NEW YORK CITY — Architecture firm Gluck+ has signed a 5,000-square-foot renewal and expansion of its office lease at the Sweets Building, a 200,000-square-foot office building at the Manhattanville Factory District, a mixed-use development in West Harlem. Gluck+ had occupied 3,600 square feet at the building, which is located at 423 W. 127th St., since 2013. The firm also led the redesign of the property, which served as a brewery before being converted to office. Janus Property Co. is the landlord of Manhattanville Factory District. Both parties were represented internally in the lease negotiations.
New York
Marcus & Millichap Brokers $9.2M Sale of Vacant Multifamily Building in Manhattan’s Tribeca Neighborhood
by Alex Patton
NEW YORK CITY — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the $9.2 million sale of a vacant, five-story multifamily building in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood. Located at 36 Walker St. and originally built in 1915, the asset formerly included five apartment units and offers the buyer 11,336 square feet of redevelopment opportunity. Barbara Dansker of Marcus & Millichap represented the seller, a private investor, in the transaction. Dansker also procured the buyer, an active owner and manager in New York City. No redevelopment plans were disclosed.
Innovo Property, Square Mile Capital Receive $305M Construction Financing for Industrial Facility in the Bronx
by Alex Tostado
NEW YORK CITY — Innovo Property Group (IPG) and equity partner Square Mile Capital Management LLC have received $305 million in financing for the development of a 1 million-square-foot, two-story industrial facility in New York City’s Bronx borough. The joint venture acquired the land in 2017. Construction is underway with completion slated for first-quarter 2022. The last-mile distribution property is situated on 20 acres at 2505 Bruckner Blvd., nine miles from LaGuardia Airport, 15 miles north of John F. Kennedy International Airport and at the intersection of Interstates 95, 278 and 295. Additionally, the facility is located within 30 miles of 9.4 million people. The facility will feature 133 exterior parking spaces for trailers and box trucks as well as 664 interior parking spaces for cars and sprinter vans. The building will offer direct loading on the first and second floors, each with a 130-foot truck court. The first floor will feature 32-foot clear heights, 40-foot-by-40-foot column spacing and cross-docked loading with 74 dock doors and two drive-in doors. The second floor will be accessible to 53-foot tractor-trailers via two double-wide ramps and will feature 28-foot clear heights, 80-foot-by-80-foot column spacing, 37 loading dock doors and two drive-in doors. “As in …
Wegmans to Hire 900 Grocery Workers Across Massachusetts, New Jersey, as COVID-19 Prompts Heavier Shopping
by Alex Patton
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Rochester-based regional grocer Wegmans Food Markets will hire approximately 900 full- and part-time workers across its stores in Massachusetts (400 jobs) and New Jersey (500 jobs) in response to increased grocery shopping amid the novel coronavirus outbreak. Positions will be filled across the grocer’s six stores in Massachusetts and nine stores in New Jersey, as well as its warehouses and inventory replenishment centers in both states. As of March 31, the New Jersey Department of Health tracked 18,696 cases in the state. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health tracked 6,620 cases in the state.
Kaufman Organization Acquires Office, Retail Asset in Manhattan’s Flatiron District for $48.5M
by Alex Patton
NEW YORK CITY — The Kaufman Organization has acquired a 66,190-square-foot office and retail asset in Manhattan’s Flatiron District for $48.5 million. The 12-story building is located at 56 W. 22nd St. and includes 59,719 square feet of office space on the second through 12th floors, and 6,471 square feet of retail space on the ground floor. Maynicke & Franke constructed the building in 1907. Bob Knakal and Stephen Palmese led a JLL team that represented the seller, a private investor, in the transaction. The team also procured the buyer, the Kaufman Organization.
NEW YORK CITY — Paramount Group Inc. (NYSE: PGRE) has agreed to sell a 10 percent interest in 1633 Broadway, a 2.5 million-square-foot office tower located on Broadway between 50th and 51st streets in Manhattan. While the price and buyer were not disclosed, the seller says the transaction values the property at $2.4 billion and netted a profit of $114 million for the company. The transaction is scheduled to close in the second quarter. Floor plates at the 48-story building range from 37,000 to 54,000 square feet. The property features a newly renovated lobby, 40 elevators, direct access to the New York City subway system and a 250-space parking garage. The property is located in the heart of Manhattan’s Theater District, with both Gershwin Theater and Circle In The Square Theater located in the building. The location is two blocks from Radio City Music Hall and Rockefeller Center, four blocks from Times Square and seven blocks from Central Park. “With this pending sale of a joint venture interest in 1633 Broadway, we have successfully proven the value of this enormous trophy asset at levels well above what is implied by our stock price,” says Albert Behler, chairman, CEO and president …
NEW YORK CITY — JLL has brokered the $61.5 million sale of a development site located at 29 Jay St. in the Dumbo neighborhood of Brooklyn. At the time of sale, the site housed a 21,000-square-foot industrial building.The property offers a maximum development potential of more than 200,000 square feet that can be zoned for residential or commercial construction. Details of the buyer’s redevelopment plans for the property were not disclosed. Bob Knakal, Stephen Palmese and Brendan Maddigan of JLL represented the seller, the Forman Group, in the transaction. The team also procured the buyer, Edward J. Minskoff Equities Inc.
Gap, Macy’s, Kohl’s to Furlough Most Employees as Stores Remain Closed During COVID-19 Pandemic
by John Nelson
SAN FRANCISCO, NEW YORK CITY AND MENOMONEE FALLS, WIS. — Prominent retailers Gap Inc., Macy’s Inc. and Kohl’s have announced separately that they’re planning to furlough a majority of employees at their stores and some distribution centers beginning this week in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Combined, the total number of affected employees is nearly 290,000, according to the Los Angeles Times. The three retailers have extended their temporary store closures indefinitely to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that the United States has 140,904 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 2,405 related deaths as of Monday, March 30. Until stores begin to reopen, the companies will pause payments to a majority of their staff while still offering applicable benefits to those affected. Luxury retailer Neiman Marcus is also reportedly furloughing most of its 14,000 employees. Gap (NYSE: GPS) has announced that its leadership team and board of directors will take a temporary reduction in pay. Gap’s brands, which include Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, Athleta, Hill City, Janie and Jack and Intermix, will still be available through the company’s online platform. “After taking the extraordinary measures of temporarily closing all …
Four Seasons New York Offers All 368 Rooms Free to Medical Workers Treating Coronavirus
by Alex Patton
NEW YORK CITY — The Four Seasons Hotel New York in Manhattan has made all of its 368 rooms available free of charge to medical workers including doctors, nurses and other personnel treating patients in the epicenter of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, according to a statement by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The hotel industry has suffered a severe decline in demand due to “stay at home” orders and travel restrictions nationwide, according to recent data from CBRE. The Los Angeles-based real estate giant estimates that revenue per available room RevPAR, a key financial metric for the industry, will decline 37 percent in 2020, with a contraction of more than 60 percent in the second quarter. Prior to the spread of COVID-19 into the United States, CBRE had forecasted a 0.1 percent decline in RevPAR on a national basis in 2020. Several hotels in New York City and other major markets are temporary utilizing their vacant rooms to lodge medical personnel and some non-critical patients.
Avison Young Negotiates $16.7M Sale of Office Building in Manhattan’s Tribeca Neighborhood
by Alex Patton
NEW YORK CITY — Avison Young has negotiated the $16.7 million sale of a seven-story office building in the Tribeca neighborhood of Manhattan. The 13,667-square-foot building is located at 177 Franklin St., between Greenwich and Hudson streets and was 80 percent leased at the time of sale. The flagship store of watch retailer Shinola occupies the ground floor. James Nelson and Charles Kingsley led an Avison Young team that represented the seller, Bedrock Real Estate Partners. The buyer was undisclosed.