http://www.observer.com Just another WordPress site Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:18:39 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en After weeks of rumors and speculation, the rebooted Domino magazine has a landing page, a Twitter, and a Facebook. The beloved Conde Nast shelter title, shuttered in the dark days of 2009, returns to newsstands April 17, with a special edition of  "quick fixes." Gourmet next, please. Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2012/02/domino-magazine-returns-april-17/ It would have been easy for Lou D’Avanzo and his Cushman & Wakefield leasing team to rest on their laurels.

While Condé Nast’s million-square-foot lease at 1 World Trade Center last year has become a dominant emblem of downtown’s resurgence as a popular destination for office tenants, the C&W group’s lease-up of 77 Water Street has also etched its way into recent lore in the neighborhood.

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]]> http://www.observer.com/2012/02/when-it-rains-it-pours-at-77-water-st/ “For us, we had to do something different,” said Donald Trump Jr. last week, his voice rising with excitement.

Freshly tanned from a recent visit to Mexico, where he was overseeing a new project, the slicked-back scion grew steadily more enthusiastic as he discussed 40 Wall Street, an office tower that, with its rising and falling tenant roster, has contributed to the Trump Organization executive vice president’s growing reputation as a competent steward of the family name, a reliable fixer and successful dealmaker in his own right. Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2012/01/trump-card-the-rise-of-40-wall-street-and-its-steward-donald-trump-jr/ As one of the original sons of Jack Resnick & Sons—the 84-year-old, family-owned development firm—Burton Resnick has steered the company to continued success while keeping it all in the family. The firm, which has more than five million square feet of office space under its purview, is now being led by Jonathan Resnick, Mr. Resnick’s son. But that hardly means Burton is out of the game. He still has plenty of buildings in need of a modern touch-up, fitting two of them—the Symphony House, at 235 West 56th Street, and 199 Water Street—with all the trappings of a modern building (Wi-Fi, generators, security systems, etc.). Mr. Resnick spoke to The Commercial Observer earlier this month about the joys and attendant challenges of updating a building for modern times.
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]]> http://www.observer.com/2012/01/the-touch-up-artist/ Endurance Reinsurance needed more office space. But growing wasn’t going to be as easy as just tacking a few new floors onto its existing footprint.

The firm had split its operations between two closely located buildings on Third Avenue, 750 and 767 Third Avenue. A quick perusal of the former revealed that only a tantalizing scrap on the building’s 10th floor was available. Alone, it wasn’t going to cut it. Endurance, a roughly 60,000-square-foot tenant at the time, was looking to grow by about 50 percent or more.

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]]> http://www.observer.com/2012/01/endurance-ensures-750-third/ Two years ago this month, CBRE tristate chief executive Mary Ann Tighe rattled cages when the Real Estate Board of New York named her its first female chairwoman in the 116-year-old organization’s history. During those 24 months, the former TV executive—yes, she helped launch cable channel A&E—helped renew the 421a tax exemption program, oversaw passage of the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act, and shepherded a series of projects meant to fuel construction across New York. Throughout those lobbying efforts, she managed to tally what she described as the second-most successful year of leasing in her career. Last week, REBNY’s first lady spoke to The Commercial Observer about her achievements thus far as chairwoman, the complications behind her deals for Condé Nast, Coach and Young & Rubicam, and what to expect at this year’s gala.
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]]> http://www.observer.com/2012/01/the-iron-lady/ Conde Nast has reportedly agreed to take on an additional 133,000 square feet of office space at 1 World Trade Center, adding to the 1.05 million it has already committed to at the yet-to-be-completed skyscraper, the New York Post reported.

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]]> http://www.observer.com/2012/01/conde-nast-getting-nast-y-with-1-world-trade-center-commits-to-more-space/ Bank of America has renewed its lease at 114 West 47th Street for approximately 360,000 square feet of space—far less than it currently occupies in the building.

The bank had been in discussions to extend its occupancy at the building for months. On Monday, insiders with direct knowledge of the deal and a spokeswoman for the bank, confirmed that the contracted lease had been signed on Friday morning.
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]]> http://www.observer.com/2012/01/exclusive-bank-of-america-renews-for-660000-feet-at-114-west-47th-street/ Here's a fun one to close the week out with: We recently discovered the unequivocal joy that is Vanity Fair's fashion market director, Michael Carl, on Twitter. He is, in a word, fantastic. This is also the most public insight into the inner-workings of Conde Nast since the world has been without Conde Elevator. Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2012/01/vanity-fair-fashion-twitter-01062011/ On Thursday night, the newest editor-in-chief in the Conde Nast pantheon, Brides editor, Anne Fulenwider posed for a photograph with her new bosses, executives John Bellando and Jill Bright, and her husband Bryan Blatstein. As they arranged themselves, a drink slipped out of hand, shattering upon impact and splashing the celebrants with champagne. Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2011/11/anne-fulenwider-brides-editor-11222011/ As the new Kindle Fire tablet is shipped out to Amazon customers this week, Condé Nast has made its titles available on the Fire's top competitor, Barnes and Noble's NOOK Tablet, and its predecessor, the NOOK Color. Today president Bob Sauerberg announced that 17 Condé Nast titles will be available on NOOK Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2011/11/conde-nast-gets-nooked-up/ Tired of the fluffy celebrity profiles clogging up your favorite magazines?

If the new Details is any indication, the celebrity obsession could finally be waning. So could the idea that there needs to be content inside the magazine that somehow justifies the cover choice. Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2011/10/details-body-image-issue-spares-readers-models-interiority/ Dawn Ostroff, who recently stepped down as president of The CW, was appointed president of Condé Nast Entertainment, Condé Nast president Robert A. Sauerberg, Jr. announced today. Her newly created position involves development, creation, production and distribution of multimedia content for the magazine publisher's existing brands. “There is an enormous, untapped opportunity at Condé Nast to Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2011/10/conde-nast-opens-television-and-film-department-with-the-cws-dawn-ostroff/ If you go to 5 Baltschug Street in Moscow, Russia, you'll see a 17th Century building with Maybachs and Bentleys lying idly nearby, all waiting for the men they drive around to return from a certain smoke-filled lounge. It's a place where the rich men of that city can enjoy cocktails and bottles, all while Read More

]]> http://www.observer.com/2011/09/the-five-best-possible-bars-and-boites-based-on-conde-nast-publications/ Things are looking up, up, up at the World Trade Center—not even Hurricane Irene could slow down preparations for 9/11—but who ever imagined it could go from tragedy to punch line? That's what Michael Gross, who has avoided the site for years, finds in his monthly Crain's column. Read More

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