Hammacher Schlemmer building getting extra floor

12-story Midtown East office-and-retail property set for expansion

147 East 57th Street and Hammacher's original   13th Street store
147 East 57th Street and Hammacher's original   13th Street store

The owner of the Midtown office building that houses famed retailer Hammacher Schlemmer plans to add an extra floor to the site, according to permits filed with the Department of Buildings on Wednesday.

Rodrigo Moscoso, manager of MIP US Holdings LLC, acquired the 12-story building at 145-147 East 57th Street, between Third and Lexington avenues, from real estate firm Jenel Management for $34 million back in 2010, property records show. Sterling Interiors Group is handling design of the new floor.

Plans call for the construction of new interior partitions, ceilings and doors, and the transferring of the zoning floor area.

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In 2010, Hammacher Schlemmer announced it would end its 4,000-square-foot lease later that year, as previously reported. The store’s management changed its mind and decided to make renovations to the existing structure. The gadget specialist occupies the first three floors in the building.

The address has long been the flagship space for Hammacher Schlemmer, which opened for business as primarily a hardware store in 1848. The company didn’t move into the 53,600-square-foot building on 57th Street, however, until 1926.

Moscoso could not be immediately reached for comment.