Awww the good old days

-LENNOX We came across an article by a Carisa Keane in Garden City Life published back in 2002 about the early morning ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the second Bookspan building on Franklin Ave. Now the buildings housing the company may be on the block. Back then Bookspan was a joint venture between media super powers, Time Warner and Bertelsmann (Bertie). We wanted to go back and revisit this moment in time, when all was well and Markus Wilhelm was the man. So much has changed in five years.. Introduced as "Mr. 501" because he spearheaded major renovations to Bookspan's new corporate headquarters at that address on Franklin Avenue, Bill Gatti, senior vice president of Human Resources and Administration, described Friday's ribbon cutting ceremony as a "marriage of people and space and the reinforcement of need and harmony that it creates." The multi-billion-dollar conglomerate created 450 additional jobs at the new site, doubling the workforce to 900 employees. 501 Franklin now includes Bookspan's executive, marketing and administrative operations and Bertelsmann mediaSystems (BmS) data center. Originally built in 1910 with Theodore Roosevelt laying the cornerstone, New York State Assemblywoman Maureen O'Connell said it's truly a pleasure to drive by and absorb the beautiful nature and character that's been preserved and protected. Formerly the home of Doubleday, the building also served as a fitting homage to England's Hampton Court. Second Bookspan Building Opens [Garden Life]