Interest is strong, they said, even though many retail rents are more than $100 a square foot.

In that area, he said, retail rents have been $200 to $300 per square foot, double the prices of three years ago.

The $1.25 million though, is definitely at the upper end - or above - the range of retail rents in the neighborhood.

It is, real estate brokers said, a new high for retail rents on the block, at least in recent memory.

Retail rents there start at about $125 a square foot and rise to whatever the traffic will bear.

This is not a small point in a part of town where annual retail rents can surpass $500 a square foot.

There is concern that escalating retail rents could eventually force out small businesses.

Until recently, Zeckendorf was not as willing to compromise on retail rents.

Because of the neighborhood's fashionable profile, some retail rents exceed $10,000 a month.

Retail rents range from $27 to $34 a square foot plus a percentage of gross sales.