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W&H: Mr. Michaels, you recently closed a 12,000-square-foot transaction for York International at The Lincoln Building.
What led you to that property?
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RM: Location is important to York, and The Lincoln Building is right across the street from Grand Central.
Also, I stressed to my client that the caliber of ownership should be a consideration when picking a space.
The ownership at Lincoln is known for its long-term relationships with its tenants. Their word is their bond, so
you don't have to worry about them making promises and not keeping them. For example, if ownership says that it's
going to make an improvement to the building, they have a reputation for following through.
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W&H: How did York respond to The Lincoln Building?
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RM: York loved the location, particularly its proximity to Grand Central Terminal, and that The Lincoln Building
has retailers and food concessions in the lobby. They also liked the idea of having a conference center available in the
building if they needed it.
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W&H: What did W&H Properties' management do that was out of the ordinary?
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RM: York's offices needed to be built out to comply with a draft of commercial interior guidelines for an
energy-efficiency standard known as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). Ownership agreed to work
with York, even though the design didn't conform to their usual build outs. Also, Kevin Driscoll, the building's
general manager, didn't over-negotiate the deal. He told us what he could deliver and then delivered it.
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W&H: How was your experience with the leasing process at The Lincoln Building?
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RM: The building assembled a team that was appropriate to the requirements of this deal, helping make this
a seamless transaction that further cemented Colliers' relationship with the ownership.
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W&H: If you had one thing to say about your experience with W&H Properties, what would it be?
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RM: The landlord was consistently able to respond and deliver. From day one, Kevin Driscoll and I had a
meeting of the minds, and we and the tenant were able to agree to terms early in the process. Timing is critical
when you're securing a lease, and W&H Properties kept things moving forward, so that we could successfully
bring the deal to fruition in a time frame that worked for our customer.
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