The rumor circulating for the past week about Seneca One tower filling its top five floors are true. Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western New York is relocating from its current offices on W. Genesee Street to the downtown tower. The insurer decided to move and downsize after determining that hybrid work is here to stay.
The 10-year lease will see Highmark take nearly 100,000 sq.ft. of space on the 34th through 38th floors, about 80 percent less than the space in the eight-story 257 W. Genesee location. While Highmark currently leases the entire 473,000 sq.ft. building, the insurer has been only using three of the floors since most of its workers have been working remotely. Several other tenants have subleased space in the building from Highmark including Invest Buffalo Niagara and the Buffalo Niagara Partnership.
The W. Genesee Street building was developed by Ohio- based Duke Realty and opened in 2007. Current-owner, Arizona-based Orion Office REIT, will have a nearly empty building to repurpose or refill starting next April when Highmark relocates.
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