By Al Barbarino 4/03 7:45am

Lease Beat

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Schnipper’s Signs Lease at 570 Lexington

Schnipper’s Quality Kitchen has signed a lease to occupy 3,021 square feet of ground level retail and storage space at 570 Lexington Avenue, The Feil Organization announced today, confirming previous published reports that the fast-casual restaurant was eyeing the space.

Known for its burgers, fries, shakes and other old-fashioned American-style offerings, the restaurant will open in the fourth quarter of 2013, joining upscale restaurant Mr. K’s at the property.

“We wanted a tenant that would be an amenity for the building and the area,” said Brian Feil, VP of Leasing at the firm, in a statement.  “There are not a lot of fast-casual restaurants in the area and Schnipper’s will be perfectly situated to serve this prestigious Lexington Avenue corporate corridor.” Read More

By Al Barbarino 2/11 1:39pm

Lease Beat

608 Fifth Avenue

Vornado Scoops Ground Lease at Art Deco Gem Swiss Center

Vornado Realty Trust has reportedly taken control of the ground lease at the landmarked 11-story Swiss Center at 608 Fifth Avenue, where the REIT is marketing 44,440 square feet of retail space across four of its floors.

Vornado took over RFR Realty’s mortgage on the property last March with an $8.5 million payment that RFR owed to another lender and signed the ground lease on the property with the family of the late Sarah Korein, which owns the land under the building, according to the New York Post. Read More

By Al Barbarino 1/16 7:00am

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Rob Speyer

IN-SPEYER-ING: Tishman Speyer President Rob Speyer on REBNY

In July, the Real Estate Board of New York announced that Rob Speyer, 43, president and co-CEO of Tishman Speyer, would succeed Mary Ann Tighe to become its youngest chairman ever. Stepping in this month, he is the third successive generation of his family to hold the post—also a first in the organization’s 117-year history. Though he might have a reputation as being media-shy, Mr. Speyer’s success in real estate is no secret—his company has completed $6 billion in new transactions and raised $4.5 billion of new equity since 2010. Mr. Speyer sat down with The Commercial Observer last week for a rare interview to discuss his new appointment, his agenda for REBNY in 2013, following in his father and grandfather’s footsteps, and the best way forward for New York City as global competition ramps up.  

Read More