Newman and Caracappa of W&M Props. lease 2,225 s/f at MerritView

Eka Software Solutions has signed a five-year lease for part of the penthouse level of MerrittView, according to Jeffrey Newman, executive vice president of W&M Properties, the marketing and managing agent for the building. For the India-based company, a leading provider of commodity trade and risk management software, the 2,225 s/f space will be its United States headquarters. W&M Construction will build out the space for the tenant. Newman represented the landlord with W&M assistant vice president Kathleen Caracappa. Barbara Segalini-Stilley of CB Richard Ellis represented the tenant. Built in 1985, MerrittView is an eight-story, 255,000 s/f office building. Located at the intersection of Rte. 7 and the Merritt Parkway, near the Norwalk/Wilton border, MerrittView has river and woodland views. The centralized location also provides access to Rte. 7, Exit 40A and 40B of the Merritt Parkway, and the Metro-North Commuter Railroad. "We are extremely pleased with the outcome of the search for our U.S. headquarters," said Rick Nelson, vice president of global sales at Eka. "MerrittView is a first-class property with great amenities, and the decision to establish our office here was an easy one. The building's proximity to New York City makes this an ideal location for us." MerrittView's facade has alternating bands of brick and continuous windows. The structure encompasses a 6,400 s/f plaza level, six full-size floors, and a 10,540 s/f penthouse. Building-wide enhancements that have been made include redecorated common area corridors, upgraded restrooms and refinished elevator cabs. Amenities include: 24-hour attended access; free shuttle van service for tenants to the South Norwalk Transportation Center; structured on-site parking; a tenants-only fitness center with state-of-the-art equipment and locker room facilities; a tenants-only multimedia conference center with wireless internet access; a renovated and expanded MerrittView Grille; complete telecommunications systems, including fiber optics, category 5 wiring, cable and wireless Internet access with a choice of several telecom providers; and an ATM. In addition, the expansive plaza area was renovated and made more aesthetically attractive by the addition of "Coiffure," an abstract steel sculpture by award-winning local artist Carol Eisner. The sculpture, made of rusted steel components and assembled from recycled stock, weighs more than 2,500 pounds and stands 10½ feet high. W&M provides full turn-key deal-making and management services, including marketing, lease negotiations, design, construction, management and cleaning services, all performed in-house. Other W&M trophy properties in Fairfield County are: First Stamford Place, a three-building, 810,000 s/f office complex located along I-95, adjacent to the Stamford Transportation Center; and Metro Center, a 280,000 s/f property at the Stamford Transportation Center. W&M trophy properties in neighboring Westchester County are: Ten Bank St., a 225,000 s/f, 12-story office building located in White Plains, one block from the White Plains Transportation Center; and 500 Mamaroneck Ave., a five-story, 285,000 s/f multi-tenant office building located in the surging I-287 East submarket in Harrison. The company's portfolio of suburban office buildings totals 1.85 million s/f of prime space in Westchester County and in Fairfield County, Conn. W&M Properties is the real estate management, marketing and acquisition arm of the Malkin family, which has commercial and residential operations in seven states.