Fisher Brothers and Core Ziegfeld, LLC, which owns and operates the award-wining event space Gotham Hall, today announced they have finalized a 20-year lease at 1345 Avenue of the Americas to create The Ziegfeld Ballroom, a grand 21,331 square-foot event space.
When it opens in the fall of 2017, The Ziegfeld Ballroom will be Midtown Manhattan’s only free-standing, street-level event space. It will offer three floors of high-end event space for galas, corporate and social events, movie premiers and other special occasions and will generate some 150 new direct and indirect jobs.
The venue, which will undergo a major renovation prior to opening, will be able to accommodate up to 1,200 people for receptions and between 800 and 1,000 for seated events. After the renovation, The Ziegfeld Ballroom will have a dedicated entrance on West 54th Street, ideally situated adjacent to an existing garage. It will boast up to five meeting rooms defined by air walls on the mezzanine level, as well as a 10,000 square-foot, column-free ballroom, which will be one of the largest in New York City.
A fully equipped kitchen will be installed, and a bar will grace the mezzanine level. The venue also will feature state-of-the art audio visual and telecommunications capabilities.
In homage to Florenz Ziegfeld and his original circa 1927 theater, which was subsequently replaced by the current venue in 1969, the décor will be designed in an art-deco inspired style by the project’s architect Richard Bloch.
B. Allan Kurtz, the managing director of Gotham Hall, will also serve as managing director of The Ziegfeld Ballroom, which will replace the Ziegfeld Theatre cinema.
“There is no better space in the City of New York to become a sister property for Gotham Hall with so many parallels between the two, such as their convenient, free-standing locations and configurations that accommodate a grand ballroom complemented by a mezzanine,” Kurtz observed. “Even the iconic name of Ziegfeld represents a link as it is so emblematic of the era in which the circa 1924 Gotham Hall was built.”
“We are thrilled that the amazing team from Gotham Hall is coming to 1345 Avenue of the Americas and will ensure that this venue will continue to serve as a terrific event space and neighborhood amenity,” said Fisher Brothers Partner Ken Fisher.
Core Ziegfeld was represented by Anthony Dattoma and Susan Kurland of CBRE. Fisher Brothers was represented in-house by Marc Packman.
“When the Ziegfeld opportunity arose, we knew that it would be ideal for Gotham Hall’s vision for a premier corporate and private event complex,” said Ms. Kurland, executive vice president, Retail, CBRE.
