Jumbo tenants are al ready lining up to fill Société Générale’s 536,000 square-foot space at 1221 Ave. of the Americas when it exits by 2013 for 444,000 square feet at 245 Park Ave.
The largest lease so far this year was announced by the financial firm.
Sources say three of the likely contenders are Bank of America, led by Cushman & Wakefield’s Melissa Bazar; Nomura, led by Cushman & Wakefield’s John Cefaly; and Wells Fargo, whose search is under the guidance of partner Eastdil Secured’s Ben Lambert.
“It’s like a feeding frenzy for that building,” said one top broker who is familiar with the building and the city’s largest space searches.
“It is exquisite granite from top to bottom. You have Del Frisco and Oceana and all the access to Rockefeller Center, and the top floor of the building is a private dining club run by McGraw-Hill.”
The parties either did not respond or declined comment. Stay tuned.
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The Joyce Theater is being bumped out of Chelsea by high rents.
As we explained earlier this month, nonprofits are having a rough time as their decade-long, low-rent leases start expiring.
The theater company is now looking for a 30,000 square-foot spot for a 500-seat theater to replace its current home at 175 Eighth Ave., where its lease will expire in 2016.
Paul Wolf of Denham Wolf is leading the search, which is including prospective new buildings in the Hudson Yards and Chelsea area as well as adaptive reuse of existing building bases.
“They are looking to own and either buy a building outright or purchase a condo in the base of a new tower,” said Wolf.
The Joyce will also open a 1,000-seat theater as part of the cultural building being developed on the World Trade Center site.
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Washington, DC-based law firm BuckleySandler is moving its city spot to 1133 Ave. of the Americas.
The lawyers signed a 17,372 square-foot lease for nearly the entire 31st floor along with options for the remaining 5,000 feet.
The Durst-owned tower is on the west side of the block between West 43rd and 44th streets, and near the firm’s current home at 505 Fifth Ave.
The Durst Organization was represented in-house by Eric Engelhardt, while the lawyers handled their side themselves.
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Textbook company AMSCO School Publications has renewed three years early and restructured its lease for 26,342 square feet on the fifth floor of 315 Hudson St., where it has been a tenant for 45 years.
Cushman & Wakefield’s team of Alexander Chudnoff and Scott Vinett represented AMSCO in the transaction, while building owner Jack Resnick & Sons was repped internally by Brett Greenberg.
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Virgo Business Centers has signed a 41,370 square-foot lease for the entire fourth floor of 575 Lexington Ave. for its fourth Manhattan business center.
The business center company was repped by Paul Wexler, president of Corcoran Wexler Properties, while building owner Silverstein Properties was represented in-house by Roger Silverstein and Jeremy Moss.
Virgo is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2011.
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As the YM/WREA luncheon speaker last month, Ofer Yardeni of Stonehenge Partners declared his “perfect” apartment rental tenant is a young investment banker who goes to the local gym in the morning — and then showers there — goes to work, eats out and doesn’t return to his apartment until 9 p.m.
“They never use the kitchen, never use the water and never use the appli ances,” Yardeni explained.
The Israeli-born Yardeni was also honored in No vember by the Friends of the Is rael Defense Forces at an event at Gotham Hall.
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As you know, dear readers, the home is a dangerous place, and that’s where I managed to break my ankle on Monday. I am therefore writing this from my hospital bed, and wish everyone a happy, healthy and safe New Year.
