Feil Lands Gem Institute in French Building

NEW YORK CITY-The pre-war, art deco style of the Fred F. French Building at 551 Fifth Ave. helped entice the International Gemological Institute to take over the entire seventh floor starting in January 2013. The Feil Organization recently leased 20,400 square feet to IGI and is building the space to suit. “There’s always a lot of activity in the Grand Central marketplace,” says Brian Feil, vice president of leasing at the firm that bears his name. “It’s a landmark 1930s building and it’s got that old art deco prestige.” IGI wanted to be within a specific geographic area and on a full floor to accommodate its business, said Jarod Stern of Studley, who brokered the deal.

IGI is the largest independent gemological laboratory in the world. Headquartered in Antwerp, Belgium, it has offices around the globe, including New York City, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Bangkok and New Delhi. IGI was established in 1975 and runs Schools of Gemology in several locations.