Rosenberg & Estis, P.C. served as legal counsel for The Durst Organization in a lease transaction to bring LOOK Cinemas to VIA 57 WEST, the Bjarke Ingles-designed luxury apartment property at 625 West 57th Street in Manhattan.
Jolie E. Meer, aMember with the firm’s Transactional Department and Co-Chair of the Leasing Sub-Group, represented the landlord in the transaction. Richard J. Slavin, Of Counsel with A.Y. Strauss, served as the tenant’s attorney.
Founded by Brian Schultz, a pioneer of the modern cinema-dining concept, LOOK Cinemas operates 10 theaters with approximately 100 screens located in Texas, California, Florida, Arizona and in Dobbs Ferry, New York. For its first New York City theater, LOOK will occupy 25,000 square feet of built-out space at VIA 57 WEST.
LOOK will create a flagship Manhattan venue that will include contemporary bars and seating areas, accommodations for a variety of events, including film festivals, premiers, business meetings, community group events and more. With a blockbuster calendar of top movie screenings as well as independent films, LOOK will offer an upscale menu with seat-side service, a state-of-the-art immersive presentation, and an uninterrupted viewing experience.
Featuring the unique LOOK & Dine mobile technology, moviegoers customize their food and beverage selections with orders delivered directly to their seats. Guests can choose from a menu including everything from cocktails to appetizers, pizza, salads, delectable desserts and, of course, freshly popped popcorn – all from their recliner.
“We are thrilled to welcome LOOK’s first New York City location to VIA 57 WEST. This will be a flagship location for LOOK and one of the most remarkable cinema experiences in the city. There’s been enormous anticipation around reactivating this site, and we know that our residents and the surrounding community are excited to see LOOK open its doors,” said Jody Durst, President of The Durst Organization.
“Dine-in movie theater tenancy is complex and involves a range of complicated issues, from sound provisions to liquor licensing,” said Meer, a longtime leasing attorney for The Durst Organization. “It was rewarding to work with all parties to bring a destination movie experience to the great roster of retail tenants at VIA 57 WEST.”
LOOK signed a 15-year lease agreement with The Durst Organization. The landlord was represented in house by Eric Engelhardt, Ashlea Aaron, and Karen Rose. The tenant’s brokers were Beth Rosen of RIPCO and Joseph Harbor HWGA Group.
About Rosenberg & Estis, P.C.
Founded in 1975, Rosenberg & Estis, P.C. is widely recognized as one of New York City’s pre-eminent real estate law firms. Rosenberg & Estis, P.C. provides full service representation and advice in every aspect of real estate, from performing due diligence and evaluating financing, to handling joint ventures, acquisitions and leasing, construction and design team agreements, property tax exemptions and abatements, land use and zoning matters, Real Property Income & Expense (RPIE) filings, co-op and condo offering plan filings, as well as the litigations and negotiations which sometimes ensue when deal making. Rosenberg & Estis’ wealth of experience in New York real estate makes it the ideal thought partner for owners, developers, not-for-profit corporations, educational institutions, sponsors, equity investors and lenders in both real estate transactions and in all court venues.
About the Durst Organization
The Durst Organization, founded in 1915 by Joseph and Rose Durst, is the owner, manager and builder of 13 million square feet of premiere Manhattan office towers and over three million square feet of residential rental properties, with 3,400 rental apartments built and several thousand units in the pipeline. The Durst Organization is recognized as a world leader in the development of high-performance and environmentally advanced commercial and residential buildings where people live, work and thrive. www.durst.org.
