The Big East has officially scored its own offices in the Big Apple.
The conference, which oversees play for 11 member schools’ sport programs and is led by Commissioner Val Ackerman, signed a 10-year lease at The Durst Organization’s 655 Third Ave. at the southeast corner of East 42nd Street.
The 13,742-square-foot space on the 7th floor will be entirely rebuilt and can also be used by staff from member institutions while in the area. A CoStar Group listing shows an asking rent of $54 per square foot.
Best known for its men’s basketball tournament at Madison Square Garden, the Big East Conference oversees the interplay of numerous sports for members Butler University, Creighton University, DePaul University, Georgetown University, Marquette University, Providence College, St. John’s University, Seton Hall University, Villanova University and Xavier University.
Bill Harvey and Jeffrey Rosenblatt of Newmark Grubb Knight Frank represented the Big East, which has been in temporary space with the law firm Proskauer Rose since last year. The conference headquarters was previously located in Providence, RI, but officials wanted to be closer to the advertising and media industries.
Durst was represented in-house by Karen Kuznick.
Another of the gorgeous Battery Park City rental buildings is being offered for sale, and, with a condo conversion in mind, could fetch more than $300 million.
Designed by Robert A.M. Stern and developed by the Related Companies, the 396-luxury rental Tribeca Park at 400 Chambers St. and River Terrace is directly on the Hudson River in the northern Battery Park City neighborhood.
The 325,365-square-foot dark red building has 1,786 square feet of retail and a 123-car garage in its 27 stories.
Other amenities include a landscaped roofdeck with a BBQ dining area, an indoor pool with skylights, a private garden, a business center, a fitness center and a children’s playroom. It’s also pet-friendly.
As an 80/20 building, only 80 percent may be converted to condominiums, with the rest remaining affordable rentals. Available no-fee studios now rent for $3,575 to $3,795 and one-bedrooms with balconies for $4,895 and $4,995.
Investment brokers Douglas Harmon and Adam Spies of Eastdil Secured have the assignment from Related to sell the property. In 2006, the duo sold 333 Rector Place, which was converted to condos and renamed 1 River Park.
Because of the high quality of finishes and amenities in the more recent construction at Battery Park City, many of the rental buildings have already been sold and converted. Related previously sold 225 Rector Place, which was also converted.
As we previously reported, the 42-story towering Tribeca Pointe, an 80/20 rental with 340 apartments in 285,000 square feet, is being sold by Rockrose through Studley. “The bid date is next Wednesday; interest has been strong and I’ve been touring my heart out,” said Woody Heller Studley’s Capital Markets chief. Here, too, only the 80 percent may be converted.
Also, just to keep in mind, the luxurious Ritz-Carlton New York-Battery Park hotel at the southern edge of Battery Park City is also being sold through Eastdil. It was part of a portfolio but is such a unique asset it has been carved out.
We also hear if someone buys the hotel, the Ritz could be booted, and some of the hotel units may also converted to more of those pricey panoramic condos that take up the top half of the property.
Despite an agreement with the city to swap its old land for a slice of 130 Liberty St., the city bureaucracy still thinks 150 Cedar St. is owned by the Hellenic Orthodox Church — and that it is a delinquent taxpayer.
We’ve discovered the vacant site at Cedar Street, which is being used to stage World Trade Center construction, is now on the city’s lien list as owing more than $82,000.
The charismatic Father Alexander Karloutsos told us he had no idea the church owed money. As he pointed out, even if the church still owned the property, the money still would not be owed, since they had a religious exemption.
But “had” is the operative word. Despite the church having been crushed on 9/11, bills are still sent to what the Department of Finance notes is a “bad address.” For some reason, the religious exemption was removed as of July 1, 2012.
As Post colleague Steve Cuozzo previously reported, the church has hired notoriously over-budget architect Santiago Calatrava to design the new church on the new plot on 130 Liberty.
The design is based on the domed Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.
“I believe we have the appropriate team, and we are working harmoniously and responsibly,” said Karloutsos. Let harmony reign.
Morris Bailey’s company, JEMB, has purchased 420-428 Albee Square in Brooklyn for $38,464,188 or $205 a buildable square foot. The current parking lot can be built to 185,000 square feet, and is directly opposite the entrance to the new City Point project.
Timothy King and Sean Kelly, Esq., who heads the CPEX investment team, represented the site’s owners, the Girard family. King said the family has tried over the years to sell the site, but it was long-term leased to a parking operator. With time ticking away on his lease, Bailey was able to convince him to sell and worked with the numerous family members until they were comfortable they had met their buyer.