By Al Barbarino 2/26 11:03am

Development

Rendering of 7 Bryant Park

Developers Break Ground at 7 Bryant Park

Developers broke ground at 7 Bryant Park yesterday, with a consortium of public officials including Mayor Michael Bloomberg gathering to pitch the trophy office tower as a boon for the city.

Politicians are touting the planned 28-story, 470,000-square-foot steel and glass tower, slated for completion in the first quarter of 2015, as a magnet for good jobs, talent and companies.

“The best days are still to come to Bryant Park – a place the city has worked hard to bring roaring back to life,” Mr. Bloomberg said at the ceremony, adding that the project will bring “more top-tier, cutting-edge commercial space, and more leading companies and their tax revenue to Midtown Manhattan.” Read More

By Al Barbarino 2/20 7:30am

Controversies

(Photo: The Real Deal)

Round 2: City Landlords Kick and Scream Back Following Allegations of Broker Leapfrogging

Some city landlords are kicking and screaming back after an article published in The Commercial Observer yesterday morning cited sources who allege that a new wave of city landlords are leapfrogging brokers to get at retail tenants directly—but many continue to claim that the landlords do just that.

Wharton Properties’ Jeff Sutton, who sources name among several landlords, sought to set the record straight yesterday, claiming that “95 percent of the deals I do have brokers” and calling the implication that he does otherwise “disgusting.”

“Some deals where I’ve had relationships [with] tenants for many years, who don’t have brokers, I do myself, but how could you put me in that category,” he said.  “I’ve never ever gone around anybody.” Read More

By Michael Ewing 7/06/12 9:30am

Lease Beat

Courtesy of Off The Broiler

Fairway Set to Open Fourth Location

Fairway has inked a lease deal in Kips Bay Plaza for its fourth Manhattan location.

The grocery store will grab a 42,000-square-foot corner lot at 542-580 Second Avenue. The space will occupy 2,000 square feet on the ground level and escalators and glass elevators will bring shoppers to a massive 40,000-square-foot lower level with 20-foot Read More

By Carl Gaines 6/28/12 2:11pm

retail beat

nordstrom-logo-wallpaper

Details on Nordstrom’s 225 West 57th Street Location

On the heels of The Commercial Observer’s report yesterday about all signs pointing to Nordtrom taking space at Extell Development’s project at 225 West 57th Street, the company said today that it has now finalized those plans. The store is projected to open in 2018 and excavation work could begin by the first quarter of 2013. When it opens, it will be the retailer’s New York flagship, and its first full-line store in the city. Read More