Plain-English answers on zoning, air rights, development value, and selling — written for owners, not lawyers.
In most cities, an empty building is worth less, but in Manhattan, vacant buildings under 100,000 SF often command higher prices than leased ones because the right buyer can move right in and enough owner-occupant buyers compete for those properties to drive the price up. In specific cases, particularly in Midtown and Downtown Manhattan, that premium has reached up to 200%, especially when zoning allows for significant use flexibility.