AFTER 190 years, Brooks Brothers has finally chosen a spot for a store in Rockefeller Center.
Brooks Brothers will take over the French Connection UK’s duplex at 1270 Avenue of the Americas.
The space has 2,936 feet on the ground and 1,031 feet in the concourse level on the north side of the Radio City Music Hall at the corner of 51st Street.
We hear the Retail Brand Alliance-owned clothing chain will begin renovations in March to get ready for a late summer opening.
Frank DiMucci of DiMucci Partners represented Brooks Brothers in negotiating the long-term lease. Neither he nor various reps from Brooks Brothers and Rockefeller Center returned calls for comment.
Earlier this year, we said the oldest clothing retailer in the country received $47 million for agreeing to vacate its spot at the Kushner family-owned ‘s 666 Fifth Ave. to make way for an Abercrombie & Fitch store.
Brooks Brothers is also expanding its store at 346 Madison Ave. next door to include 11 E. 44th St.
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There have been persistent rumors that the W New York Downtown Hotel & Residences’ condominiums have been languishing and the property is going back to the bank.
Nonsense, says developer Joseph Moinian, who said his $250 million in loans, now with PB Capital, are just fine.
Already, more than $100 million in condos have been sold and while he’s not selling many these days, he noted he’s not alone.
“It’s not just us, but anybody,” Moinian said. “Take a look at any condos now and it’s not the most desirable time to sell.”
But Moinian declared that spring is coming, the former Deutsche Bank building to north of his building at 130 Liberty St. is coming down and lower interest rates are here.
Yesterday, Tishman Construction was pouring the 34th floor of 58 now rising at 123 Washington St., and will top out in about 75 days. The curtain wall is also rising quickly.
“The hotel is the best brand – it’s chic and young and will bring a beautiful thing to downtown Manhattan,” said Moinian. “People want to live in that atmosphere with those levels of finishes and services.”
Pricing runs from $1.2 million to $2.25 million for units on the 33rd through 56th floors. The hotel will open in June before the residences are completed in early fall.
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Netherlands- based document-management tenant OCE looked everywhere with Michael Liss of CB Richard Ellis and finally picked a winner when the new lobby and two additional elevators were finally unveiled at 1333 Broadway.
The company – which is consolidating from 441 Lexington Ave., 460 West 31st St. and 780 Third Ave. – took the entire 29,566 foot sixth floor for the next 15 years.
John Fanuzzi and Brandl Frey of Newmark Knight Frank represented the W&H Properties owners which cut the deal in the low $50s a foot.
“They are an outstanding tenant with impeccable balance sheets,” said Anthony Malkin, president of W&H.
