Some companies minimize these hassles by moving into pre-built spaces, which have lately become very successful for brokers and tenants in W&H buildings. The Lincoln Building, for example, recently made available six pre-built offices, comprising 14,578 feet, and the response was phenomenal. Three of the offices are leased, and there are deals pending on the other three. In the early summer, eight pre-built offices, comprising 19,826 square feet, were delivered. There are already deals pending on two of these. Even the pre-builts in the design development phase have attracted interest. Of the 12 in the works, there are deals pending on three.

W&H tenants who opted for pre-built spaces report that they are thrilled with their decisions. Alan S. Berman of Samuel M. Berman Company, Inc., a tenant of 250 West 57th Street (another W&H property), appreciated the convenience of his company's recent move into a pre-built space on the tenth floor. As he explains, "We moved in less than half a day. Everything was already done when we arrived."

Sandra Kean, president of the Handmade Bow Company, chose a pre-built showroom in the International Toy Center (another W&H property) because of the cost-savings it afforded the company. "We didn't have to invest $50,000 to $70,000 to build it out to meet our needs," she notes. These savings were especially significant because the company, which is based in Massachusetts, rarely uses the showroom, except during the month of February, when the Toy Fair takes place.

Sometimes it's hard to visualize how a new office will look. But with pre-built spaces, visualization is easy. Vicki Soble, a designer at the House of Chaz, recently moved into a pre-built space at 501 Seventh Avenue (another W&H property). She comments, "We knew what we were moving into. It's nice to get a picture of what you'll have." As with other pre-built spaces, there was no need for the House of Chaz to undergo expensive and time-consuming construction.

Other tenants simply want a space makeover, and by leasing pre-built spaces, they have the opportunity to customize their offices without sacrificing convenience. Gabin Rubin, the Vice President and General Counsel of the Artists Rights Enforcement Corporation at 250 West 57th Street, explains that her firm needed to update its look to reflect a shift in business focus. When its lease expired earlier this year, the company moved from the fifth floor to the seventh floor. The move offered a "better utilization of space," yet it "allowed us to keep personal touches," she says. Furthermore, she adds, "This office is more modern. We like to be high-tech."