The building opened in 1969.[3] It is 16 stories tall[6] and covers about 1.8 million square feet (170,000 m2).[7] In the 1980s, the external structure was painted beige and brown metal siding was added.[8][6] In 2003, cosmetic work was done to theprecast concrete facade.[9]
Brookfield Properties acquired the property in 2011.[8] In 2014, Brookfield began a $300 million project to replace thebrutalist architecture concrete exterior with a glassfacade and replace the interior and mechanical systems.[10] The design work was done byREX,[8] withAAI Architects, P.C. asarchitect of record.[11] When renovation of the building was completed in 2017, it was renamed 5Manhattan West.[5] In April 2018, Brookfield obtained a $1.15 billionmortgage loan secured by the building.[12] In September 2025, Brookfield announced plans to refinance the building for $1.25 billion, at which point it was fully occupied.[13][14]
TheNew York Daily News moved to the building in 1995 from its former headquarters at theDaily News Building.[15] It moved out in 2011 and has since relocated to other sites.
Whole Foods opened a 60,000 square foot store in the building in July 2020.[23]
Noom signed a sublease to occupy 113,000 square feet at the building in November 2020, taking space from R/GA.[24]
Additionally, Citizens Food Hall opened within Five Manhattan West in 2021;[25] the food hall's operators announced in January 2025 that it would close that April.[26][27]
