Crain's New York Business articles from February 2003

Crain's New York Business archives from February 2003

Investors banking on SoHo building; Plan to convert 1920s property; landlord buys 200 apartments.(Real Estate)(Israeli investors purchase East River Savings Bank building; other real estate briefs included)
February 3, 2003... Byline: Lore Croghan The East River Savings Bank in SoHo is one of those pretty little properties that look like they would make perfect apartment buildings. That's exactly what the new owners have in mind. A group of Israeli investors...

Sept. 11 groups run out of business; Advocacy nonprofits look for relevancy beyond crisis mode.(News)
February 3, 2003... Byline: Lisa Fickenscher For the past 16 months, Meyer Feig has been the spokesman and advocate for the 150 small businesses that were located in the World Trade Center, including his technology company. Fighting for financial...

New Executive: Engendering advances; Corporate pioneer hopes to guide YWCA toward greater success.(Profiles)(Rennie Roberts)
February 3, 2003... Byline: Miriam Kreinin Souccar Rennie Roberts is used to standing out in a crowd. She was the first woman to head human resources for a Dow Jones 30 company. She was the third female senior vice president at American Express. And when she...

Pataki backs tort reforms to help city save money; Civil suit measures sure to draw heavy fire; change of heart for the governor.(State Budget Crisis)(Gov. George Pataki)
February 3, 2003... Byline: Philip Lentz Gov. George Pataki last week proposed several modest tort reform measures aimed at helping New York City reduce the escalating cost of civil judgments against the city. The proposals, which were included in the...

Tax plan slams insurers; Pataki proposes 2% levy; policyholders likely to see premiums leap; no signs of support for industry.(News)(Gov. George Pataki)
February 3, 2003... Byline: Samantha Marshall Gov. George Pataki's proposal to sharply increase taxes on New York insurers will cost the industry more than $160 million and hurt companies' abilities to compete outside the state. The proposed 2% tax on...

Government Alert: Burden targets churches, doctors; Planning director wants to reduce facilities' traffic; clout in Congress.(Briefs)(Amanda Burden)
February 3, 2003... City planning director Amanda Burden last week promised to crack down on churches, doctors' offices and other such facilities that create congestion in residential neighborhoods. ``I have committed and will do something about community...

The Weeks Ahead.(Calendar/Datebook)
February 3, 2003... Byline: anne apuzzo THIS WEEK'S EVENTS february 4. New York Public Library's Science, Industry and Business Library holds program on techniques for managing your job search. 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., 188 Madison Ave., lower-level...

Executive Moves.(Profiles)(various service industries, high tech and new media industries)
February 3, 2003... Byline: joao h. rodrigues APPAREL & RETAIL J. Crew Group Inc.: Millard S. Drexler, 58, joined as chairman and chief executive. He was formerly chief executive of Gap Inc. Jeff Pfeifle, 44, joined as president. He was formerly...

New York City vs. The South.(Special Report: Garment Industry)
February 3, 2003... In New York City, the mayor typically worries a good deal more about Wall Street than about apparel manufacturing. In the mill country of the South, the textile trade wields greater political clout. With 270,000 textile mill jobs clustered...

Economic plan may materialize with city's help.(Special Report: Garment Industry)
February 3, 2003... The Bloomberg administration is developing a plan to help the city's struggling garment industry. Business services Commissioner Rob Walsh has begun meeting with industry players, such as the Fashion Center Business Improvement District,...

Bruno will discuss state budget; Thursday, Feb. 6.(News)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
February 3, 2003... State senate majority Leader Joseph Bruno will discuss the state's huge budget deficit and the prospects for steep cuts in programs and higher taxes at the next Crain's New York Business breakfast forum, on Thursday, Feb. 6. The forum will...

Stock Watch: Bear Stearns avoids traps and outperforms market; Low interest rates play to bond strength; lands new deals.(Stocks)
February 3, 2003... Byline: stephen gandel Bear stearns & co. has long been known to Wall Street traders and fund managers as ``The Bear.'' In the past year, it has earned the title. While profits of most investment banks have plunged right along with...

How to succeed as governor without NY state of mind.(Viewpoint)(Column)
February 3, 2003... Byline: James Brady I believe that George Pataki, our beloved guv, is getting a bum rap. How was he supposed to know about the ``gawd-awful mess,'' as the Post calls it, that New York state has gotten itself into? He's only been...

Portuguese fluency retained; TriBeCa's updated Pico a great place to savor 7-course tasting; earplugs not on menu.(Dining/Restaurant Review)(Restaurant Review)
February 3, 2003... Byline: bob lape Deep in an evening of star-spangled cooking, a captain whizzed past our comfortable, curved banquette, slowing to smile and inquire, ``Happy?'' Oh yes, and not merely happy, but also full, delighted and impressed. At...

Liability costs not vicarious.(Viewpoint)
February 3, 2003... Byline: Greg David Most people don't understand the fuss about trial lawyers and lawsuits seeking huge damages. They ask three questions: Shouldn't someone hurt by negligence be compensated? Shouldn't the person or business who caused the...

Garage operator makes exit costly; Co-ops battle over canceled leases.(News)
February 3, 2003... Byline: lore croghan It was a financial nightmare for the co-op at 1199 Park Ave.-all because of the garage operator that wouldn't go away. The lease had expired on the building's garage space, but the tenant refused to budge. Instead,...

Mike's plans include tax amnesty.(State Budget Crisis)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2003... Buried in the financial plan that Mayor Michael Bloomberg released last week is a small tax amnesty program for companies that have owed business taxes for more than three years. If those taxes are paid, the amnesty would limit interest and...

Medicaid cuts will hit NY's elderly hardest; New budget targets nursing services, drug coverage.(State Budget Crisis)
February 3, 2003... Byline: mary sisson Gov. George Pataki's proposed $1.2 billion cuts in Medicaid, widely believed to be a program for the poor, will actually have their biggest impact on the elderly and the providers who care for them. Fully 43% of the...

At Deadline.(Late News)(Allied Waste Industries Inc. to enter New York City market; Brobeck Phleger & Harrison to close New York office; new partner at Manatt Phelps & Phillips; among other briefs)
February 3, 2003... Big trash firm to leave NYC allied waste industries inc., the country's second-largest waste hauler, is pulling out of the New York City market, sources say. Carters have complained for several years that they cannot make money here...

New York, New York.(Briefs)(deal falls through to move city's wholesale flower district to new warehouse; nonprofit formed to help produce/distribute films in US; American Lawyer to launch quarterly publication; among other briefs)
February 3, 2003... Byline: edited by Emily DeNitto Nipped in the bud A deal to move vendors in the city's fading wholesale flower district to a jointly owned warehouse space has failed to take root. Last summer, business owners in the district, along...

4 win big bucks despite bleak venture picture; Funding goes to tech firms with profits, footholds in specialized areas.(News)(investments in Lava Trading Inc. and three other New York city technology companies that are all now profitable)
February 3, 2003... Byline: lisa fickenscher Most technology entrepreneurs would be floored to get the telephone call Richard Korhammer received a year ago. Shortly after the Sept. 11 terrorist attack, when most of the financial community was barely...

A new pattern for old skills; Short runs, uniform production offer way for NYC to compete.(Special Report: Garment Industry)(B&C Fashions Inc.)
February 3, 2003... Byline: catherine curan Like a slice of sunshine, a 60-yard roll of pale yellow cotton unspools onto a garment factory cutting table, guided by Jason Chen. Checking to make sure the material lies flat on the 48-foot-long table, he pats...

Ways to save NY $1 billion.(Viewpoint)(Column)
February 3, 2003... The headlines last week were all about the budget cuts Gov. George Pataki is proposing. His critics keep talking about the tax increases needed. The debate over what to do will center on trying to balance those two approaches. No matter how it...

Wick burns Nasdaq with style, strategy; Exchange falters as Wall Street veteran alienates staffers, rivals from start to finish.(News)(Hardwick Simmons, CEO of Nasdaq, plans to leave at end-2003; discusses his command)
February 3, 2003... Byline: stephen gandel In late June 2001, four months after he became chief executive of the Nasdaq, Hardwick Simmons encountered his first major crisis as the head of the nation's second-largest stock exchange. A technical glitch...

Marching orders yet to hit firms; 1,700 reserve soldiers called to duty; companies not worried for now.(News)
February 3, 2003... Byline: jacqueline s. gold Maj. Gen. Richard S. Colt is worried. About 1,700 Army Reserve soldiers attached to his command at Fort Totten in Bayside, Queens, have recently been called up for active duty. In their real lives, they work...

Small Business: Crafty duo has others make goods; The Hable sisters' handmade business grows by turning to manufacturers.(Small Business)(Hable Construction, silk scarf/apron printing company, begins to contract out work)
February 3, 2003... Byline: victoria rivkin Four years ago, sisters Katherine and Susan Hable started a business producing handmade silk scarves and aprons in a cramped 150-square-foot space on Great Jones Street in lower Manhattan. By the second year,...

Midtown rent cuts spur new battle of bargains; Excess space going for $20s per square foot; threat to downtown market.(Real Estate)
February 3, 2003... Byline: lore croghan When Vivendi Universal put its office at 800 Third Ave. on the sublet market just over a year ago, the media and entertainment conglomerate expected to get rents of $50 per square foot. Now, it's working on deals for...

Capital cuts imperil major cultural plans; Queens Museum and City Center lose out; B'klyn sees less damage.(News)
February 10, 2003... Byline: miriam kreinin souccar Projects at some of the city's most important cultural organizations are likely to suffer cuts that will endanger their completion, when the Department of Cultural Affairs capital budget is released this...

Stock Watch: Jar maker finds new way to bottle bigger profits; Jarden taps into Martha Stewart crowd, packs up plants.(Stocks)(Jarden Corp., maker of the popular Ball and Kerr home preservation products)
February 10, 2003... Byline: stephen gandel In the past year, its shares have risen 170%, making it one of the best-performing stocks on the New York Stock Exchange. Two analysts have recently picked up coverage of the company, recommending its shares. ...

War buildup spurring support for peace groups; Small nonprofits gain members, but many still struggle for money.(News)
February 10, 2003... Byline: jacqueline s. gold New York City-based peace organizations, a group of small nonprofits that have long struggled for attention, are seeing an uptick in interest in their programming and protests now that war with Iraq is imminent....

Government Alert: Mayor to map energy policy; Will address rising demands, conflict with plants; E. Side Access gets a push.(Workplace)
February 10, 2003... Mayor michael bloomberg is planning a major speech this month to provide the first detailed explanation of his energy policy and is expected to offer specific initiatives to meet the city's rising electric demands. The speech could also...

Tech firms abandon Wall St. High costs, hassles lead public companies to go private.(News)
February 10, 2003... Byline: lisa fickenscher For over a year, Razorfish Inc. has been ignored by analysts and snubbed by investors. Despite the growing isolation, Jean-Phillippe Maheu, the firm's chief executive, still had to devote more than 10% of...

HSBC storms back as SBA lender; Rushing in as Fleet, others slacken their pace; answers call from the feds.(Special Report: Small Business)
February 10, 2003... Byline: shira j. boss When Carolyn Mazur was looking for startup financing for her physical therapy business in Manhattan last year, a friend recommended a bank that he had heard was making a big push in such loans, FleetBoston Financial....

Fed-backed funds lose hunger for investments; SBIC program retrenches as money dries up; lost in the bubble.(Special Report: Small Business)(small busniess investment companies reduce investments and loans in New York City)
February 10, 2003... Byline: stan luxenberg Chalk up another victim of the dot-com bubble-an important but little-known federal program designed to channel tax dollars into promising young companies. With many of their investments of recent years now...

Chinatown landlords rapidly convert factories to offices; Despite market, changes march on.(Real Estate)(rents are higher for office space than sewing factories)
February 10, 2003... Byline: lisa fickenscher It's nothing personal, says Irwin Liu, but when the last garment factory moved out of the building his company manages at 100 Lafayette St. in Chinatown, it was a great day. ``Sewing factories pay $8 a square...

Restorative powers; Dubel's job: straighten out WorldCom's books.(News)(WorldCom Inc.'s new chief financial officer, John Dubel)
February 10, 2003... Byline: erik ipsen By the time John Dubel signed on as the chief financial officer at WorldCom Inc. last July, the company's suppliers, customers and creditors were in an uproar, and its 77,000 employees were in a state of deep shock. ...

corrections and clarifications.(workers' compensation coverage for large employers; price for ebluga caviar at Lobel's Prime Meats)(Brief Article)(Correction Notice)
February 10, 2003... * New York state Insurance Commissioner Gregory Serio hoped to craft a solution to workers' compensation coverage problems for large employers by the end of January. A Feb. 3 ``At Deadline'' item mischaracterized Mr. Serio's desire to resolve...

Spielberg series rockets Sci Fi to outer limits; `Taken' lures stars, ads; must act fast or else.(News)(Sci Fi Channel to develop special programming)
February 10, 2003... Byline: valerie block Whoopi Goldberg is in advanced negotiations with the Sci Fi Channel to develop special programming. Actor Nicolas Cage and directors Spike Lee and Joel Schumacher are in talks about bringing their own projects to the...

New Executive: Analyzing the situation; Investment chief will work to hone research reputation at Neuberger.(Profiles)(Jack Rivkin)(Biography)
February 10, 2003... Byline: tom fredrickson From his estate in argentina, home to some of the best fly fishing in South America, newly retired 34-year Wall Street veteran Jack Rivkin spotted a chance for bigger fish. It was early 2002, and satellite...

New York's Oscar; Upstart NY studios will join Miramax in awards spotlight as gambles pay off.(News)
February 10, 2003... Byline: miriam kreinin souccar When the Oscar nominations are announced Tuesday, Miramax Films is likely to be the big winner. Many predict it will set an all-time record for nominations with films like Chicago and Gangs of New York,...

Art book publisher creates new scene; Gallery, store planned for next powerHouse HQ; new landlord on tap for Irish pub.(Real Estate)
February 10, 2003... Byline: lore croghan The art book publisher that turned out a best-selling volume of Sept. 11 photographs is building a new headquarters-one that will be part art gallery, part store and part office. The publisher, a small independent...

Beyond the Banks; As traditional lenders get skittish, business owners turn to finance companies, factors, leasing firms, others; the costs can be high.(Special Report: Small Business)
February 10, 2003... Byline: laurie joan aron Having grown her business steadily over the last four years despite the recession, Dr. Catrise Austin simply assumed that getting a loan to continue the expansion of her dental office would be a snap. She was...

Room to grow.(Special Report: Small Business)(small business loans in New York lag Los Angeles)(Brief Article)
February 10, 2003... While the SBA welcomes the surge in lending by HSBC, the fact is that even with that additional production, New York banks as a group lag behind their peers in some other big cities. ``Our penetration has never been as good as Los...

Closing the barn door.(Special Report: Small Business)(Small Business Administration reduces new license grants in 2002)(Brief Article)
February 10, 2003... Concerned about conserving its capital, the Small Business Administration has become pickier about which groups it will grant coveted small business investment company licenses. In the past, applicants with real estate or general business...

Close calls bring Hamptons closer to the piano man.(Viewpoint)(Column)
February 10, 2003... Byline: James Brady Please, Billy, don't do a Jimmy Dean. Route 114 on the East End of Long island is a lovely six-mile stretch of hilly, winding rural road running from East Hampton to Sag Harbor, wooded or farmed on both sides and...

Telling Tales.(Special Report: Small Business)(ClassesUSA Inc.; Autowraps Inc.; new outlet for jewelry street vendor)
February 10, 2003... Byline: lisa goff Online educator head of its class Small business pioneers often get swept away when a brand-name corporation enters the fray, but Jordon Keltz says he isn't worried. The chief operating officer of ClassesUSA Inc....

Accountants' nonprofit profit center; Middle-market firms solicit boards; governance issues offer boost.(News)
February 10, 2003... Byline: cristina merrill As head of The Studio School on the Upper West Side, Janet Rotter wants to worry about everything but the financials of running the small 32-year-old nonprofit. ``I have a vision that takes precedence over...

Bistro lands a combination; Olica's owners mix best of their previous eateries; the lounge also delivers a punch.(Dining/Restaurant Review)(Restaurant Review)
February 10, 2003... Byline: bob lape Destinee's dynamic dining duo does it again at Olica. Co-owners Jean-Yves Schillinger and Christophe Llhopitault recast the more-intimate elegance of Destinee, the team's popular 6-year-old closed by fire on East 61st...

The Weeks Ahead.(Calendar/Datebook)(Calendar)
February 10, 2003... Byline: anne apuzzo this week's events february 11. New York Public Library's Science, Industry and Business Library holds program on six mistakes investors make with their finances. 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., 188 Madison Ave., lower...

Executive Moves.(Profiles)(executive changes at various service industries and high-tech industry)
February 10, 2003... Byline: joao h. rodrigues ACCOUNTING & CONSULTING Booz Allen Hamilton: Reggie Van Lee, 44, was promoted to senior vice president of the management consulting firm. He was formerly a vice president. ADVERTISING & COMMUNICATIONS ...

War is hell on recovery.(Viewpoint)(Column)
February 10, 2003... Byline: Alair Townsend Most of us have been exercising positive thinking, telling ourselves that good economic news is just a quarter away, two at most. That American optimism-searching for daffodil shoots breaking through winter...

TV mobilizes for ratings; A few local stations to send their own reporters; costs come at worst time.(News)(news organizations prepare for war coverage)
February 10, 2003... Byline: valerie block Rob Morrison of WNBC completed Pentagon's survival training course in Woodstock, Va., last week, learning how to cope with everything from biological weapons to land mines. Now, the former Marine is prepared to go...

Ann Taylor rolls up sleeves to find suitable president; Turnover high at flagging retailer; OTB window opens.(Workplace)(Ann Taylor Stores Corp.; new CEO for New York City Off-Track Betting Corp; president for New York Regional Association of Grantmakers)
February 10, 2003... Byline: miriam kreinin souccar The ann taylor chain is looking for a president who can please fickle consumers and a fickle boss. Kim Roy, hired just a year and a half ago to revive sales at Ann Taylor Stores Corp.'s flagship division,...

Hospital jobs go begging; NY seen as career suicide; Regulations, unions, high costs make it hard to fill rising executive vacancies.(Workplace)(outlook for hospital executives)
February 10, 2003... Byline: samantha marshall New york's hospital executive suites seem to have been fitted with revolving doors. Four top slots have opened in the last five months at some of the city's largest hospital systems, including New York...

New York, New York.(Briefs)(outlook for South Village Historic District; new Milan home furnishing stores in SoHo area; redesigned Ladies' Home Journal; other briefs)
February 10, 2003... Byline: edited by Emily DeNitto Curtains for playhouse? Historic preservationists are gearing up for their next battle with New York University. Worried that a number of landmark theaters are at risk, the Greenwich Village Society...

At Deadline.(Late News)(Insignia Financial Group Inc. may merge with rival CB Richard Ellis Inc.; marketing/licensing deal with Delia's Corp.; Charlotte Russe Holding Inc.'s first store in New York area; other briefs)
February 10, 2003... Real estate firms in merger talks real estate brokerage in- signia Financial Group Inc. said Friday that it has re-entered merger talks with archrival CB Richard Ellis Inc. Shares of Manhattan-based Insignia spiked 16.1% to $9.72 on talk of...

The Best of Bob Lape.(Dining/Restaurant Review)(Restaurant Review)
February 10, 2003... Pico (3 stars) 349 Greenwich St. (between Harrison and Jay streets), Manhattan. (212) 343-0700. Pico the litter when it comes to New York restaurants of Portuguese inspiration. It's rustic, romantic and rich in inspired cooking by chef...

New Merrill team splits from the herd; Innovative leaders break patterns, cut costs.(News)(Merrill Lynch & Co. )
February 10, 2003... Byline: stephen gandel Late last month, Merrill Lynch executives announced that their firm's earnings had quadrupled in 2002-hitting $2.6 billion, although it was the worst year in decades for every Wall Street business from advising on...

Chicago bank enters NY; Northern Trust hits Park Avenue looking to poach.(News)
February 10, 2003... Byline: steve daniels A Chicago bank known for managing the money of wealthy clients will enter the New York market in the next several months to gain a foothold in the Northeast. Northern Trust Corp. is taking advantage of its $100...

A commuter tax compromise.(Viewpoint)(Column)
February 10, 2003... Mayor Bloomberg's demand that the state reimpose the income tax on commuters exposes a great philosophical divide between city residents and those who come into the city to work. The audacious nature of the mayor's request for a 2.7% tax,...

Bruno's budget repair kit pushes tort law reform; Won't act unless Assembly goes along; offers `for sale' list.(News)
February 10, 2003... Byline: philip lentz Seeking ways to avoid drastic budget cuts or higher taxes, Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno is proposing wide-ranging changes in the state's tort laws and selling major government assets, such as New York City's two...

Toy Fair game theory: add 2nd show; Fall event for big players could bring needed relevancy.(News)(Manhattan's Toy Fair)
February 10, 2003... Byline: catherine curan Thomas Conley, the new president of the Toy Industry Association Inc., joined the trade group after running housewares, fishing tackle and steel organizations, not tempting American tots with gadgets and games. ...

Commercial sales info sought for March 3 list; top building sales.(News)
February 17, 2003... Costar group inc. is compiling information for its list of the largest commercial property sales in Manhattan in 2002, ranked by deal price. The list will be published in Crain's New York Business on March 3. Sales of office buildings,...

Havel's Prague 13 years ago made for compelling theater.(Viewpoint)(Vaclav Havel)(Column)
February 17, 2003... Byline: James Brady The other day, The New York Times ran an editorial saluting the retirement of a European politician of whom perhaps some of us have never heard. He's the chain-smoking Czech named Vaclav Havel. He'd been president...

Sidewalk cases put cracks in NYC budget; Slip-and-fall suits cost $70 million a year; system stacked against city.(Special Report: Business Insurance)(Column)
February 17, 2003... Byline: daniel gross On the afternoon of Oct. 16, 1994, Saivon Johnson, a Bronx resident in her 30s, tripped over a ``cracked, raised, and depressed and uneven condition'' in the sidewalk in front of 2265 Sedgewick Ave. in the Bronx. She...

City eyes plan to sweeten major incentive programs; Budget, politics loom as obstacles; Bloomberg may just seek renewal.(News)(Michael Bloomberg)
February 17, 2003... Byline: philip lentz The Bloomberg administration is looking to expand the city's major business incentive programs, though it faces financial and political hurdles. Business groups support expansion and are pushing specific ideas to...

Breaking business news on Crain's Web site; ONLINE ALERTS.(Special Report: Business Insurance)(Brief Article)
February 17, 2003... Crain's new york business covers news all day long on our Web site, www.crainsny.com. For even easier access, sign up for free breaking-news alerts and have stories delivered right to your desktop. We offer a weekly preview of stories in the...

Garment district building suitable for expansion; Cynthia Steffe takes more space at 550 Seventh; Atlantic Bank branches out.(Real Estate)
February 17, 2003... Byline: catherine curan After wowing the world with fall collections last week, New York City's fashion industry now returns to the business of selling clothes. Some topflight local designers are growing in the garment district,...

Time running out for rogue retailers; Cambridge Camera, sister store face shutdown; worst of a bad lot?(News)
February 17, 2003... Byline: lisa fickenscher Every other day, Dan Ross, a newspaper editor in Washington state, calls Cambridge Camera, a retailer at 119 W. 17th St. in lower Manhattan. Cambridge's employees know his voice by now. Sometimes they hang up...

Importer's new restaurant a dramatic leap for Greek; TriBeCa's Thalassa is tops in design, seafood preparation; some inconsistency.(Dining/Restaurant Review)(Restaurant Review)
February 17, 2003... Byline: bob lape Call it a fantis-y. tribeca's exciting new Thalassa is one of the most dramatic Greek dining destinations to debut in years. It's all to the good that it takes a page or two from Estiatorio Milos and Avra, and that's quite...

Executive Moves.(Profiles)(for several service industries, consumer products and high-technology sectors)
February 17, 2003... Byline: joao h. rodrigues ACCOUNTING & CONSULTING BDO Seidman: Neil Moran, 53, joined as senior manager on the fraud investigation and recovery services team. He was formerly a vice president at Carco Group Inc. Prager and Fenton:...

this week's events.(Calendar/Datebook)(Calendar)
February 17, 2003... Byline: anne apuzzo february 18. Infovest21 holds seminar on considering different product structures. 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., The Princeton Club, 15 W. 43rd St. Fee: $250. (212) 686-6440. february 18. National Association of Women...

The Best of Bob Lape.(Dining/Restaurant Review)(Restaurant Review)
February 17, 2003... Olica (3) The Kimberly Suites Hotel, 145 E. 50th St. (between Lexington and Third avenues), Manhattan. (212) 583-0001. Chef Jean-Yves Schillinger and host Christophe Llhopitault reinvent their hit Destinee as a globally influenced bistro...

Emmes nabs bank, goes after diamonds; Outfitting 5th Ave. property for nearby merchants; value fund trades addresses.(Real Estate)(Emmes & Co. leases former commercial building to single-floor tenant, Independence Community Bank; Third Avenue Holdings to move; new property for Morris Duffy Alonso & Faley)
February 17, 2003... Byline: lore croghan Emmes & co. is marketing the empty 43,000-square-foot commercial building it owns at 550 Fifth Ave. to single-floor tenants. The first taker is Independence Community Bank. The bank signed a 15-year lease for a...

HHC gets some relief-for now.(Special Report: Business Insurance)(New York City Health & Hospitals Corp.)(Brief Article)
February 17, 2003... The New York City Health and Hospitals Corp. got a small reprieve in medical malpractice payouts for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2002. It paid $167 million, compared with $175 million in fiscal 2001. HHC attributes the drop in payouts to...

Car lessors lean on horn to budge NY legislators; Galvanized industry lobbies to force vicarious liability law off the roads.(Special Report: Business Insurance)(leasing companies threaten to move out of state if changes aren't made)
February 17, 2003... Byline: cristina merrill Elaine Litwer says that trying to mobilize the car industry to join her cause over the last decade has been like moving an elephant. Last month, however, that elephant sprinted into action. Ms. Litwer, who owns...

Be good to goods makers.(Viewpoint)(downsizings in manufacturing sector)
February 17, 2003... Byline: Greg David After World War II, a million people worked in manufacturing jobs in New York. By 1988, that number had been cut almost in half. Then came the rough years of the early 1990s, when all sectors were hurt. But none fared as...

Spreading mold lawsuits threaten NY infection; Residential claims triple to 4th-highest.(Special Report: Business Insurance)
February 17, 2003... Byline: cristina merrill The epidemic of mold lawsuits that has devastated property owners and insurers in Texas and California may be spreading to New York. Several high-profile lawsuits over mold in residential buildings may signal...

NY grapples with terrorism gap; Big firms left in lurch for property, workers' comp.(Special Report: Business Insurance)
February 17, 2003... Byline: jacqueline s. gold The New York state government is struggling to fill in the gaps left by last year's federal terrorism insurance law. Because of the large number and high value of properties in Manhattan, hundreds of big...

At Deadline.(Late News)(Nasdaq Stock Market Inc. hires Heidrick & Struggles International Inc. to find new CEO; League of American Theaters & Producers ad campaign over contract negotiations with musicians; 35 firms investigated for software piracy; other briefs)
February 17, 2003... Heidrick to seek new Nasdaq chief the nasdaq stock market inc. hired Heidrick & Struggles International Inc. to head the search for a new chief executive. In December, CEO Hardwick Simmons said he plans to leave the nation's second-largest...

J.P. Morgan chief lonelier at the top; Harrison hangs on, but can't keep grip on departing execs; 6 leave within weeks.(News)
February 17, 2003... Byline: stephen gandel After a year of turmoil, William Harrison, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.'s embattled chief executive, seems to have won himself some time. A favorable settlement with the firm's insurers over Enron-related losses, as...

Terror-hardened city takes shape; Offices, hotels, apartments all attempt to become hardest of targets.(News)
February 17, 2003... Byline: jacqueline s. gold As the nation prepares for war and the mounting risk of terrorism that goes with it, New York City is trying to surround itself with an aura of impenetrability. Hotels, apartment buildings and office towers...

E-tax filing almost becomes free-for-all; IRS allows many to prep returns online at no charge-but advisers are so handy.(Small Business)(IRS' Free File targets individuals and self-employed small business owners who use Schedule C)
February 17, 2003... Byline: peter malbin Each year, katherine gregory, a New York City-based consultant to the food service industry, prepares a spreadsheet carefully detailing the revenues from all of her contracts and all expenses incurred. When she's done,...

Coming attractions.(Small Business)(small business owners could benefit from President Bush's proposed budget)(Brief Article)
February 17, 2003... Paying taxes could be much less painful in the not-too-distant future. The Treasury Department projects that if changes proposed by President George W. Bush in his budget are enacted, there will be big savings for the nation's 23 million small...