MetLife Plaza Addition topped off

Real Estate Weekly, Jan 1, 2003

Owner/Developer Brause Realty Inc. and Tishman Construction. Corporation held a traditional topping out ceremony recently, marking the placement of the last steel beam on the 12-story, 282,000-SF MetLife Plaza Addition in Long Island City, Queens.

Representing Brause Realty was vice president David Brause, who was joined in leading the ceremonies by TCC chairman and chief executive officer Daniel. R. Tishman, Queens borough. president Helen Marshall, New York State Assembly representative Michael Gianaris, New York City council member Eric Gioia , and Long Island City Business Development Corporation president Gale Baron.

The MetLife Plaza Addition is a continuation of a development project known as MetLife Plaza. The first phase involved renovation of a Brause Realty-owned existing six-story, 404,000-SF former Rolls Royce manufacturing facility, adjacent to the site of the Addition. Tishman, serving as construction manager, performed the base building and infrastructure renovation during the project's first phase, which converted the property into an office building occupied by the exclusive tenant Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. Now, in the project's second phase, Brause is developing an addition to the first building, to accommodate more MetLife employ facility.

"I am excited to celebrate today's completion of the first stage of construction of The MetLife Plaza Phase Addition, a very significant project that retains a major national corporation in New York City. Congratulations to all development and construction team members on their excellent work done so far," said David Brause.

"I'm honored to join David Brause and our entire team of construction managers, engineers, and construction workers in celebrating this milestone achievement. We have gone from groundbreaking to today's topping out in an amazing six months and I tip my hat to all of you who have had a hand in making this project come to life," said Tishman.