JLL completes theater restoration

Real Estate Weekly, June 10, 2009

Jones Lang LaSalle's project and development services group in New York has completed the $16 million restoration of the historic Beacon Theatre in Manhattan.

The company was selected by Madison Square Garden in early 2007 to serve as project manager overseeing the restoration of the famous venue.

Jones Lang LaSalle began working with the client soon after it signed a 20-year lease for the theater. The company's project and development services team assisted Madison Square Garden with determining the initial scope of the restoration. The group also helped select Beyer Blinder Belle Architects and Planners as architect for the renovation and Lehr Construction to handle the actual construction.

The JLL team overseeing the assignment was led by Randy Apfelbaum, vice president, and included Rohitkumar Jain, project manager, and Kiel Lawrence, project coordinator, all with Jones Lang LaSalle's New York office.

"It has been an honor to be part of the restoration of the Beacon Theatre, helping Madison Square Garden conceptualize what could be done with the theater to enhance the venue," said Apfelbaum. "The most complex aspect of the project was to revitalize the Beacon without losing any of the traditional look and feel of the theater."