Knowing how NYC real estate operates, I'm willing to bet that 17% wildly under estimates the true numbers of what we'd consider 'office space'.
"The company below left, so we added their space to the lease and got all the furniture, for 10% of the rate"
"Sub tenant left so we got a great deal on taking over their space as is"
this and this
"We have extra space because 70% are WFH would you like to sub lease it we have 3 other companies here and all the infra setup, plus our break room is nice"
Buildings reporting the empty spaces as being turned / under construction to juke up occupancy rates. All matter of BS to pump numbers. I am not even in the industry and I've seen this stuff first hand.