747 Third Avenue

Led by flexible workspace firm Regus, five new companies have signed leases totaling approximately 53,422 square feet at the recently renovated 747 Third Avenue office building, landlord William Kaufman Organization said today. A Jones Lang LaSalle team composed of Frank Doyle and Alexis Tener represented the building, which occupies the full block between East 46th and East 47th streets, in the transactions.

Regus signed a 15-year lease at the building on 28,478 square feet for its three-floor flagship business center, featuring a 5,000-square-foot multi-purpose office lounge. Richard Rosenhaus of Rosenhaus Real Estate represented Regus through the negotiations. [more]

Melvyn Kaufman, a longtime executive of the William Kaufman Organization who built six Midtown skyscrapers and several more in the Financial District, died March 18, the New York Times reported.

Kaufman’s quirky personality was reflected in the office buildings he built, the New York Times said, as they frequently included eccentric elements and eschewed traditional lobbies. [more]

Clockwise from top left: Andrew Singer of the Singer & Bassuk Organization, 77 Water Street and Kathleen McSharry of the Singer & Bassuk OrganizationThe 26-story office building 77 Water Street in Lower Manhattan, which is net-leased in its entirety by financial giant Goldman Sachs, was refinanced with a $45 million loan from AXA-Equitable.

The loan was arranged by the Singer & Bassuk Organization on behalf of the building’s owners, the William Kaufman Organization and Travelers Insurance, according to a statement from Singer & Bassuk. The refinancing on the 600,000-square-foot building, located between Gouverneur Lane and William Street, closed Oct. 21, according to Singer & Bassuk CEO Andrew Singer, who negotiated the deal with
senior managing director Kathleen McSharry. – Adam Pincus [more]

From left: Colleen Susini, director at Regus, 477 Madison Avenue and 77 Water Street (buildings credits: PropertyShark)

International office space giant Regus, known for offering flexible long- and short-term leasing solutions for individuals and businesses, is expanding its presence in Manhattan, with two new office space options next month, plus at least one next year.

The company will be opening a 40,000-square-foot space at the William Kaufman Organization’s 77 Water Street and a 13,000-square-foot space at J.A.B. Madison Associates’ 477 Madison Avenue in November, Colleen Susini, director for the New York area at Regus, said. The two openings are part of a larger initiative to expand the company’s presence in New York City, which will also include an office at 411 Lafayette Street at the beginning of 2012. Details of the Lafayette Street space were not yet available. [more]

New Avon headquarters at 777 Third Avenue

Global beauty company Avon Products is today formally opening its new 246,500-square-foot headquarters on floors 2 through 11 at the William Kaufman Organization’s 777 Third Avenue, where it expects to become the first cosmetics company with Manhattan LEED-certified headquarters, according to a company statement.

The company is moving to the new space, between 48th and 49th streets, from its old location at 1251 Sixth Avenue between 49th and 50th streets, where it had been located for 15 years. The move to Third Avenue was announced in early 2010. [more]

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]

Avon, the beauty giant which had reportedly been angling for nearly 250,000 square feet at the William Kaufman Organization’s 777 Third Avenue, made the deal official last night after less than three months of negotiations, the Post reported. The 15-year lease on floors two through 11 outsizes all leases signed in 2009, with the exception of the Gap’s move to 40 Worth Street. Sources told the Post that Avon will receive one year of free rent, after which the company will initially pay in the low $40s per square foot. Rent will gradually increase from there to the low $50s per square foot. Avon, which is currently located at 1251 Avenue of the Americas, plans to move to 777 Third Avenue in early 2011. It is keeping its smaller offices at 1345 Sixth Avenue for the time being. Avon’s new digs were previously occupied by Grey Group, an advertising firm that relocated to 200 Fifth Avenue. Peter Riguardi and Frank Doyle of Jones Lang LaSalle and Michael Lenchner of Sage Realty represented the Kaufman Organization in the deal. CB Richard Ellis’ Jon Zuckerman and Leonard DiMicelli with Cushman & Wakefield’s Dale Schlather represented Avon. [Post]

In what may turn out to be one of the biggest Manhattan office leases of the year, beauty giant Avon is in the midst of negotiating a deal for 250,000 square feet of space at 777 Third Avenue for its new U.S. headquarters, sources told the Observer. The 15-year lease on the second through 10th floors of the William Kaufman Organization’s building means Avon would vacate its current space at 1251 Avenue of the Americas. Publishing company Hachette Filapacchi has reportedly also been eyeing some of that same space, and Peter Riguardi of Jones Lang LaSalle, who is representing the Kaufman Organization with Frank Doyle, said they are in good company. “We have almost 1 million square feet in proposals that we’ve been entertaining for the property,” he said. [NYO]