Time Warner Center Opens

Time Warner Center, the new 2.8-million-sq.-ft. complex at Columbus Circle in New York, N.Y., celebrated its grand opening with a black-tie gala event Feb. 4.

The star-studded event was held within the center's 150-foot-high Great Room and featured live performances by Cirque du Soleil, Jewel, Marc Anthony and the Jazz at Lincoln Center orchestra. It was hosted by The Daily Show's Jon Stewart and CNN's Paula Zahn.

On Feb. 5 the grand opening of The Shops at Columbus Circle, the retail portion of the complex, was celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

The $1.7 billion project was developed by Columbus Centre LLC, a partnership consisting of the Related Companies, L.P. and Apollo Real Estate Advisors, L.P., both of New York, N.Y.

Rockrose to Build Atop 12th Ave. Space

Rockrose Development Corporation plans to build atop its 220,000-sq.-ft. commercial property at 660 12th Ave. in New York, N.Y.

Rockrose purchased the land in 1998, planning to build New York's first ground-up telco hotel at the site, with a Federal Express distribution center as the anchor tenant in the base of the building. The developer then changed course when the telecommunications market abruptly collapsed. Since a lease had been signed with FedEx, Rockrose completed the basement and first two floors as a distribution center, building the infrastructure for future development of the upper floors.

Rockrose, which owns 315,000 rentable sq. ft. of air rights there, now plans to enlarge the structure once it secures a tenant for the additional space atop the building.

It will be the first new office building to be built on the I-287 corridor nearly 15 years. Simone Development Companies, the owner and manager of the Harrison Executive Park, expects to break ground for the new building in late spring. The four-story building will feature an elegantly appointed lobby and common areas, on-site cafeteria, state-of-the-art security system and wiring for broadband Internet service.

Ground Broken on SUNY Project

The State of New York Downstate Medical Center has broken ground for a new $3 million building at 670 Parkside Ave., Brooklyn, to house its Infant and Child Learning Center.

Bricolage Designs was the architect for the one-story brick building, which has ornamental fencing at the parapet and street levels and a playground on the roof. The 16,350-sq.-ft. facility houses classrooms, offices and social work space for the center's home-based program. Solomon Landau is the developer of the building, which is expected to be read for occupancy by the end of 2004.

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