Cushman & Wakefield's Susan Kurlander honored for 'creativity'

Real Estate Weekly, July 9, 2003

Susan Kurland, a Cushman & Wakefield executive director and the firm's top producing retail broker in the nation, has been awarded the Real Estate Board of New York's "Most Creative Retail Deal of the Year" award for representing Mattel Inc. in leasing 40,000 SF at 609 Fifth Ave. The deal will establish the company'second American Girl Place location in the United-States and its flagship New York city store.

American Girl Place is already a retail-destination phenomenon in Chicago. For nearly five years the company has wanted to bring its concept for a children's wonderland to New York. American Girl Place, which is scheduled to open this fall, will have a children's cafe, theater and apparel, along with its popular American Girl dolls.

Kurland's management of the transaction was deemed most creative in its conception for a variety of hurdles overcome in closing the deal. In 1998, Mattel was set to close a deal at Rockefeller Center, but sudden changes in management at Mattel put the deal on hold indefinitely. Kurland stayed with the transaction, establishing entirely new relationships with top management. Four years later, the requirement became active again. The landord, Jeff Sutton of Wharton Property Advisors, was represented by Steven Pressler of Promenade Realty Corp.

"American Girl Place has the potential to establish a powerful retail draw south of 49th Street along Fifth Ave.," Kurland said. "That is what was shown to Mattel's management. Getting the available space was also a major challenge, but it was all achieved in a remarkably short time frame. This is definitely the most creative transaction I've been involved with," she added.

"I want to congratulate Susan on yet another major milestone in her career," said Ken Krasnow, Cushman & Wakefield senior managing director and head of the firm's New York offices. "It comes as no surprise that a transaction of this significance hinged on great ingenuity and creativity, or that Susan led the orchestration of the deal."

This is the second time Kurland has been recognized for a REBNY deal of the year award. She won a REBNY award in 1999 for bringing international retailer H&M to Fifth Avenue.