Japanese Flavor and Aroma Firm Takasago Extends at 70 East 55th Street

A Japanese flavor and scent developer is staying put in Midtown East.

Takasago International Corporation signed a five-and-a-half-year extension on its  4,730-square-foot lease at Amtad and Tak Development’s 70 East 55th Street, also known as Heron Tower, according to the tenant broker Open Impact Real Estate.

The brokerage did not disclose the asking rent, but average asking rent in Midtown was $82.84 per square foot in July, according to a report from CBRE.

“For Takasago, [maintaining operational and cultural goals] meant preserving their prime Midtown location, gaining access to new building amenities and refreshing their workspace — all in a way that strengthens their long-term business objectives,” Lindsay Ornstein, co-founder of Open Impact, said in a statement.

Ornstein, Casey Noel and Sasha Perlov of Open represented the tenant in the transaction, while Paul Glickman, Diana Biasotti and Thomas Swartz of JLL handled negotiations for the landlords.

JLL did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Takasago, founded in 1920 in Japan, develops flavors and aromas as additives to food, beverages and personal care products. It’s unclear when it originally occupied Heron Tower.

Other tenants in the building include corporate law firm Meltzer, Lippe, Goldstein and Breitstone, which has occupied about 11,670 square feet on the 18th floor of the 27-story property between Madison and Park avenues after expanding in 2023.

Mark Hallum can be reached at mhallum@commercialobserver.com.