Part of 575 Fifth Ave. turned into commercial condominum

A portion of the office building at 575 Fifth Avenue, at 47th Street, has been turned into a commercial condominium by its owner, MetLife. The office condo consists of floors eight through 11 and floors 14
through 40, while three retail units encompass the concourse
through third floors. The main tenant in the building is L’Oreal, which occupies 389,000 square feet through 2012, and Barney’s which renewed its 40,000-square-foot space last year. According to permits filed with the city Department of Buildings, architectural firm Gensler is adding a mezzanine to the building’s retail atrium, and a restaurant is planned for the concourse space.