THE PLAN

1633 Broadway
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Stairs and a proposed elevator will lead from the glass cube down into two lower levels, each boasting 14-foot ceiling heights. Its unusual to have lower-level space of this quality, Mr. Schmerzler said. There is a complete utility setup for a large-format restaurant, which is not necessarily our objective, although we would certainly consider it if it were of the appropriate quality but were probably not going to consider an outer-space-themed restaurant again. The space is also serviced by 200 tons of air conditioning located on the buildings eighth floor, which is separate from the space and was installed by Mars 2112, Mr. Schmerzler said. They were able to get some space on a setback on the eighth floor, where they installed their own air conditioning plant.

Cushman & Wakefield is marketing a sub-level retail space at 1633 Broadway, where a 733-glass cube entryway designed by Moed de Armas & Shannon will serve as a portal to two lower levels made up of 39,588 square feet of stacked concourse space. The opportunity lies within a 2.5 million-square-foot Class A office tower spanning the entire block-front of Broadway between 50th and 51st Streets, owned by the Paramount Group. The vacant sublevel space, formerly occupied by the outer-space-themed Mars 2112, has been gutted, and a sparkling glass entry cube, reminiscent of the above-ground glass faade leading to Apples flagship store on Fifth Avenue, will provide visibility and signage opportunities for a range of potential uses, said Alan Schmerzler, an executive director at Cushman & Wakefield who reviewed the floor plans with The Commercial Observer. Mr. Schmerzler is marketing the space along with Executive Vice President Brad Mendelson, Senior Director Steve Soutendijk and Senior Associate Chris Schwart. 01
While talks with prospective tenants are in the early stages, everything from department stores, apparel retailers, a bowling lane in the vein of Bowlmor or Lucky Strike, sporting goods stores, a gourmet food hall or perhaps an established theme restaurant would be considered. Because you dont usually find this volume of space in this good of [a] neighborhood, we think its going to appeal to an interesting cross section of retailers, Mr. Scherzler said.

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Once a retailer leases the space and begins to draw its plans, its possible for the current egress staircase to be relocated, as not to interrupt the continuity of that portion of the space, Mr. Schmerzler said, adding that the tenant would likely install a separate elevator or staircase leading shoppers from the concourse into the lower concourse. Our expectationand this is a truism in retailis that any company that goes in here is going to figure out their own vertical transportation circulation flow, and they will probably install another interior elevator and/or staircase. An apparel retailer or a restaurant interested in using the freight elevators has the option to do so, said Mr. Schmerzler. Indeed, a set of double doors lead from the 23,320-square-foot concourse to two freight elevators, located behind and to the west of the buildings 36 passenger elevators. The freight elevators open out into the loading dock of the building, which dumps out onto 51st Street.

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The plans are to slab over a sunken plaza at the corner of 51st Street and Broadway, which would become part of the 23,320-square-foot concourse level (blue). The glass cube, with 40 feet of frontage (Upper right, dashed box on concourse), will rise above and serve as an entryway. Our objective is to try and find one retailer for the entire box of space because, at the moment, our only anticipated entry is through this glass cube, and it would be hard, because of its size, to create a divided entry, Mr. Schmerzler said. I believe that these plans have been approved, and once they have secured a tenant, they will move forward with those plans.

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EXTERIOR RENDERINGS

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8th Floor not pictured

51ST STREET

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23,320 sq. ft.

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BROADWAY BROADWAY

16,268 sq. ft.

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CONCOURSE

50TH STREET

LOWER CONCOURSE

50TH STREET

EXCLUSIVE LEASING AGENT

54|DECEMBER 11, 2012|THE COMMERCIAL OBSERVER