Publicis, the advertising firm that somehow convinced Chevy Chase to reprise his hilariously hapless Clark Griswold character during the Super Bowl, all to market a little-known house-swapping Web site called HomeAway, will consolidate its New York operations at Bill Rudin‘s 35-story tower at Broadway and 52nd Street.
Publicis employees now housed at George Comfort & Sons’ Worldwide Plaza at 825 Eighth Avenue will, starting this summer, report to work on the 28th, 29th and 30th floors of 1675 Broadway, where the firm has signed a new 70,000-square-foot lease.
Publicis already has more than 300,000 square feet at the building, and was choosing between staying at Worldwide or consolidating on Broadway. The firm opted for the latter, largely because the asking rent was much cheaper, according to a source familiar with the negotiations.
The 10-year lease will run concurrently with the remaining 10 years on the firm’s 300,000-square-foot lease. Publicis, the fourth-largest advertising firm in the world, also has digs in Herald Square.
Byrnam Wood chairman Joseph Thanhauser and principal Gordon Ogden, who represented the mad men, wouldn’t comment for this story. Publicis real estate head Thomas Trepanier could not be reached for comment. Nor could Rudin Management, which was represented in house by Robert Steinman.
drubinstein@observer.com
