Kenneth, Steven and Winston Fisher

Kenneth, Steven and Winston Fisher took virtual work to the next level in 2020 by giving tenants tours using augmented reality.

“On the iPhone, we could actually show you what the space could look like,” Kenneth Fisher said. “Virtual tours became something that we had to adapt to, and we did … all the while retrofitting the properties with safety features.”

As technology became the name of the game, Fisher Brothers embraced it in art as well. They unveiled two digital art displays at 1345 Avenue of the Americas and a 60-foot display at 299 Park Avenue.

Just a few months ago, Fisher Brothers completed a $20 million lobby renovation at 299 Park, and an $120 million renovation of the exterior and the interior, including the lobby, at 1345 Avenue of the Americas. The buildings are ready, Kenneth Fisher said — now all they need are the tenants to return.

Among the major tenants the owner signed in 2020 are asset manager Jennison Associates, which signed a 15-year, 121,000-square-foot lease at 55 East 52nd Street; and Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company, which signed a 130,000-square-foot lease at 1345 Avenue of the Americas. Fisher also closed on a $400 million refinance for their office tower at 605 Third Avenue.

Fisher Brothers’ busy 2020 didn’t stop there. They started a company, Ease Hospitality, to manage amenities at 1345 Avenue of the Americas, and it’s already under contract for another location with plans for a third.

Out west, Fisher Brothers launched their Las Vegas entertainment venue, AREA15, in the middle of the pandemic. It’s seeing more than 40,000 visitors a week, drawn to the space’s psychedelic art and events, and Fisher is planning another building in Las Vegas of more than 180,000 square feet. Plus, Winston Fisher said he was meeting with multiple tenants each week who want to lease 100,000 square feet total.

“I spent three years asking everybody to come, and now everybody’s asking me to be there,” he said.

You can expect a busy rest of the year for Fisher Brothers, with plans for a 135-foot tower bar for sky-high drinks and a concert series at AREA15, as well as additional immersive entertainment holdings in cities like Orlando, Austin, Atlanta and Nashville.—C.Y.