HOW do you leave Carnegie Hall? Simply get an office closer to Penn Station to keep your commuting employees happy.
Former child-prodigy violinist Midori has relocated the offices of her nonprofit educational organization from 850 Seventh Ave. – about two blocks south of the famous concert hall – to 1,500 square feet on the ninth floor of the Media Technology Center at 352 Seventh Ave., between 29th and 30th streets.
Eric Levy and Paul Walker of Adams & Co. represented the artist in the deal for the space, which had an asking rent of $29 a foot. Paul Wasserman of family owners A.M. Wasserman did the deal in-house, built the musician’s three private offices and upgraded the air conditioning.
Midori, now 32, who records for Sony Classical, became an overnight sensation in 1982 when conductor Zubin Mehta presented her as a surprise guest soloist during the New York Philharmonic’s New Year’s Eve concert.
A decade ago the artist founded Midori & Friends to present free programs and music education to New York City public school students. Midori herself and various ensembles and artist-teachers have so far served more than 100,000 kids.
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Danny Meyer is mulling more than cider at the Gramercy Tavern. He and his partners, including chef Tom Colicchio, are being offered the option to purchase the retail space that they have leased for the restaurant at 42-48 E. 20th St. since it opened in 1993.
Now, with a lease that doesn’t end until 2013, Meyer et al. will have to do the math – deciding whether they want to control their destiny by paying around $2.95 million now, or continue to pay someone else their pioneering, practically submarine-level rent for the 7,271-square-foot restaurant with a 7,121-square-foot basement.
“There’s no decision as yet, and they are still negotiating,” said Nick Mautone, managing partner of the restaurant.
According to Kenneth Horn of Alchemy Properties, which owns the building, if Meyer & co. don’t buy it, the company will find another buyer.
Meanwhile, Alchemy is converting the upper stories to 23 residential loft/condos that will be known as the Bullmoose Condominium. It seems Teddy Roosevelt, New York’s former police commissioner, was born on the block; he eventually ran (but lost) his final run for president on the Bull Moose Party line.
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Two more new residential condominium projects are being planned for Houston Street. Last year, two lots were sold by parking lot magnate Hank Sopher and his partner in those plots, developer Ian Bruce Eichner, who hooked up with the now Florida-based Sopher to have the land rezoned to residential.
“I sell when I need money down here,” laughed Sopher, who has also been investing in the Palm Beach area.
The first lot at 25 West Houston was sold to Metropolitan Housing Partners for about $9 million, while the second, at 60 West Houston, was sold for $7.8 million to Tri-Beach Holdings. Eastern Consolidated worked as the brokers.
At 25 West Houston, Metropolitan’s Jane Gladstein and her partner, Christopher Martorella, are constructing a nine-story view condo that will be known as Soho 25.
Architect H. Thomas O’Gara, with the aid of historically correct architects Beyer Blinder Belle, has created a double façade to make the new project look as though it has always been there.
The 32 luxury loft condos of mostly one and two bedrooms will be priced below market. The project also includes three penthouses of up to 3,200 square feet that will be clad in zinc and look as if they were added on to the rest of the building.
Cetra/Rudy Architects is adding some finishing details to the interiors of all the units. The building will also feature 8,000 square feet of retail stores, an attended lobby, a roof deck and storage lockers. Sales start next month through the marketing directors.
Speaking at the Professional Women in Construction panel we moderated last week, Gladstein said they have also changed the format of their project at 30th Street and Second Avenue, from rentals to condos. To do so, they stopped work for about six weeks and changed the finishes and details, bringing them up to a nicer level for more sophisticated buyers.