Uber Expands to Nearly 500,000 SF at Silverstein Properties' 3 World Trade Center in NYC Office Real Estate Deal

Uber Technologies Inc. is expanding its New York City office real estate footprint to nearly 500,000 square feet across 11 floors at Silverstein Properties' 3 World Trade Center in Manhattan's Financial District, the company confirmed, making it Uber's largest office outside its San Francisco headquarters.

The ride-hailing company's New York workforce has grown to more than 2,000 employees from approximately 800 before the pandemic, according to a spokesperson who disclosed the expansion details to Bloomberg. Uber has also been renting office suites in the Industrious co-working space, which occupies two floors in the same building at 175 Greenwich Street.

Uber Real Estate Expansion Driven by CEO Relocation and In-Office Mandate

The office real estate expansion comes after CEO Dara Khosrowshahi relocated to New York in 2024 to be closer to family. The company implemented a three-day-a-week in-office mandate that went into effect last June, and remote work approvals have been scaled back for U.S. workers who live within 50 miles of an office.

Prior to the expansion, the New York office had been running out of desks, and the company packed workstations close together to accommodate the influx of staff, according to people familiar with the matter.

Khosrowshahi has been candid about the company's performance-driven culture. "If you're not performing, we're going to let you know, and if you don't fix it, we're going to push you out," he said on The Diary of A CEO podcast. "But while it will be incredibly hard, you will have real agency at the company."

NYC Workforce Growth Outpaces Other Markets

An analysis of LinkedIn data by Live Data Technologies found that Uber's New York City staff grew approximately 17% in October compared with January 2024, while personnel levels remained flat in California over the same period. Growth in New York was particularly concentrated in managerial, sales, and marketing roles, according to the analysis.

By contrast, Uber's employee count declined in Texas, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Georgia during the same period. Live Data Technologies analyst Alex Hamilton noted that the attrition in those markets could be related to the in-office mandate.

As of last December, Uber and its subsidiaries had approximately 34,000 employees globally, operating in more than 70 countries. The company's approximately 10 million drivers are mostly classified as independent contractors.

3 World Trade Center

3 World Trade Center is located at 175 Greenwich Street and is developed and managed by Silverstein Properties. The building counts GroupM and Industrious among its other tenants.

Uber Commits to Further NYC Growth and Community Investment

Uber said it plans to continue expanding its workforce in New York City over the coming years. "New York City is central to Uber's future," said Andrew Macdonald, Uber's president and chief operating officer, in a statement.

Alongside the office real estate expansion, Uber announced a $7 million investment in New York City education and cultural programs, including sponsoring computer science pedagogy courses for public school teachers and supporting the Perelman Performing Arts Center.

"New York is one of the best places in the world to build and grow a team," an Uber spokesperson said. "The talent pool is deep, and the pace of opportunity here pushes us to move faster and think bigger."

Sources

Silverstein Properties – Uber Expands NYC Office Following CEO Move, In-Office Mandate