The owners of the former Blue Cross and Blue Shield building at 622 Third Ave. have finally leased the last of their space, The Post has learned.
CMGI, a Nasdaq-100 company specializing in Internet commerce, has agreed to take approximately 105,000 square-feet on the eighth to 11th floors of what is now called the Grand Central Plaza building.
“You know the [economic] times are really good when even Charlie Cohen can fill a building,” said an industry watcher, referring to owner Charles S. Cohen’s reputed hardball tactics with potential tenants.
Indeed, the 39-story tower sat nearly vacant for two years after Cohen bought it in December 1997 for a reported $171 million.
Last year, iCast, an Internet entertainment division of Massachusetts-based CMGI which is chaired by David Wetherell, leased 36,000 square feet in the building, and it will now be combined with its parent company.
The terms of the lease were not disclosed, but rents in the building have been running $42 to $53 per square foot.
Representing CMGI is Dale F. Schlather of Cushman Realty Corp. Schlather had no comment on the deal.
Last month, advertising giant McCann-Erickson & Cohen signed a lease for more than 500,000 square feet after having been locked in a months-long on-again, off-again negotiating struggle.
Also joining the building is TMP Worldwide, the parent of Monster.com, which has taken 144,000 square feet on the top four floors.
The street-level retail space will house Tuscan Steak, a 300-seat, upscale steakhouse due to open this fall.