Chinese company to open 60th-floor restaurant, event space in NYC

NEW YORK - China's Fosun Group will inaugurate high-brow restaurant and event space on the top floor of its 28 Liberty commercial building in Lower Manhattan at the beginning of July.

"They are among the tallest restaurants and event space in New York City," its estate manager Liang Min told Xinhua through WeChat.

Restaurateur Danny Meyer is partnering with Fosun on a $30 million restaurant and event space atop the downtown office tower.

The space will take up the entire 60th floor, spanning 38,000 square feet. About one-third will be a bar and dining area, and the rest will be event space that can host 800 people, according to Fosun Group.

"The facilities will be put into use when July kicks in," said Liang.

Other floors down below were mostly rent out, added the manager.

Originally built as One Chase Manhattan Plaza, 28 Liberty is an iconic, 2.2 million square foot landmark commercial office building in the center of Lower Manhattan.

Tenants of the building enjoy direct access to six subway lines from the lobby, while entry to the new Fulton Center/World Trade Center transit complex lies just two blocks to the north.

Construction of One Chase Manhattan Plaza started in 1957 and completed in 1961. JPMorgan Chase put the building up for sale in August 2013. Fosun purchased the 60-story downtown tower at $725 million the same year, about 100 million more than initial estimates, and embarked on a major renovation.

Fosun came to New York for sustainable development, therefore it did everything in accordance with the highest standards and in respect of the local culture, laws and regulations, Bo Wei, Fosun's chief deputy in NYC, told Mandarin daily newspaper The China Press recently.

Fosun Group was established in Shanghai in 1992 and has been publicly listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange since 2007. It is a world-class investment group underpinned by the twin drivers of "insurance-oriented comprehensive financial capability" and "industrial-rooted global investment capability."