May 2012
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Monday’s 230 Park and MetLife’s 575 Fifth Carry TOBY Banner Forward for New York

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The dynamic building teams led by Monday Properties' Javier Corripio at 230 Park and Cushman & Wakefield’s Dawn Keys, RPA, at 575 Fifth, have defeated their competition throughout the 6-market Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC), to take home the The Outstanding Building of the Year (TOBY) Award for their respective buildings. Both teams received their MAC awards April 20 and are now being judged at the International level in the final round of competition that began in 2010 with their Pinnacle wins.

230 Park took home honors in its category (Operating Office Building/Over 1 Million square feet) and marks the fifth time a New York building has won the regional TOBY in this category since 2000. In the same time period, 575 Fifth is New York’s third regional winner in the Corporate Facility category.

How will they fare in the fiercely competitive international round? Like the Pinnacles, the results are sealed and will not be announced until the TOBY Awards Dinner at the association's international conference in Seattle on June 26. Join us in wishing them well, and take a moment to take a second look at the buildings and teams that are doing New York proud!

230 Park Avenue – Operating Office Building (over 1,000,000 square feet)

Created in the late 1920’s as the New York Central Railroad’s corporate headquarters, 230 Park Avenue was designed to be the keystone of Terminal City. The 1.4 million-square-foot, 36-story tower, with its 15-story wings astride Park Avenue, became an instant landmark and helped give rise to modern Park Avenue and its role as a premier business boulevard.

Today, the limestone and brick tower, owned and managed by Monday Properties, is a 21st Century landmark—it is New York’s first and oldest building to achieve Energy Star®, BOMA 360 and LEED-EB Gold certifications, all made possible by a recently-completed, $70 million renovation, and the implementation of standard-setting best management practices.  

Corporate Facility – 575 Fifth Avenue/L’Oreal US Headquarters

In the mid-1980’s, cosmetics global giant L’Oreal selected the 35-story post-modern tower, 575 Fifth, for its new US headquarters. By 2005, when MetLife acquired the building, L’Oreal had expanded to occupy 80 percent of the tower. In conjunction with managing agent Cushman & Wakefield, Inc., MetLife undertook an ambitious renovation to accommodate L’Oreal’s present and future needs, while repositioning 575 for a state-of-the-art renovation of its base, public spaces, and 21st Century sustainability as an Energy Star® tower.

Through its well-crafted and expertly planned repositioning of 575 Fifth, MetLife has set the standards for a new generation of Fifth Avenue properties. By retaining the headquarters of L’Oreal, it has helped restore the viability of this venerable avenue as a headquarters destination.