STAMFORD, CT – January 5, 2012 – (RealEstateRama) — Forevermark US, Inc., the U.S. unit of the De Beers group of companies’ primary consumer marketing arm, has become an office tenant at First Stamford Place, Malkin Properties’ Trophy three-building complex located one block from the Stamford Transportation Center, announces Jeffrey H. Newman, executive vice president of Malkin Properties, the marketing and management agent for the 810,000-square-foot property. Forevermark will occupy 6,000 square feet on the third-floor at 300 First Stamford Place through 2017. Malkin Construction Corp. will build out the space.
Forevermark, a brand known worldwide for sustainable sourcing of its top-quality gems and the unique invisible laser inscription applied to them, was launched in the U.S. in 2011.
“We are very pleased to welcome yet another highly distinguished multinational company to our tenant roster,” says Mr. Newman. “This decision by DeBeers and its Forevermark unit to join our prestigious tenant roster further corroborates First Stamford Place’s reputation as a best-in-quality office park environment with unparalleled amenities at an excellent, transit-oriented location.”
Christian C. Bangert of RHYS, LLC, who brokered the deal on behalf of the tenant, says First Stamford Place was chosen because it, “offers the complete package, including easy access to the city’s transportation center for Forevermark’s reverse-commuting employees, terrific on-site amenities, a major hotel within walking distance, and a hands-on landlord with a great reputation for proactive management and service. My client is truly looking forward to continued success and in growing its brand within the Malkin Portfolio.”
Forevermark carefully partners with selected jewelers and “diamantaires” – skilled artisans who cut and polish diamonds – to excite and reassure consumers about the origin and quality of their diamonds. Over the last few years, the brand was launched and established in China, Hong Kong and Japan, and then expanded successfully into India, Singapore, Mexico and the Caribbean. Between its 2008 launch and 2011, it reached over $200 million in retail sales.
Mr. Newman represented the landlord in this transaction along with senior leasing associate Kimberly Zaccagnino and leasing associate Tara Long.
First Stamford Place is a three-building, 810,000-square-foot Trophy multi-tenanted office complex, located at I-95’s exit 7 adjacent to the Stamford Inter-Modal Transportation Center.
A recipient of The Office Building of the Year (TOBY) from the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Southern Connecticut, First Stamford Place features on-going building-wide enhancements, including recent common corridor and restroom upgrades; in-house concierge service; First Stamford Place Café dining facility and catering service; tenants-only fitness center; tenants-only multimedia conference center; free on-site parking within secured, inter-connected structured garages, with 24/7 card access; Bright Horizons day-care center; an auto “spa” offering basic car wash to full-detail servicing; barber and newsstand/sundry shops; on-site management office; 24/7 on-site security; broad range of telecommunications systems; ATMs; and a tenants-only shuttle van service to and from the Stamford Transportation Center and shopping areas. The newly renovated Hilton Stamford Hotel, a 500-room luxury hotel with the largest banquet facilities in Fairfield County, is located directly adjacent to the property.
First Stamford Place also is located within Stamford’s Enterprise Zone, which provides significant tax benefits to qualified companies. Enterprise Zone tenants may qualify for an 80 percent abatement of real estate and personal property taxes on all leased space and owned/leased machinery and equipment for five years, for a minimum annual savings of $4.00 per square foot, as well as for a 25 percent credit against State of Connecticut corporate income taxes for 10 years.
Malkin Properties is the real estate management, marketing and acquisition arm of the Malkin family, which has commercial, retail and residential operations in 15 states. The company’s portfolio of suburban Trophy office buildings totals 1.85 million square feet of prime space in Westchester County, NY and in Fairfield County, Conn.
In addition to First Stamford Place, other Malkin Trophy properties in Fairfield County are: Metro Center, a 280,000-square-foot property, located within Stamford’s Enterprise Zone, at the Stamford Transportation Center; and MerrittView, a 255,000-square-foot office building located at the Merritt Parkway’s exit 40 in Norwalk. In neighboring Westchester County, Malkin Trophy properties are: Ten Bank Street, a 225,000-square-foot, 12-story office building located in White Plains, one block from the White Plains Transportation Center; and 500 Mamaroneck Avenue, a five-story, 285,000-square-foot multi-tenant office building located between the Hutchinson River Parkway and I-95 in Harrison.
Malkin Properties provides full turn-key deal-making and management services, including marketing, lease negotiations, design, construction, management and cleaning services, all performed in-house. The firm is committed to sustainable property operations and development, including energy efficiency, water use reduction, waste recycling and indoor environmental quality initiatives. Recently, 500 Mamaroneck Avenue, Ten Bank Street, Metro Center and MerrittView earned the nationally recognized Energy Star designation from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); the balance of the Malkin Properties suburban Trophy portfolio is undergoing Energy Star review.
