From left: the site at 117-119 West 21st Street, Robert Knakal, chairman of Massey Knakal Realty Services, and David Schechtman, principal at Eastern Consolidated

A prime Chelsea development site has hit the market with Eastern Consolidated’s David Schechtman, Alan Miller and Paul Nigido, but only after a listing skirmish that pitted two of the city’s most active investment sales brokerages against one another.

The parcel, currently home to a four-story gallery, is being sold out of bankruptcy with an asking price of $15.5 million. But the unsecured lenders for the site, at 117-119 West 21st Street, opposed Eastern Consolidated’s representation of the seller, the Arc Building LP, court documents show. [more]

David Schechtman of Eastern Consolidated and 2300 Cropsey Avenue

A Swedish bank that holds dozens of former Lehman Brothers Holdings notes has retained commercial brokerage Eastern Consolidated to market the defaulted mortgage on a prospective Brooklyn development site owned by developer Alexander Gurevich, Eastern broker David Schectman, who is handling the listing, confirmed to The Real Deal today. [more]

David Schectman, a broker with Eastern Consolidated

The sale of distressed property notes, especially in the under the $10 million range in New York City, have seen an uptick recently, Crain’s reported. David Schechtman, a broker with Eastern Consolidated, said he has been selling about two notes a week since the beginning of the year, and thinks the increased interest is because investors are less skittish now. He also said he expects “more notes to pour onto the market,” according to Crain’s. [more]

From left: Jonathon Yormak and David Peretz of East End Partners, Jackie Renton, principal of Aion, David Schechtman of Eastern Consolidated and 25-27 Mercer Street

A 27,750-square-foot mixed-use retail and residential property in Soho tenanted by retailers Nike, Sportswear USA and sportswear retailer Surface to Air, has changed hands in a transaction valued at $18 million, David Schechtman, executive managing director at Eastern Consolidated, told The Real Deal today. [more]

David Schechtman and 310 East 55th Street

The 3.6-acre waterfront plot near Citi Field in Queens that was reported to be in default by The Real Deal  is guaranteed by 75 co-op units in Midtown Manhattan.

According to the New York Daily News, lender U.S. Bank is seeking the highest bid for the mortgage it provided to Abs Flushing Development for the site, at 39-08 Janet Place. The new owner will also take control of the co-ops at 310 East 55th Street. [more]

Marion Jones (l) & David Schechtman of Eastern Consolidated and 310 East 55th Street

In a strange twist, a Queens development site comes with a free gift — 75 sponsor units in a Manhattan residential co-op, Crain’s reported.

The buyer of the defaulted loan for a 3.7-acre development site in Flushing, Queens, near Citi Field, will also get 75 apartments at 310 East 55th Street, because the apartments were used as collateral for the loan. U.S. Bank National Association made the loan to ABS Flushing Development in 2006, Crain’s said. Crain’s didn’t know the size or value of the apartments at press time. [more]

Helen Hwang, an executive vice president at Cushman & Wakefield, Aaron Jungreis, president at Rosewood Realty Group, James Nelson, a partner at Massey Knakal Realty Services, David Schechtman, senior director at Eastern Consolidated

Compiled by Adam Pincus
Brokers broadly expect next year to be an improvement over 2011 in New York City’s investment sales market, although concerns about the global economy and financial services layoffs create uncertainty, and that puts a drag on activity. This year, total investment sales are expected to end up at about $25 billion, far ahead of the $14.5 billion in 2010. The Real Deal talked to a series of brokers about what they expect for the new year. [more]

From left: Marion Jones and David Schechtman of Eastern Consolidated and 701 West 135th Street

A free-standing retail building near Columbia University’s developing Manhattanville campus has hit the market for $11 million, according to Eastern Consolidated, which is the exclusive listing agent for the property.

The 18,200-square-foot, rectangular building at 701 West 135th Street currently yields more than $400,000 in annual income from current leases, according to the listing, with one retail suite still vacant. Alternatively, the two in-place leases each contain terms to provide for vacant delivery by summer 2012.

“It’s an absolutely phenomenal opportunity to reposition a 20,000-square-foot building in a proven retail strip,” said Marion Jones, a director at Eastern, who shares the listing with colleague David Schechtman. – Katherine Clarke [more]

The developer of a high-end, 9-unit building on the Upper West Side has abandoned plans to sell the units individually as condominiums and instead is offering to sell the entire property in one transaction, with an asking price of $22.8 million.

Brooklyn-based Manor Properties Group constructed the new, 10-story building at 208 West 96th Street, between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, and was given its certificate of occupancy in April.
But attempts by Halstead Property Development Marketing to sell the units as condominiums with prices according to Streeteasy.com of about $2.3 million each, failed. Then Manor Properties tried renting the apartments, which are all full-floor, three-bedroom units. [more]

From left: Siraj Dadabhoy, principal of Aion, David Schectman, principal at Eastern Consolidated, 57-63 Greene Street and 21-25 Mercer Street

New York real estate investment fund Aion Partners is marketing two Soho retail condominiums in an effort to capitalize on demand for these types of properties in key locations, Crain’s reported.

The company has listed a 13,700-square-foot condo at 57-63 Greene Street and another at 21-25 Mercer Street, the latter which includes a residential condo unit and three stores. Tenants at the first property include Bang & Olufsen, Cyrus Co. and Raul Carrasco and at the second, Nike, Toto and Surface to Air.

“The tenants are paying at least 40 percent below current rents so there is a great opportunity for upside,” said David Schechtman, a principal at Eastern Consolidated, who is handling the sales. “But you also have solid cash flow.” The asking prices for the properties are $19 million and $20 million, respectively. [more]