Norris McLaughlin Leases 21st Floor at 7 Times Square
Boston Properties signed a new 10-year deal, renting out 27,488 square feet to the regional law firm.
NEW YORK CITY—Norris McLaughlin has inked a 10-year lease with Boston Properties to occupy 27,488 square feet, spanning the entire 21st floor at 7 Times Square Tower. Although additional terms of the transaction were not disclosed, a source with knowledge of the deal tells GlobeSt.com that the asking rent was in the high $70s.
Norris McLaughlin, a regional law firm with offices in NY, NJ and PA, is relocating in early 2020 from its previous Plaza District office at 875 Third Ave. between E. 52nd and E. 53rd streets. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and built in 2004, 7 Times Square is in the heart of Midtown West on Seventh Ave. and W. 41st St.
Avison Young’s Mitti Liebersohn, Jennifer Ogden and J.C. Giordano represented the tenant. Boston Properties, the building’s owner, was represented in-house by Andy Levin and Heather Kahn, and CBRE’s Peter Turchin and Caroline Merck.
Avison Young’s Kirsten Beck and Melisssa Urena managed the project to modernize and redesign the tenant’s space, with the architecture firm Switzer. Upon completion, the new office will include full glass front offices, and a large boardroom with a folding glass partition that opens onto a café with books from the law firm’s library. The firm will use the multi-functional area to host events and as a gathering space for employees.
“Boston Properties provided a compelling deal for Norris McLaughlin at 7 Times Square Tower with a turnkey solution that addressed all of our client’s needs,” says Liebersohn. He states Avison Young conducted an exhaustive search of other suitable Midtown options. But the space within the 47-story, 1.2 million-square-foot Midtown tower turned out to be the law firm‘s choice for its new buildout.
Other law firms in the building include O’Melveny & Myers LLP, Pryor Cashman LLP, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP and Brown Rudnick LLP.
Norris McLaughlin’s COO Richard Levy says, “We were attracted to the property for a number of reasons including its generous slab height, 10-foot high windows on four sides offering great light and spectacular views of the city as well as an efficient center core and virtually column-free floor plate.”
“The ability to add more conference rooms and collaborative space in addition to the building’s Midtown location and proximity to many mass transit options also were major draws,” Ogden adds.