) | Value |
|---|---|
| Mid-case implied value ($) | $1,781,000,000 |
| Assessment ratio | 45% |
| Class 4 tax rate | 10.848% |
| Phase-in | 75% |
| Property-tax capacity uplift ($/yr) | $65,206,140 |
| Rounded property-tax capacity uplift ($/yr) | $65,200,000 |
| Formula: Property-tax capacity uplift ≈ market value × 45% × 10.848% × phase-in | |
| 4C. Total modeled recurring NYC revenue capacity | Low | Mid | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property-tax capacity uplift ($/yr) | $65,200,000 | $65,206,140 | $65,200,000 |
| CRT modeled ($/yr) | $4,504,500 | $5,469,750 | $6,113,250 |
| Total recurring NYC revenue capacity ($/yr) | $69,704,500 | $70,675,890 | $71,313,250 |
| Rounded total recurring NYC revenue capacity ($/yr) | $69,700,000 | $70,700,000 | $71,300,000 |
| 4D. Plain-English tax benefits | Value |
|---|---|
| Benefit 1 | More leased space can support higher building income |
| Benefit 2 | Higher income can support higher property value |
| Benefit 3 | Higher value can support higher NYC property-tax revenue capacity |
| Benefit 4 | Leased commercial space can also generate CRT revenue |
| 4E. Scope note |
|---|
| This section models recurring NYC revenue capacity from stabilized leasing and value. It excludes one-time transaction taxes such as RPTT, RETT, and mortgage recording tax, and keeps jobs separate to avoid double counting. |
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