Rosenberg & Estis represents Durst Organization in LOOK Cinemas lease transaction at 625 West 57th

Manhattan, NY Rosenberg & Estis, P.C. served as legal counsel for The Durst Organization in a lease transaction to bring LOOK Cinemas to VIA 57 WEST, the Bjarke Ingles-designed apartment property at 625 West 57^th St.

Jolie Meer, a member with the firm’s transactional department and co-chair of the leasing sub-group, represented the landlord in the transaction. Richard Slavin, of counsel with A.Y. Strauss, served as the tenant’s attorney.

Founded by Brian Schultz, LOOK Cinemas operates 10 theaters with 100 screens located in Texas, California, Florida, Arizona and New York. For its first New York City theater, LOOK will occupy 25,000 s/f of built-out space at VIA 57 WEST.

LOOK will create a flagship Manhattan venue that will include contemporary bars and seating areas, accommodations for a variety of events, including film festivals, premiers, business meetings, community group events and more. With a blockbuster calendar of top movie screenings as well as independent films, LOOK will offer an upscale menu with seat-side service, a state-of-the-art immersive presentation, and an uninterrupted viewing experience.

Featuring the unique LOOK & Dine mobile technology, moviegoers customize their food and beverage selections with orders delivered directly to their seats. Guests can choose from a menu including everything from cocktails to appetizers, pizza, salads, delectable desserts and, of course, freshly popped popcorn – all from their recliner.

“We are thrilled to welcome LOOK’s first New York City location to VIA 57 WEST. This will be a flagship location for LOOK and one of the most remarkable cinema experiences in the city. There’s been enormous anticipation around reactivating this site, and we know that our residents and the surrounding community are excited to see LOOK open its doors,” said Jody Durst, President of The Durst Organization.

“Dine-in movie theater tenancy is complex and involves a range of complicated issues, from sound provisions to liquor licensing,” said Meer, a longtime leasing attorney for The Durst Organization. “It was rewarding to work with all parties to bring a destination movie experience to the great roster of retail tenants at VIA 57 WEST.”

LOOK signed a 15-year lease agreement with The Durst Organization. The landlord was represented in house by Eric Engelhardt, Ashlea Aaron, and Karen Rose. The tenant’s brokers were Beth Rosen of RIPCO and Joseph Harbor HWGA Group.