IN an absolut-ely fabulous deal, the Absolut Spirits Company is relocating its U.S. headquarters to Meringoff Properties’ 401 Park Avenue South.
The company is expanding to 40,000 feet on the entire 6th and 7th floors, which is more than double its current 1370 Ave. of the Americas offices.
Joel Isaacs and Marc Simon of Isaacs and Company represented Absolut while Mark S. Stein and Jared Solomon of Meringoff Properties represented the building owners in-house.
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Condo purchases may be slowing but investors are gobbling up large apartment buildings.
Meyberry House, a 193-unit apartment building at 220 E. 63rd St., was sold for $100 million to Jeff Goldberger of Atlas Capital Group.
The building includes 11 professional/medical suites, a 93-car public garage and a large rear yard that adds to its condo conversion pluses. Eastern Consolidated Properties’ Martin Ezratty represented the seller, Michael Kerr of M & R Management, while Brian Ezratty – Martin’s nephew – Vice Chairman and Principal of Eastern, procured Goldberger.
Brian Ezratty and Scott Ellard also represented the Nagel family in the sale of 905 West End Avenue at 104th St. for $45.5 million to Arnold Goldstein‘s Samson Management.
The 13-story building has courtyards and 53 units that overlook the Hudson River and Riverside Park. BlackRock Realty bought two buildings from the same long-time owners.
One is the 115-unit The Wellington at 200 E. 62nd St. for $28 million plus $145 million for the assignment of the lease.
It also purchased the 152-unit Westminster at 165 E. 66th St. for $30 million plus $124 million for its lease. The $327 million in deals were made on behalf of BlackRock’s client believed to be pension fund giant CalPERS and marketed through Darcy Stacom and Bill Shanahan of CB Richard Ellis.
Back in April, we told you BlackRock sold the Montrose at 308 E. 38th St. to a UBS Fund for $59.15 million.
Now, Montrose’s original developer, Veronica Hackett‘s Clarett Group, has purchased the tiny Carnegie Hotel at 229 W. 58th St. for $20 million from Carnegie Real Estate.
It is a quick air rights hop to 220 Central Park South, which she plans to tear down and replace with a 41-story building.
No plans have yet been filed for the new Cesar Pelli building and a sidewalk shed permit is merely for façade repair.
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Building owners Paramount, RFR, Reckson, Rudin, Tishman Speyer, Vornado and Fisher Bros. have partnered with the September Concert Foundation to host free musical events on their plazas and in parks on Sept. 11.
Other cities including Boston, Washington, D.C., London, Paris and Tokyo will hold concerts and all will focus on the healing power of music. Veronica Kelly, Project Coordinator of the September Concert – and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly‘s wife – plans to have the musicians pause at 2 p.m. EST for a sing-along of the Beatles’ “All You Need Is Love.”