Film biz buzz
Some Lex in the city for Scorsese
Alarge
Mediterranean restaurant and event space called Zavõ has signed a 15-year lease with Olshan Properties for the nearly 15,000-square-foot, threelevel space at 1011 Third Ave. between East 59th and 60th streets. The new venue at the former home of shortlived steak chain Texas de Brazil, diagonally across the avenue from Bloomingdale’s, is expected to open this month.
The ground floor will house the eatery, which will offer Italian, French and Greek dishes. The larger second floor will be mainly used for private parties, catered events and corporate galas.
Owner Ilya Zavolunov also has several large Da Mikelle kosher restaurants and catering halls in Queens. Olshan leasing director
Josh Birns was — not surprisingly — “excited” over the deal at the “bright and expansive space at the Shoppes at the Savoy,” the condo tower’s name.
Retail industry sources said the asking rent was $1.3 million for 14,180 square feet on the ground and second floors and a bit more underground storage space.
Meanwhile, the rest of uptown Third Avenue, this column’s poster child for the disastrous retail-leasing scene, is showing a few modest signs of improvement.
A few blocks north, Sant Ambroeus launched a café at 1136 Third Ave. Pier 1 Imports reopened its temporarily dark store at 1110 Third — although it might be only through the end of the year. The Shoe Box moved from 1349 Third Ave. to a larger space at 1277 Third in a deal negotiated for the tenant by Lee & Associates.
Sprint opened a store at Thor’s still mostly dark 1237 Third. RKF arranged leases for Swerve Fitness and Oath Pizza totaling 4,830 square feet at 1140 Third.
Even so, despite recent reductions in asking rents, yawning availabilities remain at locations previously held down by Gracious Home, American Apparel, Talbots, Wink and Walgreens — and at seemingly forever dark corners like 200 E. 62nd St.
Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese is departing from the DGA building at 110 W. 57th St. next year. The filmmaker’s media production company, Sikelia Productions, will move early next year to a tower owned by real estate’s one and only Oscar-nominated developer-landlord: Charles S. Cohen.
Sikelia just signed a 10-year lease for 7,500 square feet on the 20th floor of Cohen’s 750 Lexington Ave. at East 59th Street.
Scorsese won an Academy Award for directing 2006’s “The Departed” starring
Matt Damon. Cohen executive-produced 2008’s Oscarnominated “Frozen River.” Sikelia’s credits include HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire.”
Cohen, a man of many interests, is also busy restoring older art-house venues around the country — among them the fabled Quad Cinema on West 13th Street. He sounded tickled over luring Scorsese to one of his office addresses — “I’m delighted to welcome this legendary Academy Award filmmaker,” he said. Marc Horowitz represented Cohen Brothers Realty Corp. in-house. CBRE’s Scott Gottlieb repped Sikelia Productions. Officefloor asking rents at 750 Lexington are $75 to $90 per square foot.