NEW YORK CITY — A joint venture between Metro Loft Management and David Werner Real Estate Investments (DWREI) has received $720 million in financing for an office-to-residential conversion project in Manhattan. The project will convert the 10-story, 290,000-square-foot office building at 219 E. 42nd St., which formerly served as the global headquarters for pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc., into a multifamily complex. When combined with the adjacent building at 235 E. 42nd St., the development will feature more than 1,600 apartments, 25 percent of which will be reserved as affordable housing, as well as 100,000 square feet of amenity space and 30,000 square feet of retail space. Max Herzog, Marko Kazanjian, Andrew Cohen and Max Hulsh of Institutional Property Advisors, a division of Marcus & Millichap, arranged the financing through Madison Realty Capital on behalf of the joint venture. Construction is slated for a late 2027 completion. The IPA team also arranged $75 million in bridge financing for the project last fall, with Northwind Group serving as the direct lender on that deal.
New York
NEW YORK CITY — Locally based investment and development firm RFR has sold 522 Fifth Avenue, a 600,000-square-foot office building in Midtown Manhattan. The 23-story building was originally constructed in 1896 and has served as the corporate headquarters facility for both J.P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley at various points in time. RFR acquired 522 Fifth Avenue from Morgan Stanley for $350 million in 2020 and repositioned the building by acquiring the retail condominium, redeveloping the lobby, enlarging the windows and activating over 17,000 square feet of outdoor space. The undisclosed buyer also plans to occupy the building. No third-party brokers were involved in the sale.
NEW YORK CITY — Mudrick Capital Management has signed a 12-year, 26,600-square-foot office headquarters lease in Midtown Manhattan. The investment management firm plans to relocate and expand from 527 Madison Avenue to the 16th floor of 31 West 52nd Street early next year. Patrick Heeg, Thomas Hines and Chase Gordon of Transwestern represented the tenant in the lease negotiations. Frank Doyle, David Kleiner and Andrew Coe of JLL, along with internal agents Peter Brindley, Doug Neye and Sean Kirk, represented the landlord, Paramount Group.
COMMACK, N.Y. — My Gym, a global children’s fitness concept, will open a 3,000-square-foot facility in the Long Island community of Commack. The facility will be located next to Planet Fitness within the 222,000-square-foot Mayfair Shopping Center. E.J. Moawad of Levin Management Corp. represented the landlord in the lease negotiations. Juliana Chiarelli and Jason Sobel of RIPCO Real Estate represented My Gym.
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — CBRE has brokered the sale of a multifamily development site in White Plains, located north of New York City. The 1.3-acre site at 1 Water St. is located on the eastern edge of the downtown area, directly adjacent to the local public transit station. A partnership between David Gaber of Bijou Properties and Kavneet Sethi of Green Property LLC purchased the site, which is approved for the development of a 301-unit high-rise building, from New Jersey-based Veris Residential. Jeffrey Dunne, Eric Apfel and Travis Langer of CBRE brokered the deal.
NEW YORK CITY — Law firm Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP has signed a 121,000-square-foot office lease at 1301 Avenue of the Americas, a 45-story, 1.8 million-square-foot building in Midtown Manhattan. The lease term is 16.5 years, and approximately 30,000 square feet is short-term space. Frank Doyle, David Kleiner and Andrew Coe of JLL represented the landlord, New York City-based Paramount Group, in the lease negotiations. Mark Weiss of Cushman & Wakefield represented the tenant.
NEW YORK CITY — LMXD, an affiliate of New York City-based L&M Development Partners, and residential developer Ray have begun leasing a 21-story multifamily and civic project in Harlem. Designed by Frida Escobedo Architects and Handel Architects, the National Black Theatre & Ray Harlem houses 222 mixed-income apartments, commercial space along 125th Street and a multi-purpose room that is open to the community. Units come in studio, one- and two-bedroom floor plans. Residential amenities include a communal kitchen and outdoor grilling stations, a coworking lounge, fitness center and yoga studio, library curated by Phaidon Press, living room lounge and two outdoor terraces. In addition, the site features a 27,000-square-foot home for the National Black Theatre. This space houses offices, classrooms, a 250-seat performance venue, a 99-seat flexible studio theater and a set-building shop to support workforce development in theatrical trades. Construction topped out in fall 2023.
NEW YORK CITY — Moda Operandi has signed a 30,000-square-foot industrial lease in Queens. The online fashion retailer is taking space on the third floor of the 157,000-square-foot, newly renovated building at 58-30 Grand Ave. in the Maspeth neighborhood, which is known locally as the Pearl Building. Rico Murtha, Helen Paul, Joe Hentze Jr. and Sonny Singh of Cushman & Wakefield represented the landlord, The Davis Cos., in the lease negotiations. Owen Hane of JLL represented the tenant.
COMMACK, N.Y. — Kids Empire will open a 21,000-square-foot indoor playground in the Long Island community of Commack. The facility will be located within a portion of a former grocery space at the 222,000-square-foot Mayfair Shopping and will be the brand’s first location on Long Island. Center E.J. Moawad of Levin Management Corp. represented the landlord in the lease negotiations. Melissa Naeder of Cushman & Wakefield represented Kids Empire.
NEW YORK CITY — Whole Foods Market will open an 8,500-square-foot store in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood on Wednesday, June 4. The small-format store will be located at 301 W. 50th St. and will offer a bakery and a prepared foods section. The opening of this store follows today’s opening of a 10,000-square-foot store within the StuyTown development in the East Village.