685 Fifth Avenue

685 Fifth Avenue. Rendering via Marin Architects

685 Fifth Avenue Prepares For Residential Conversion and Addition in Midtown

Scaffolding and black netting shrouds nearly all of 685 Fifth Avenue in preparation for a 100,000-square-foot office-to-condominium conversion. The project will also add ten floors atop the existing 20-story structure, which sits at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 53rd Street. Developed by Michael Shvo’s SHVO in partnership with BLG Holdings and Deutsche Financial, the finished building will stand 350 feet tall and contain 69 condominiums managed by Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. Marin is the architect of record and designer for the $135 million project with March & White handling the interior designs. Brookfield Properties is in charge of marketing the Fifth Avenue retail space, which is still home to the Coach, Stuart Weitzman, and Tag Heuer flagship stores.

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685 Fifth Avenue. Rendering via Marin Architects

685 Fifth Avenue’s Mandarin Oriental Conversion and Expansion Now Underway, in Midtown

Work is underway to prepare 685 Fifth Avenue for a 100,000-square-foot office-to-condominium conversion. The first batch of scaffolding has been assembled on the northern profile of the address, and a green scaffold board runs along the top of the retail section. The 20-story building will eventually be a 30-story building, with ten additional floors to be built atop the current roof parapet. The residential component will comprise 69 condos, to be managed by Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. SHVO is the property developer and has partnered with BLG Holdings and Deutsche Financial to spend $135 million on the expansion and conversion of the property, which will stand 350 feet tall and rise 30 stories when complete. Marin was the architect of record and the design architect, with March & White handling the interior design. Brookfield Properties is in charge of marketing the Fifth Avenue retail space.

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685 Fifth Avenue

Office Portion of 20-Story 685 Fifth Avenue Getting 90-Key Boutique Hotel Conversion & Expansion, Midtown

In April, news broke that Istanbul-based Gulaylar Group entered into contract to acquire the entire 90,000-square-foot office portion of the 20-story, 115,000-square-foot multi-use commercial building at 685 Fifth Avenue, on the corner of East 54th Street in Midtown. The deal includes the development rights to vertically expand the building by five stories. Those air rights were made available after property owners General Growth Properties and Thor Equities repositioned the building’s three stories of retail space, which now measures 23,400 square feet and is being made into Coach’s flagship store. Now, Gulaylar has disclosed plans to convert the office portion they are buying, along with the future expansion, into a 90-key boutique hotel, The Real Deal Reports. Five hotel chains, including Oetker Collection, AccorHotels, and LVMH’s Cheval Blanc, are currently in negotiations with the developer. The building’s remaining office tenant is moving out in August. Walter Marin’s Midtown-based Marin Architects is the architect of record for the expansion.


685 Fifth Avenue

New Developer to Construct Five-Story Office Expansion Atop 20-Story Commercial Building at 685 Fifth Avenue, Midtown

Earlier this week, YIMBY reported on applications to expand, by five stories, the 20-story, 115,000-square-foot multi-use commercial building at 685 Fifth Avenue, located on the corner of East 54th Street in Midtown. It was previously reported that Michael Shvo was in contract to acquire, from property owners General Growth Properties and Thor Equities, 90,000 square feet of office space (the entire office portion). That deal has since fallen through, and now, Gulaylar Group is in contract for the office space, according to The Real Deal. As part of the deal, the new owner will also develop the five-story office expansion. The sale is expected to close later this year. The lower portion of the building is currently undergoing a retail redevelopment. Its 23,400 square feet was leased to Coach in February and will become the retailer’s flagship store.


685 Fifth Avenue

Redesigned Retail Space, Five-Story Office Expansion for 20-Story Commercial Building at 685 Fifth Avenue, Midtown

General Growth Properties and Thor Equities have filed to expand, by five stories, the 20-story, 115,000-square-foot multi-use commercial building at 685 Fifth Avenue, located on the corner of East 54th Street, in Midtown. The property’s commercial square footage – 109,543 square feet – will remain the same, because a portion of the space on the lower levels will be utilized to build the vertical expansion. As a result, the structure will see an increase in height from 227 feet to 292 feet. Coach has already secured a lease to take 23,400 square feet of retail space on the first few floors for its new flagship store, The Real Deal reports. Midtown South-based Marin Architects is the architect of record. In June of 2014, GGP and Thor acquired the building for $460 million, and it was reported last November that Michael Shvo is in contract to acquire the building’s existing 90,000 square feet of office space for north of $100 million. It doesn’t appear the future office space on floors 21 through 25 was part of the deal with Shvo.


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