The first NBA Store leased at 666 Fifth.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) has taken three levels and approximately 35,000 square feet of space at 666 Fifth Avenue for its first-ever NBA Store, reports Arthur L. Bocchi, senior managing director of SRD Realty, the owner's representative for 666 Fifth Avenue.

The NBA space, in the building's south retail quadrant, will be encased in a new, all-glass facade, and will occupy the building's first floor, and part of the ground floor and the second floor.

The building is owned by Sumitomo Realty & Development (NY) Inc. The brokers for the NBA in the transaction were Dan Gronich, chairman, and Glen Markman, executive managing director, of Grubb & Ellis New York.

"The NBA's arrival here on Fifth Avenue is exciting for two reasons," said Bocchi. "First, it continues to reinforce Fifth Avenue as a major retail thoroughfare overall. Second, the NBA Store itself, because of its unusually large size and state-of-the-art design, coupled with the organization's international renown, will have a major influence for many years to come on the climate of retailing itself- and on the continual emergence of theme and entertainment-oriented retailers joining such classic retailers as Saks and Cartier in this part of Midtown."

The NBA Store is scheduled to open in September 1998, and will showcase the best of everything the NBA has to offer under one roof, including a variety of special events and player appearances. The store will feature more than 15,000 square feet of selling space, occupy all three floors and integrate the full content and scope of the NBA, its teams and players in a dramatic retail environment.

Drawing on the extensive archives of NBA Entertainment - the league's full-service television, video and photography division - the NBA Store will offer a number of multimedia attractions that will give fans access to NBA and WNBA game action and other moments from as late as 50 years ago or as recently as the previous night's game. Customers will have the ability to check into the real-time world of the NBA by logging on to NBA.com or by watching games live on one of the store's many television screens.

The store design will incorporate a basketball court (half-court) with bleachers that can be used for a variety of special events and player appearances.

"Its location in one of the most important shopping corridors in the world will ensure that the NBA Store will be an incredibly powerful showcase for a full range of products and for the NBA brand," said NBA Commissioner David Stern. "We will utilize every asset within the NBA organization to make the flagship store an exciting and unforgettable experience for customers. The NBA Store also will provide us with the opportunity to interact directly with our fans on a daily basis."

"Long in the works, the NBA lease follows a conscious effort by SRD to dramatically improve the quality of its retailers." said Tatsuru Kono, president of SRD. "The next step for 666 is to lease the retail space in the northern quadrant of our building to an equally distinguished and unusual retailer who can bring more freshness and exciTement to the face of Fifth Avenue. Unique stores are almost a requirement in this district - the center of one of the most dynamic areas of the world for both business and leisure."

The available north quadrant retail space consists of 9,000 square feet on the ground level and 15,000 square feet on the second floor.

In taking the 666 space, NBA worked very closely with the ownership of the building to create a retail space consistent with its plans for the rest of the building, and, with Nobutaka Ashihara of Ashihara Associates, the architectural firm hired by SRD to renovate the lobby at 666.

"We want to insure that Mr. Ashihara's design for our building and NBA's design for its new space will work well together, and we'll extend that same courtesy to other retailers interested in taking the north quadrant space," said Bocchi.

The NBA has hired Richard Altuna and The Phillips Group to design its retail space.

Located between 52nd and 53rd Streets in Manhattan, 666 Fifth Avenue contains 1.26 million square feet of office space.