Hidrock Realty signs three deals at 35 West 36th Street totaling 8,790 s/f

Hidrock Realty secured three leases totaling 8,790 s/f at 35 West 36th St., near Herald Square. The new tenants - Kings Thai Boxing, Aesop and SBH Fashion - bring the building to full occupancy and mark the completion of Hidrock's extensive capital improvement program at the building. "Kings Thai Boxing, Aesop and SBH Fashion are all contributing to the rapidly changing face of retail and office tenancy on 36th Street and in the area as a whole," said Robert Kaplan, director of leasing of Hidrock. "Traditionally an industrial, garment-centric neighborhood, we're seeing an influx of tenants from a wide variety of industries that are looking to find space in one of the fastest-growing neighborhoods in Manhattan." In the first transaction, Kings Thai Boxing, a gym teaching Muay Thai, the national sport of Thailand, signed a 10-year, 1,985 s/f lease for the ground-floor retail space at 35 West 36th St. Steven Hidary, principal of Hidrock, represented the landlord, 3536 Associates LLC, an affiliate of Hidrock Realty, while Dominique Alexander of City Realty Services Inc. represented the tenant. Asking rent for the space was $65 per s/f. In the second lease, Aesop, an Australia-based skin, hair and body care product company, signed a seven-year, 3,430 s/f lease for its New York office. Hidrock is providing a custom build-out in the space in conjunction with Aesop's architectural firm, Architecture Outfit. Kaplan represented the landlord in the transaction, while the tenant was represented by Douglas Regal and Evan Algier of ABS Partners Real Estate. Asking rent for the space was $39 per s/f. "We chose this location because it's a little off the beaten path. We like the industrial feel of the wood floors and the exposed ceilings," said Giovanni Lepori, general manager Americas and president of Aesop. "The building is over 100 years old - it feels raw and lived in and provides a nice contrast to our brand." In the final deal, SBH Fashion, a full-service staffing agency specializing in the fashion industry, signed an eight-year, 3,375 s/f lease for its New York headquarters. The move represents a major expansion of the agency, which was previously located on Madison Avenue. Kaplan represented the landlord in the transaction, while the tenant was represented by Jeff Buslik and Brett Harvey of Adams & Company. Asking rent for the space was $39 per s/f. "For us, it's a giant win: a great building on an up-and-coming block in the heart of the fashion district," says owner Ron Hall. "Hidrock is custom building the new space and demonstrated a genuine appreciation of the way the space was going to turn out and even assisted in choosing certain above standard finishes." 35 West 36th St. is a 79,200 s/f office building that features full- and half-floor office configurations, environmentally friendly details such as Energy Star-rated lighting fixtures, private restrooms for each tenant, private elevator access to each tenant's space, a doorman, and 24-hour keycard access. "We were able to achieve full occupation at 35 West 36th St. as a result of the thorough and timely execution of our capital improvement program, which included renovating the lobby, updating the elevator systems and performing custom build-outs for each tenant," said Hidary. "This is a proven model for success that we have employed at each of our office properties. As a result, Hidrock's office portfolio boasts 96 percent occupancy."