NEW YORK – Aug. 13, 2020 – Rockefeller Group, the New York-based property developer and owner of 1271 Avenue of Americas in Rockefeller Center, announced today that famed Greek restaurant Avra Estiatorio has signed a long-term lease for retail space in the building.
The location will be the third in New York and fourth in the United States for Avra, which has two popular locations along East 48th and East 60th Streets in Manhattan, as well as another successful location in Beverly Hills.
The new lease, for more than 16,500 square feet, is one of Manhattan’s largest retail leases of 2020. Avra’s new location will offer indoor and outdoor dining across from Radio City Music Hall, along Sixth Avenue’s prime office corridor.
1271 Avenue of the Americas, which was originally completed in 1959 as the headquarters of Time Inc., is nearing completion of a six-year, $600 million redevelopment that has attracted new tenants including AIG, Bessemer Trust, Latham & Watkins and Major League Baseball.
“Avra was being pursued by many of our competitors for other locations in Manhattan, and we are thrilled that Avra recognized the benefits of 1271 Avenue of the Americas and elected to lease space in the building. We fully anticipate that Avra in 1271 Avenue of the Americas will be one of the top destination-dining locations in New York, with great food, beautiful indoor dining space, and attractive outdoor dining space on the redesigned exterior plaza fronting Avenue of the Americas.”
Avra’s prominent new location has excellent street presence, with significant frontage along Avenue of the Americas, high ceilings and large windows. It also offers easy access to a new Rockefeller Center concourse entrance and numerous subway lines. The outdoor dining area will be set back from the street, enlivened by recently completed water features. Avra is anticipated to open in the fall of 2021.
“Avra was the leading candidate for the space before the pandemic struck,” said Eric Gelber, executive vice president of CBRE’s Tri-State Retail Services Group. “Avra’s completion of the lease and its commitment to the building in such unprecedented times demonstrate its belief in the resiliency of New York and in the uniqueness of the space in 1271 Avenue of the Americas.”
CBRE’s Eric Gelber and Jordan Kaplan represented ownership, in coordination with Rockefeller Group’s Ed Guiltinan and Jennifer Stein. Avra was represented by CBRE’s Gary Trock and Zach Parisi.
