By Liana Grey
Five years ago, Vie Wilson, a senior vice president at Corcoran, helped a restaurateur close on a luxury condo east of Morningside Park. The buyer and her husband owned several lounges downtown, including Bar Twelve in Murray Hill and Tonic Bar in Times Square. “I told her she should open a restaurant in Harlem,” said Wilson, a longtime resident of the neighborhood and a top producer at Corcoran.  Sure enough, several weeks ago, Harlem Tavern opened on the corner of 116th Street and Frederick Douglass Boulevard Read more...

By Liana Grey
Before visiting Mercedes House, a luxury tower in Midtown West, prospective tenants can learn, through the project’s website, that the glass-and-steel structure was designed by Enrique Norten, and that it zigzags above the Hudson River, offering unobstructed sunset views. No mention is made, however, of the building’s LEED Silver rating. And energy efficient features are hardly the focus of leasing office brochures. Read more...

By Linda O’Flanagan

Branded Concept Development (BCD), a real estate design and construction services company for developing restaurant and retail concepts, is on the hunt for good grilled cheese spots. The company has launched a roll out for chef Kary Sparks’ new Melt Shop Grilled Cheese chain. Andrew Moger, CEO and president of BCD, said the goal is to open up to a dozen new locations throughout Manhattan over the next three years. Read more...

By Roland Li

A partnership of Tribeca Associates and Starwood Capital has closed on the $67.4 million purchase of the former Donnell Library at 18-30 West 53rd Street, according to city records. The closing is a substantial step forward in the redevelopment of the building, whose original plan was stymied by the downturn. According to the Tribeca Associates’ website, the partnership intends to build a new 120-room, five-star hotel on the site, which is across the street from the Museum of Modern Art. Read more...