Commercial Klutch: March Edition

More commercial real estate news from our mysterious correspondent…Borough’s hottest leasing market Dumbo is down to about two dozen spaces in the top five buildings, major change from a year ago, when over one hundred and twenty-five were available. Court Street, without the same velocity, is still rolling along, with American Geographic Society taking a second-floor space with 2,443 rentable square feet at the boutique building 32 Court at $29/foot and a custom water view gut reno at 26 Court (photo) with 2,300 square feet for close to $40 a foot.

Meanwhile at MetroTech, we hear former a full floor of Bear Stearns space (CHASE) went for $15 a foot to start. Rumors of a 200,000-sf lease under discussion as well as a 100,000-sf one. With large blocks over 250,000 in Manhattan facing near extinction by next year, we bet we’ll see a big deal here in 2011.

Retail continues its relentless march, with 10 leases signed on Atlantic from Hicks to Hoyt, including an pending expansion of Sahadi. While most leases are hitting last year’s numbers, here and there a higher rent pops up. Stay tuned for deets. Jake’s Wayback Burgers nearly complete, which means it’s time to plan the 2012 DownTownBrooklyn Burger Broil Off contest, with local celebrity judges overseen by our own Marty Markowitz. Morton’s, Grand Canyon, Five Guys, Shake Shack and Smash Burger. Other nominee’s in DTB?