Chrysler gig a chance to shine.

GVA Williams' 2006 associate of the year, Todd Stracci, still spends much of his time diligently making cold calls and working marathon hours. But in addition to the normal rigors that go along with breaking into commercial brokerage--or perhaps because of the way he has excelled at them--Stracci has begun work on the kind of assignment young brokers prize as an opportunity to kick their careers into high gear.

Stracci will be part of a GVA Williams team handling the sublease of the Chrysler Building's 5th floor, a 42,000 s/f space that is being offered by Wachovia. Asking rents for the floor begin at $65 per s/f and would likely escalate before the lease's expiration in 2015.

"It's my first really big assignment," said Stracci, who as the team's most junior member will be doing the same type of canvassing work that his job usually entails. But because of the size and profile of the space at the Chrysler Building, if Stracci is able to bring an interested tenant to one of the leasing team's lead brokers, he's sure to get more than just a small slice of the commission if a deal gets done.

"It's one of those great opportunities where you get the chance to show your firm what you can do," Stracci said. "You've got a high profile tenant offering space in a high profile building, when a deal happens I think that there's a level of recognition that you get from the market and within the firm. And when you're trying to be successful in this industry, that kind of success really can help you."

Stracci made the unsurprising observation that the space would likely be attractive to both financial firms and law firms, the two greatest space eating industries in the city. That the Chrysler Building is still a dram for high-end tenants and counted among the city's roster of elite office addresses is a testament to its owners, Tishman Speyer, who have updated the building's amenities and image while other icons of yesteryear's skyline have faded into Class B oblivion.