FROM: FISHER BROTHERS Contact: Rubenstein Bud Perrone (212) 843-8068 / [email protected] Justina Lombardo (212) 843-8343 / [email protected] ______________________________________________________________________________ GRAND PRIZE WINNER IN FISHER BROTHERS’ PARK AVENUE DESIGN COMPETITION ENVISIONS A BOULEVARD ANIMATED BY CONCERTS, GALLERIES, WALKING PATHS AND FULL BASKETBALL COURT Jury Selects “Park Park” as Top Design Among Nearly 150 Innovative Ideas Fisher Brothers Awards a Second Prize to “Park River,” the Winner of the Public Vote New York, NY (March 14, 2018) – A vision of a future Park Avenue enlivened by a concert space, art galleries, lush gardens, a basketball court and eatery has earned the jury prize in Fisher Brothers’ “Beyond the Centerline” design competition, the real estate firm announced today. Designed by Ben Meade, Anthony Stahl, and Alexia Beghi of design firm Maison, “Park Park” features a series of cultural interventions intended to inject new energy into the currently staid Park Avenue landscape. In the “Park Park” design, the iconic boulevard would be transformed via a series of raised platforms incorporating venues intended to attract New Yorkers and visitors to the centerline in different experiential ways. The spaces include: The Stage, a performance space to hold concerts and shows; The Gallery, a triplet of glass cubes that serves as a rotating art gallery and showroom; The Gardens, a seasonally-curated pathway that provides a lush respite in the city; and The Court, an elevated basketball court that pays homage to New York City’s rich basketball culture. Fisher Brothers launched “Beyond the Centerline” competition in October 2017 with an open call for ideas to enliven and activate the medians for a new generation of New Yorkers. Participants were encouraged to stretch the limits of their creativity and submit their boldest visions to reimagine the underutilized islands unconstrained by zoning codes, cost, weight limits or other restrictions. After receiving nearly 150 ambitious submissions, a jury of eight esteemed professionals narrowed the field down to 17 designs, which included such curiosities as an aquarium, Alpine mountain, and botanical circus, as well as urban amenities like seating areas, lush landscaping, and walking paths. The finalists were then displayed in the public atrium of Fisher Brothers’ Park Avenue Plaza tower, where New Yorkers could vote on their favorite ideas. “We were overwhelmed by the large and enthusiastic response to this competition, and it was exciting to witness firsthand how deeply the participants embraced our call to be innovative and bold,” said Fisher Brothers Partner Winston Fisher. “Our intent was to open people’s eyes to new possibilities, and we hope that this competition will be viewed as just the beginning of the conversation about the future of Park Avenue.” In addition to the $25,000 jury prize, Fisher Brothers awarded a $5,000 prize to “Park River,” designed by Amy Garlock, Drew Cowdrey, and Fareez Giga of architecture firm Local Architects, which won the popular vote. Understanding that New York’s waterways are underused and difficult to access from the heart of the city, “Park River” is designed to produce a new kind of shoreline – one that is accessible, recreation-focused, and instantly creates a new way to experience the city from within. “Park River” re-centers the roadway and creates a river that loops along the sides of Park Avenue between 46th and 57th Streets. The design allows for kayaking in warmer months or ice skating in the winter, and its expanded plazas offer destinations for boating, dining, and lounging. “Park River” would instantly create 11 blocks of waterfront property in Midtown and become an amenity for any building along the waterfront. About Fisher Brothers For more than a century, Fisher Brothers has epitomized excellence in commercial and residential real estate development, ownership and management. Fisher Brothers built and continues to own and operate a sterling commercial real estate portfolio encompassing seven million square feet of Class A office space located in such iconic towers as Park Avenue Plaza, 299 Park Avenue, 1345 Avenue of the Americas and 605 Third Avenue in Manhattan, as well as Station Place, which is Washington, DC’s largest private office complex. Fisher Brothers also has returned to its roots as a residential builder with nearly 1.5 million square feet in recent and ongoing development. In early 2015, Fisher Brothers celebrated the completion of Station House, a luxury rental development in Washington’s historic Capitol Hill District. In Manhattan, Fisher Brothers has recently completed development of House39, an amenity-rich rental building at 225 East 39th Street and is developing 111 Murray, an ultra-luxury, high-rise condominium tower in Tribeca. .