Clockwise from top left: Howard Dolch and Robin Abrams, Lansco; Gary Alterman, Robert Futterman, Ariel Schuster of RKF (credit Amanda Marsh); Joanne Podell, C&W; David Green, C&W; Natalia Macias, Tishman Speyer (credit Adam Pincus); Cherri Nanninga, CBRE; Gene Spiegelman, C&W; Mark Finkelstein, Retail Strategies (credit Adam Pincus); (center) Robert Futterman, RKF; (r.) Benjamin Fox, Massey Knakal (credit Adam Pincus)
Robin Abrams and Howard Dolch of Lansco received the award for “Most Creative
Retail Deal of the Year” by the Real Estate Board of New York last night for their
representation of discount stores Filene’s Basement and Syms Clothing in opening a
new flagship location at 530 Fifth Avenue in Midtown.
Robert Futterman, Gary Alterman and Ariel Schuster of Robert K. Futterman &
Associates received a prize for the deal that “most benefits Manhattan,” for representing
grocery store Fairway Market, which took a space at 240 East 86th Street in Yorkville.
The awards for the 2010 top retail deals were announced at a cocktail party at 101 Park
Avenue in Midtown.
The Filene’s/Syms deal required Abrams and Dolch to develop a three-level store layout
to accommodate the new store at Fifth Avenue and 43rd Street. The two brands are
owned by Syms, which bought the bankrupt Filene’s in 2009. In addition, the brokers
convinced Syms, which was relocating its flagship from 400 Park Avenue, to move to the less-trafficked retail area of
Fifth Avenue below 48th Street.
The 45,283-square-foot Fairway deal was deemed significant because of local residents’
requests for what is the first new grocery store in the neighborhood in 30 years, REBNY
said in a statement announcing the winners.
REBNY selected the winners from among a group of a dozen submissions, which were
announced last month. Brokers who left empty-handed included Cushman & Wakefield’s
Bradley Mendelson, Alan Schmerzler and David Green, who represented the owners
of 666 Fifth Avenue, in Midtown at the corner of 53rd Street, where Japanese retailer
Uniqlo leased 89,000 square feet; and CB Richard Ellis’s Susan Kurland, an executive
vice president, who represented outdoor retailer REI in a 39,000-square foot lease at the
Puck Building, at 295 Lafayette Street at Houston Street in Soho. TRD