Taconic Partners, The Prusik Group, L+M Development Partners, and BRP Companies have executed a new headquarters lease with the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation at the Urban League Empowerment Center. The mixed-use property, located at 119 W. 125th St., will house UMEZ on the building’s sixth floor.
Under the lease, UMEZ will occupy 9,000 square feet of office space. The tenancy adds another mission-driven user to the building’s office roster, which already includes The Studio Museum in Harlem, the United Negro College Fund, and Virginia Union University. With UMEZ’s commitment, the property continues to build a concentration of cultural, educational, and community-focused organizations within a single project.
UMEZ has been closely involved with the Urban League Empowerment Center since 2020, when it served as a lender on the construction of the development. That investment supported the delivery of a mixed-use program that includes affordable housing, commercial office and retail space, and the Urban Civil Rights Museum. The new headquarters lease marks a progression in UMEZ’s relationship to the property, from capital provider to on-site occupant.
The Urban League Empowerment Center is positioned as a hub for organizations engaged in civil rights, education, and community development. By bringing UMEZ into the tenant mix, ownership is further aligning the property’s office component with users whose missions intersect with the project’s broader social and community objectives. The presence of multiple institutional and nonprofit tenants may also contribute to a more stable occupancy profile for the building’s office space.
In the lease transaction, ownership was represented by Chris Mongeluzo, Brian Cohen, Eric Zemachson, and Chris Ventura of Newmark. On the tenant side, UMEZ was represented by Ruth Colp-Haber of Wharton Property Advisors. The involvement of dedicated representation for both landlord and tenant underscores the structured approach to the headquarters requirement and the importance of securing space that aligns with UMEZ’s long-term operational needs.
While financial terms of the lease were not disclosed, the commitment by UMEZ signals continued demand for well-located office space within mixed-use developments that incorporate community-serving uses. The combination of affordable housing, institutional office tenants, retail space, and a museum component at the Urban League Empowerment Center reflects a diversified real estate program supported by both tenant demand and mission-oriented capital. UMEZ’s role as both lender to the project and now an occupier illustrates how community development organizations can leverage capital deployment and real estate decisions to advance their objectives within the same asset.
