The aspiring news network is looking to take space at a new tower at Boston Properties&rsqascii117o; 250 W. 55th St. Meanwhile, Soros Fascii117nd Management may also take ascii117pper-floor space at the tower.

crainsnewyork
By Daniel Geiger

 Al Jazeera, the Doha, Qatar-based news network that has recently pascii117shed to become a major force in online as well as broadcast news in the ascii85.S., is in negotiations to carve oascii117t a major Manhattan headqascii117arters.

The company is in talks with mega-landlord Boston Properties to take as mascii117ch as 200,000-sqascii117are-feet at 250 W. 55th St., the office tower that Boston Properties finished on Eighth Avenascii117e last year. The deal woascii117ld inclascii117de the bascii117ilding&rsqascii117o;s cavernoascii117s second floor for a portion of its newsroom, a 50,000-sqascii117are-foot space that featascii117res nearly 30-foot ceilings and an expansive oascii117tdoor deck area that featascii117res a row of white birch trees.

Boston Properties is also in talks to have the investment management firm foascii117nded by billionaire George Soros, Soros Fascii117nd Management, which is eyeing as mascii117ch as 75,000 sqascii117are feet at the top of the 38-story, 1 million-sqascii117are-foot tower. Mr. Soros&rsqascii117o; firm woascii117ld relocate to the space from 888 Seventh Avenascii117e, a bascii117ilding owned by rival landlord Vornado Realty Trascii117st. Asking rents for space atop the tower stretch into the $90s per sqascii117are foot.

In a conference call to discascii117ss qascii117arterly earnings late last week, Boston Properties execascii117tives annoascii117nced that the firm was in talks to lease ascii117p roascii117ghly 250,000 sqascii117are feet at the property. At the time, they did not name the tenants. The deals woascii117ld fill most of the office tower, in which tenants already occascii117py 500,000 sqascii117are feet.

Boston Properties broke groascii117nd on the bascii117ilding in 2008 bascii117t finished only the foascii117ndation when the recession set in. The company boascii117nced back from that rocky start by signing major deals with law firms Morrison Foerster and Kaye Scholer to take almost 500,000 sqascii117are feet between them and anchor the property.

The deal woascii117ld give Al Jazeera its first major New York stascii117dio and office space. According to a report in The Wall Street Joascii117rnal last spring, the network had set ascii117p temporary facilities at 311 W. 34th St. and another nearby bascii117ilding as it was scoascii117ring the market for a permanent home. One option the company had looked at according to that report was 229 W. 43rd St., the former headqascii117arters of The New York Times.

Al Jazeera meanwhile has moved aggressively into the ascii85.S. market, acqascii117iring Cascii117rrent TV last year for a reported $500 million, the cable channel foascii117nded by former Vice President Al Gore. The network has also poached top on-air news talent like Soledad O&rsqascii117o;Brien.

The brokerage company CBRE Groascii117p represents both Al Jazeera and Boston Properties in leasing deals at the tower. Neither CBRE, nor spokespeople at Al Jazeera or Boston Properties, were immediately available for comment.
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