RKF secures Whole Foods Market at 250 East 57th St

Real Estate Weekly, Sept 10, 2008

Robert K. Futterman & Associates, LLC has arranged a lease with Whole Foods Market for 47,000 s/f at 250 East 57th Street.

The multi-level Whole Foods Market, scheduled to open in 2012, will anchor the 170,000 s/f retail component at The World-Wide Group's mixed-use development at 57th Street and Second Avenue in Manhattan. RKF chairman & CEO Robert K. Futterman, senior vice president Ariel Schuster and associate Izzy Anthony represented The World-Wide Group.

Chase Welles of Northwest Atlantic Real Estate Services represented Whole Foods Market.

The World-Wide Group has leased the project site from the Educational Construction Fund, an arm of the New York City Board of Education. 250 East 57th Street is a 1 million-square-foot development site that will include 170,000 s/f of retail space, a 59-story residential tower with a mix of rental and for-sale units, and two new public schools--the High School of Art and Design and PS 59. "We are thrilled about securing Whole Foods Market as the anchor retail tenant of this exciting development," said Schuster. "Whole Foods Market will most certainly attract other retailers to the project and surrounding area, and solidify the market as a major retail hub of the City." Recent new area residential developments, including One Beacon Court, The Milan, The Veneto and ThreeTen Condo have increased the need for specialty retailers to accommodate the new residential base. The Container Store and Home Depot were among the first wave of new national retailers to join Bloomingdale's,

Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma and Banana Republic in the area. 250 East 57th Street will now extend this strong retail market to Second Avenue.