It used to be that glass and steel (AKA "glass-box") buildings were the most desirable option for office tenants. But these days, more and more firms are recognizing our fully modernized pre-war properties that have undergone multi-million-dollar upgrade programs provide premium office spaces with better energy efficiency and advanced infrastructure to meet the needs of prestigious corporate businesses.

1359 Broadway

250 West 57th Street

Recently, W&H Properties attracted several new tenants into our Pre-War Trophy portfolio from glass-box buildings:

• Actimize, an international software company - moved from 1250 Broadway to 1359 Broadway.
• Bridgespan, a consultant to non-profits - moved from Three Times Square to 112 West 34th Street.
• Cove Point, a private wealth management firm - moved from 100 Park Avenue to One Grand Central Place.
• Gibbs & Soell, one of the largest independent public relations agencies in the United States - moved from 600 Third Avenue to One Grand Central Place.
• Lufthansa, the airline giant - moved from 680 Fifth Avenue to the Empire State Building.
• ML Management, an entertainment business management firm - moved from 125 West 55th Street to 250 West 57th Street.
• N.S. Bienstock, a talent agency that specializes in broadcasting - moved from 1740 Broadway to 250 West 57th Street.
• Werner Sobek, an international engineering and design firm - moved from the Seagram Building (375 Park Avenue) to the Empire State Building.

"We have proved to top quality credit tenants that our upgraded Pre-War Trophy portfolio can stand up to the competition, and come out a winner," says Fred C. Posniak of W&H. "Our state-of-the-art systems, facilities, and amenities create a premium business environment."

A massive top-to-bottom upgrades program, totaling more than $1 billion portfolio-wide, gives the nine properties in the W&H portfolio a competitive advantage over the glass-box buildings, Mr. Posniak explains. These upgrades - which are either completed or well underway - include new lobbies, elevators, energy-efficient windows (Did you know that all-glass exteriors are materially less energy efficient than stone/masonry exteriors?), bathrooms, air-conditioned common corridors and renovated building-wide systems.

It's not only tenants and their brokers who have noted these changes. In the past few years, several of the properties have received prestigious awards. 501 Seventh Avenue, 1359 Broadway, and One Grand Central Place have all won BOMA/NY Pinnacle awards - and 1359 Broadway won the Fashion Center property improvement award in the lobby renovation category.

"There's no denying that glass-box buildings are impressive," says Mr. Posniak. "But they generally lack the elegant aesthetics of pre-war trophy properties. And with our Pre-War Trophy properties' great locations with easy access to commuter trains, buses, and subways and thorough modernization - well, you just have to give us a chance to compete for your business!"