"We have had remarkable interest so far from several retailers--several women's apparel retailers, a global athletic company, and a high-end cosmetics retailer," Richard Hodos, EVP of CBRE, tells GlobeSt.com. Hodos is marketing the retail with David LaPierre, SVP, Steve Sjurset, senior associate, and Janelle Rovegno, associate, who will be working with William Shanahan, vice chairman, to bring in new tenants. "The attraction for these retailers," Hodos says, "is the proximity to Time Warner Center and Columbus Circle--as a transportation hub--as well as the building and the employee population in the building itself."

He continues that Hearst Corp., which owns and occupies the entire building, has a diverse mix. "Editors from publications as diverse as Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Smart Money and Popular Mechanics work there," he says. "The employee population in the building--for the most part--has sophisticated tastes and, not unlike residents of the Upper West Side, have a cosmopolitan style in their daily lives. They tend to be well educated, well read, and media savvy."

Hodos says that "the space is available since Hearst vacated the base of the building to build its iconic 'green' tower above. Since a large piece of the base of the building is dedicated to the building's lobby and sky lobby, the retailers which formerly occupied the space had to vacate so the tower could be constructed." Now that the building is operating, he explains, the retail space can be filled as a sort of "icing on the cake."