Ninth Ave. space becoming a mecca for reality shows.

Reality shows including Make My Day, Perfect Match, and Wife Swap, are among the hot reality programs which have taken advantage of the pre- and post- production, flexible office space in the Penn Plaza area office building, 440 Ninth Avenue.

Eemerge, a separately managed self-funded company which operates a 55,000 s/f business center within the SL Green owned property, is about to add 11,000 s/f of turn-key space at the building, bringing its total holdings to approximately 66,000 s/f..

The expansion is a result of the huge demand for short-term, affordable, fully- wired and flexible work space, not only from the plethora of new reality shows currently in production and under development, but entertainment companies across the board including those specializing in TV commercial shoots, talent recruitment and major motion picture production.

Plus, more traditional businesses--law firms, accountants, and financial services firms, to name a few--are also showing an increased demand for flex space.

Hence, emmerge is bringing to market an additional 21,500 s/ferty, 28 W. 44th Street, on two high floors with wonderful Midtown views and close proximity to Grand Central Terminal.

The expansion space at 440 Ninth Avenue will be ready for occupancy by September, while 28 W. 44th will open its doors by year's end.

"We're attracting reality shows and other media enterprises to 440 Ninth because we can offer them full-service office space and business services seamlessly, without the hassle of a long-term lease commitment," said Melissa Libner, senior managing director of eemerge, which established itself in 2000 by offering high-tech, turn-key space to accommodate the surge of dot-corn companies.

"A TV pilot's future is so heavily reliant on viewer ratings, reality shows can be here today and gone tomorrow. Given the unpredictable nature of the entertainment business, being able to ramp up and size down on a moment's notice, as well as having short-term contractual lease commitments, is of major importance to these types of tenants."

Following the demise of the dotcoms, eemerge targeted law firms, accountants and Fortune 500 companies, but the large majority preferred Midtown locations and didn't require flex space so far West. According to Ms. Libner, "440 Ninth is burgeoning with media/TV types, and now we have an opportunity to offer the same flex amenities to the corporate community, but in a location that makes more sense for them, in the heart of Midtown on West 44th Street."

In addition to reality shows at 440 Ninth, the space is a magnet for TV and movie production companies. OCPI, producers of the hit TV show Monk, accommodated show writers, directors and production staff at the building while filming in New York; and Sony and Columbia Pictures occupied space at the facility for production of the recent Will Smith box office smash 'Hitch'. Plus numerous production companies specializing in TV commercial shoots are constantly seeking space at the eemerge facility, even if their needs are for only a few days.

Other current tenants include Giant Magazine and Seed Magazine. The newest tenant is Italy-based Piaggio USA, manufacturers of upscale motor scooters, which is occupying space at eemerge while their permanent New York office is under construction.

"Traditional and well-established businesses like Select Health, a growing division of New York Presbyterian Hospital, also continue to make use of the eemerge platform while in between permanent homes," concludes Libner.