Choyce Peterson Negotiates 11,000 Sq.Ft. Headquarters Lease for D.W. Van Dyke

Stamford, CT, September 18, 2007 – Choyce Peterson, Inc, a tenants’ commercial real estate brokerage firm with offices in Stamford, CT, and White Plains, NY, has negotiated a new, 11,000 square foot lease for D. W. Van Dyke and Company at Wilton Crossing, 195 Danbury Road in Wilton, CT.  D. W. Van Dyke, the largest privately held reinsurance intermediary firm in the Life, Health and Accident markets, will relocate from 323 Riverside Avenue in Westport later this year.  Robert J. Hopper, Vice President of Choyce Peterson, and GVA Williams represented D. W. Van Dyke in its search and lease negotiation.

“Bob was a joy to work with; we found him to be responsive and professional, and he gave 100% to meet our needs,” said Ron Charette, Chief Operating Officer for D. W. Van Dyke and Company.  “He really saved us a lot of time and made the whole process a lot easier.  We told Bob we were looking for around 10,000 square feet of Class A space in the Norwalk to Fairfield corridor and he came back with a list of the available buildings that met our requirements.  We initially crossed 195 Danbury Road off the list, since the available space covered two floors, and the landlord had decided not to build an interior stairway.  We looked at the top options on the list, found a space down the road in Norwalk that we were happy with and began negotiating on the details.  When we got word that the landlord for Wilton Crossing was aggressively filling out the space and would now be willing to construct an interior staircase to connect the two floors, we decided to pursue that option.  Although it’s typical class A space, the building is unique, more like a house, and it’s similar to space we’ve occupied in Westport and prior to that in Rowayton.  Bob recommended a real estate attorney for us and was a terrific help in reviewing the lease, and in making comments and suggestions,” Mr. Charette remarked.

“Like many companies, D.W. Van Dyke was entering the real estate market for the first time in several years and needed a strong advisor to insure their needs were met; they also had the typical reservations about working with a broker,” Mr. Hopper observed.  “These conditions were perfect for me because, as a former corporate real estate professional, identifying needs and meeting them is second nature. Even better, once D.W. Van Dyke realized I was advocating for them, the partnership that is a predicate for success was quickly put in place.  Working with people like Ron Charette and Don Van Dyke was a pleasure; they used my expertise as a perfect supplement to their business knowledge,” he said.

David Genovese, Chief Executive Officer of Baywater Properties, landlord for Wilton Crossing, represented his firm in the negotiation.

About D. W. Van Dyke and Company

D. W. Van Dyke and Company was founded in 1978 and today is the largest privately held intermediary firm in the Life, Health, and Accident markets. For more information, visit www.dwvd.com or call (203) 341-8770.

About Choyce Peterson, Inc.

Founded in 1997, Choyce Peterson, Inc. is a commercial real estate brokerage firm that exclusively represents corporate tenants.  The firm, which has offices in Stamford and White Plains, has completed millions of square feet of tenant representation transactions in 42 states and Canada and earned a solid reputation for experience, integrity, effort and intelligence.  The Choyce Peterson process delivers creative, comprehensive, objective and actionable real estate solutions that ensure clients derive maximum value from their real estate decisions.  Choyce Peterson can be reached at (203) 356-9600 or (914) 422-5700, or visit its Web site at www.choycepeterson.com