JASON Binn is moving his Niche Media publishing empire to the Sapir Organization’s 100 Church St., just one block from Ground Zero.
“It’s about creating a great open environment,” said Binn of the new space, 45,000 feet on the seventh floor with wide windows.
“We are a fun, exciting business and it’s not about people on different floors.”
The company, which publishes Gotham (in which I write a column), Hamptons and many other titles, will be moving in as soon as they can from 25,000 feet at 257 Park Ave. South.
“Niche headquarters is in New York and it has been a challenge in our office,” said Binn, whose firm in June formed a strategic partnership with Ocean Drive Media Group and Michael T. Carr and Brian Greenspun‘s Greenspun Media Group.
They realized that in order to grow and keep expanding they needed an office “to grow into and not grow out of.”
“This is great for the building and for the image of the building,” said Alex Sapir, president of the Sapir Organization. “They are a strong tenant and a strong image for what the building is going to be.”
The deal is a major coup for downtown as it is the first for the building since Sept. 11, 2001, when it was damaged and shut down.
The building has since been renovated, including a major overhaul of the lobby with its Swarovski crystal chandeliers, which were among the items that attracted Binn.
Asking rent for the space was in the $40s per foot and it is not eligible for any tenant incentives.
“He won over my entire team and got us to the signing table,” said Binn of Sapir.
Neil Sroka and Anita Grossberg from the Corcoran Group walked the city with Binn and his brother, Jeff Binstock, who also liked the synergies with the TriBeCa neighborhood.
Bradley Gerla, Steve Siegel and Howard Fiddle of CB Richard Ellis represented Sapir.
Meanwhile, on Sept. 19, Sapir and Donald J. Trump launch sales at Trump SoHo. But last week, Sapir was in Monaco celebrating the 60th birthday of his dad, CEO Tamir Sapir, at Jimmy’z at Le Sporting Club.
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National Financial Partners, the public company that’s run by Jessica Bibliowicz, daughter of former Citigroup Chairman Sandy Weill, has signed up for 99,485 feet plus expansion room at the top of 340 Madison Ave.
The Macklowe Organization renovated and reskinned the building before selling it to Scott Lawlor‘s Broadway Partners last fall.
They have since upgraded the elevator cabs.
NFP will move to the entire 19th, 20th and 21st floors of the 22-story building. Asking rent for the high floors at 340 Madison is $90 a foot.
Alexander Chudnoff and Haley Klein of Cushman & Wakefield represented the tenant, which is moving out of 36,000 feet at 787 Seventh Ave. and subleasing that space to securities firm Keefe Bruyette & Woods by the same team.
Matthew Astrachan and Mitchell Konsker, also of C&W, represented the owners.
“The 19th floor has a double-height ceiling and the 20th has a wraparound terrace,” said Chudnoff, describing what attracted NFP to the building.
McDermott Will & Emery and Mass Mutual are among the other tenants.
About 200,000 feet is left to lease in the base, but Konsker said they are drawing leases for two other floors and there is a lot of activity.
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The pre-war apartment building at 752 West End Ave. was bought by the boys from Westbrook Partners for $85,787,799.
The building is on the southeast corner of West 97th Street and calls were not returned by press time.
The Paris Health Club has its gym in the base.