Retail space being converted to classrooms

Real Estate Weekly, Jan 8, 2003

B.R. Fries & Associates, a leading construction firm with strong experience in the construction and renovation of commercial and retail properties, is converting ground-floor retail space into a new lobby for a building housing NYU classrooms. The work, which is slated for completion in early February, is at 194 Mercer St., a landmark building on the block bounded by Broadway, Bleecker and West Houston Streets. It is owned by Renaissance Properties.

According to Andrew DiMarco, project manager, B.R. Fries will gut the ground-floor space formerly occupied by an electronics retail store, carve out an 800-SF lobby, install a passenger elevator to serve the building's six floors, and add a new facade on the former storefront. The lobby will be finished with granite wainscoting and wood veneer. New York University is leasing three floors in the building for its School of Education. The new lobby will be the primary entry to the classrooms upstairs. Meltzer Mandel is the architect for the project, which is estimated at $450,000.