Accounting firm Deloitte — one of the largest tenants on the market
for office space in New York City — has asked the city for at least
$10.65 million in tax credits in exchange for staying on this side of
the Hudson River and increasing its employee count, according to the
Observer. The firm, which is currently headquartered at 1633 Broadway
with offices at 25 Broadway and the World Financial Center, had been considering a move to New Jersey.
If the city doesn’t grant tax exemptions Deloitte wants — the total
sum requested could rise up to $21 million — the firm is threatening
to follow through with that interstate move. Last month, it was
reported that Deloitte was renewing its 400,000-square-foot lease
at Brookfield Properties’ 4 World Financial Center. According to the
firm’s request to the city, it is still in the process of negotiating
that lease, which will house its U.S. headquarters, and could thus back
out if it deems New Jersey a better choice. [NYO]

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Hachette Filipacchi, the publisher that recently lost out to beauty giant Avon in talks to take over several open floors at the William Kaufman Organization’s 777 Third Avenue, is reportedly closing in on a deal at the 48-story Time-Life Building at 1271 Avenue of the Americas in Rockefeller Center. The contract would be for 132,000 square feet of space previously occupied by Lehman Brothers, which had subleased the three floors from Time Inc. Hachette would be downsizing significantly from its current 263,010 square feet at 1633 Broadway, which is owned by Paramount. Deloitte is also expected to vacate 1633 Broadway soon, in a move that could leave the door open for television network A&E. Currently located at 235 East 45th Street, A&E is in the market for 350,000 square feet of space and is rumored to have looked at the Empire State Building and Worldwide Plaza in addition to Paramount’s building. [Post]

400 West 12th Street and Showtime’s Matthew Blank (Building photo source: PropertyShark)

A limited liability company affiliated with Showtime Networks chairman and CEO Matthew Blank paid $11.2 million for a condominium unit at the new West Village building Superior Ink at 400 West 12th Street near the West Side Highway.

The purchasing company, identified as Superior 10C LLC, went into contract on the four-bedroom sponsor unit October 2007 and closed on the purchase Nov. 30, city property records published yesterday show.
Blank, the head of the cable media company based in Midtown, paid about $3,463 per square foot for the 3,234-square foot unit. The transfer was made without a mortgage, indicating an all-cash purchase. [more]