ISSUE NO. 1 | FEBRURARY 14, 2020
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Dear Tenants,
Welcome to the first edition of
555 Madison Connects
, our new community newsletter! This effort is personally important to me – as is the building itself, which has been owned and operated by my family for three generations. When my grandfather purchased the designs for this property and built 555 Madison from the first floor up in the early 1960s, he envisioned an elegant place of business on Madison Avenue and a gathering place for forward thinking professionals. Building on that foundation, my vision is to foster a thriving, friendly community where tenants know each other and feel invested in the building we all inhabit. It is my hope that
555 Madison Connects
will enhance that spirit by sharing vital updates about the building and shining a spotlight on our events, special content, neighbors and friends within 555 Madison.
Enjoy!
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Dionicia Hernandez
Vice President
Rodney Corporation
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American Elm, Central Park
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ART ONSITE
Mitch Epstein Exhibition
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The work of the famed photographer Mitch Epstein has been on display in the lobby of 555 Madison with work from his series
New York Arbor
, a collection of photographs of idiosyncratic trees that inhabit New York City. These pictures underscore the complex relationship between trees and their environment. Many of these magnificent trees are hundreds of years old and arrived as souvenirs and diplomatic gifts from abroad. As urban development closes in on them, these unique trees grow with their surroundings and continue to thrive. The cumulative effect of these photographs is to invert people’s usual view of their city: trees no longer function as background, but instead dominate the human life and architecture around them. We hope the exhibition offers enjoyable insight into Epstein’s methodology of exploring these natural and often overlooked elements of New York City.
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NEWS TIPS:
We also are eager to hear and share your news. Please send story tips and news items about your company and employees for consideration for this newsletter to:
newsletter@rodneycorporation.com
. Thank you!
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TENANT SPOTLIGHT
Proper Food
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We are excited to announce that Proper Food has opened their newest location at 555 Madison. We hope that you have had a chance to sample their menu, including their excellent coffee and awesome chocolate chip cookies. Proper Food is known for freshly-made delicious food cooked from scratch daily before dawn and handcrafted from sustainably sourced, all-natural ingredients. Each entrée is expertly curated by Chef Juan Muñoz who applies his Michelin-starred culinary experience to create inspired, seasonal high-quality food.
Warm up this winter with Proper Food’s heated-to-order hot entrées including Salmon Teriyaki, Sweet Potato Enchiladas, Grilled Hanger Steak and Coconut Curry Chicken. There are also hot breakfast options available!
Proper Food is offering free delivery to all 555 tenants - just order on properfood.com and enter the promo code: proper555.
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BUILDING NEWS
Enhancements
Lobby Artwork:
The water wall in our lobby is now flowing beautifully again after being lovingly restored. Our Robert Perless water sculpture was first installed in the lobby back in the early 1980s. Perless is an American artist and engineer renowned for his kinetic art and he has created sculptures for municipalities, universities and corporations. The renovation was done by the experts at Art Crating of Brooklyn, who regularly work on sculptures nearby at MoMA and other venerable institutions. Please enjoy this beautifully restored treasure and tag us @555.Madison in your Instagram posts.
Elevators Upgrade:
The Schindler Elevator Corporation has been awarded the contract for our elevator renovation. Work has begun and should be completed by 2022. In early April, the elevator call button system will be converted to Destination Dispatch panels, which will get you on your way in a speedier and much more efficient manner. Thereafter, two elevator cabs at a time will be taken out of service for remodeling until all work is complete. The elevator modernization work will encompass new cabs, controllers and the implementation of Destination Dispatch. If you have questions about this work, please email Aleisa Sulaman, our Tenant Services Coordinator, at
aleisa.sulaman@rodneycorporation.com
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Local Law 26:
As of July 1, 2019, the city requires that all commercial buildings above 100 feet be fully sprinklered. This is a tall order for many landlords, but we are happy to announce that 555 is in full compliance with this city requirement.
Local Law 11:
We have completed our Local Law 11 work and the sidewalk bridge has come down. In the spring, we will undertake some elective caulking work on the tower.
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EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: MEET DOMINIK SADOWSKI
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If you haven’t met him already, please stop by the front desk and say hello to the newest member of the Rodney Team: Dominik Sadowski. Dominik joined us in early November. Prior to joining the 555 family, Dominik worked at a DDG building on the Upper East Side. He lives in Brooklyn and loves to edit music videos for his friends in his spare time. Dominik takes over for Terry Bush who recently left to pursue a career in music. We wish Terry all the best and thank him for his years of service.
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FROM THE ARCHIVE
We’ve Always Been Home to the Best Businesses
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Did you know that before 555 was even completed it had an amazing tenant roster? When Benjamin Coates, the grandfather of current Rodney Vice President Dionicia Hernandez, purchased the building and completed construction in 1962, IBM, Midland Trust Company of New York, the New England Mutual Life Insurance Company and United Artists were already signed on to make their new homes at 555.
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AVAILABLE SPACE AT 555
Need more space? Here’s what’s available:
19th floor
9,733 RSF, Full-floor White box – Available Immediately
11th Floor
5,908 RSF, Pre-built C – Available Immediately (Furnished and wired option available)
If you are interested in any of our available spaces or if you wish us to keep you in mind for future openings, please give us a call. We’re always happy to chat!
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UPCOMING EVENTS
EAP Sessions:
As set forth in the FDNY Code Section FC406 Table 5 406.2(1) & (2), the Emergency Action Plan refresher training is mandatory by law for all tenants. We are hosting two two-hour seminars which will include important reviews on fire and smoke related emergency procedures and non-fire related emergencies. All tenants must attend one of the seminars. Please select one of the following dates to attend and please RSVP to:
aleisa.sulaman@rodneycorporation.com
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Session 1, Feb. 18: 10am - 12pm
Session 2, Feb. 27: 10am - 12pm
Mandatory Fire Drills
April 28: 10am - 2pm
Coming in March, 555 will be hosting
a special tenant event program
on the 19th floor. Details and launch information to come!
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Ask Aleisa
Do you have questions? Well, Aleisa has answers!
Nothing is off limits.
• Need advice on how to deal with an unruly officemate?
• Want to know what the policy is for complaining about a co-tenant?
• Wondering how you can befriend your neighbor upstairs?
Write to Aleisa for guidance on any concern you have or anything you are simply curious about related to 555 Madison. Aleisa will respond to you privately and we’ll also showcase a letter and response in our next newsletter with your consent.
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