family of Abraham Isaacs. A subsequent archeological study found that, if there had been any artifacts relating to Isaacs on the site, they had been destroyed. As a penalty for destroying potential artifacts, the LPC requested that Kaufman and JMB display artifacts that had already been found in Lower Manhattan. Kaufman objected to the penalty, saying "it's like if I parked at a broken meter and instead of paying a $50 fine, I'm being fined $50,000". To settle the dispute, Kaufman agreed to exhibit artifacts from the neighborhood. Ultimately, the South Street Seaport Museum was contracted to display these artifacts in a permanent public exhibition next to the building. Completion and early years 17 State Street was finished in early 1988. It was one of four large office buildings in Lower Manhattan completed around that time, along with 225 Liberty Street, 7 World Trade Center, and 32 Old Slip. At the time of its opening, 17 State Street had no tenants, and the other new buildings in the area were also largely empty. The building's offices were being rented at an average rate of , making the offices around 50 percent more costly than those in similar buildings. At the time, demand for office space in Lower Manhattan was declining. By December 1988, only four stories were occupied. The Kaufman Organization said it was targeting smaller clients, who largely preferred to rent finished space, as opposed to large companies, which were more likely to rent space that had not been built yet. The building's managers placed 50 cameras throughout the building; if a crime was committed there, the managers would display security footage of the suspect in the lobby, along with the label "Do You Know This Man?". The Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA), which held a mortgage on 17 State Street, bought the building in 1989 for more than $157.5 million. At the time, only around 20 percent of the building was occupied. By taking full ownership of 17 State Street, TIAA could fund building improvements with its own capital and lease out the remaining vacant space. TIAA finalized its purchase in January 1990, paying the Kaufman Organization an undisclosed amount. TIAA also canceled the mortgage on the building. In exchange, Kaufman ended his involvement in the project. TIAA reduced average asking rent in the building to . The building had of vacant space by mid-1990,