The battle at the Chrysler Building isn’t over, despite setbacks for the real estate titan

The Chrysler Building drama is far from over, despite a judge’s ruling last week that Aby Rosen must step down from Cooper Union’s management of the Tower and not interfere with collecting rent from tenants (who are technically supportive because of the land).

The issuance of an order by Judge Jennifer Schecter sought by Cooper Union will likely end tenant confusion over who should pay — and incidents such as the recent one when an executive at Cushman & Wakefield, the Cooper Union firm hired to manage the tower, was allegedly denied entry by Rosen’s team.

But Schecter is also hearing the biggest case over the historic skyscraper: The school’s efforts to evict Rosen for nonpayment of ground rent and Rosen’s fierce resistance to action, including a $100 million lawsuit against Cooper Union for suspected mismanagement. the property.

Sources said that despite the judge’s language at the hearing — when she called some of Rosen’s claims “weak” — the case could take until the end of the year to decide.

Unless the parties somehow decide to settle out of court – which seems unlikely given that both sides are only digging in their heels.

But both sides are in a pickle. Rosen is clearly on the defensive, but Cooper Union will have to decide what to do at Chrysler if Rosen is kicked out of the lease.

Cushman & Wakefield and Savills, which deal in lettings, are fine outfits, but neither is a developer – and the deteriorating and aging Chrysler needs major capital work.

Everyone is hoping for a quick finish, lest the Chrysler — in the heart of the thriving Grand Central district but in need of perhaps hundreds of millions of dollars in renovations — end up in obscurity like another historic tower, 70 Pine St . downtown, was before Rose Associates stepped in to turn it into apartments.

Mitchell Moss, a professor of urban policy and planning at NYU, said: “There are few office towers in NYC that are recognized around the world. The Chrysler Building is too important to New York City to be treated as just another old building office.”

Urban Atelier Group is moving into the recently renovated Rudin’s, 41 Madison Ave. The New York-based construction management firm signed a 15-year lease for 25,268 square feet, expanding next year from its current 18,000 square feet at 85 Fifth Ave.

It’s the third new lease at 41 Madison in recent months at the 560,000-square-foot tower, where anchor tenants include Clarick Gueron Reisbaum LLP, Polar Asset Management Partners Inc. and Kensington Vanguard.