New York’s real estate titans celebrate at Cipriani
Anyone entering the holiday season bash thrown at Cipriani 42nd Street by Fried, Frank Real Estate Group Chairman Jonathan Mechanic knows to expect an awe-inspiring, celebratory roar rising to the great former banking hall’s ceiling.
The din of movers and shakers has been likened to the sound of a train at full throttle — at least in years when they’re making money. So it was appropriate that participants in the sale of air rights from Grand Central Terminal across the street to JPMorgan Chase arrived just minutes after the momentous deal — which was announced last February — finally closed last week.
The $240 million purchase speeds up Jamie Dimon’s plan for a new headquarters tower at 270 Park Ave. Several JPMorgan Chase honchos were joined by others from Michael Dell’s MSD Capital and partner TF Cornerstone, which owned 90 percent of the terminal’s air rights.
The day’s 800-point stock market drop didn’t dampen spirits. Rose Associates CEO Amy Rose crowed over rapid leasing at her firm’s new rental apartment building at Broadway and West 80th Street.
Rockefeller Group’s Ed Guiltinan enthused over swift office leasing at his company’s reclad and redesigned 1271 Sixth Ave.
CBRE’s downtown honcho Bruce Surry was all smiles over FiDi’s renaissance. Savills Studley’s Woody Heller chuckled over our recent item that credited him with dubbing West 48th Street the “penumbra” of Rockefeller Center.
Among others schmoozing and noshing: Related Companies’ Jeff Blau and Bruce Beal; Eastdil’s Roy March; CBRE’s Mary Ann Tighe, Stephen B. Siegel and Darcy Stacom; Jimmy Kuhn of Newmark Knight Frank; Cushman & Wakefield’s Bruce Mosler, Tara Stacom and Patrick Murphy; Extell super-developer Gary Barnett; Rudin Management CEO Bill Rudin; Angelo Gordon Co.’s Adam Schwartz; Boston Properties’ David Hamamoto and John Powers; CIM Group’s Ariel Milo; Avison Young’s Mitti Liebersohn; and the oft-in-the-news Charles Kushner.
A beaming Mechanic, who posed for photos with seemingly every one of 1,200 guests, said, “Everyone was in great spirits and looking forward, optimistically, to an exciting new year.”