By Billy Gray 11:00am

The Sit-Down

cohen

The Moviegoer: Cohen Brothers Realty’s Charles Cohen Talks Real Estate, Predicts Oscar Winners

Charles Cohen is in the business of creating. As the president and chief executive officer of Cohen Brothers Realty Corporation, Mr. Cohen oversees a portfolio of properties and design centers in New York, Florida, Texas and California. He also executive produced the Academy Award-winning Frozen River and runs Cohen Media Group, a distributor and producer of foreign and independent films. Mr. Cohen’s father, Sherman Cohen, the developer who built CBRC into a powerhouse with his two brothers, died late last month at 91. And while Mr. Cohen politely declined to answer direct questions about his father, he did speak to The Commercial Observer about his legacy when discussing recent developments at the firm and in New York real estate. Mr. Cohen also spoke enthusiastically about the film industry and this year’s crop of new movies, which will be in the national spotlight when the Academy Awards airs this Sunday.

 

The Commercial Observer: In 2011, you told The Commercial Observer that you and the rest of the real estate industry were moving at 25 miles per hour. What was the speed in 2012?

Mr. Cohen: In New York, we’re going twice as fast as last year, but not fast enough. Read More

By Al Barbarino 1/28 10:40am

Obituaries

Sherman Cohen

Sherman Cohen, Real Estate Developer Who Transformed Third Avenue Into Residential Destination, Dies at 91

Sherman Cohen, the real estate developer who propelled Cohen Brothers Realty & Construction Corporation into the ranks of the city’s top development firms, has died.  He was 91.

Mr. Cohen, known for his quick wit and sharp dress, founded the company with his two brothers in 1959, later building it into a New York City mainstay along with his son, Charles Cohen.

“It’s the end of an era,” Charles Cohen said about his father.  “He pioneered new neighborhoods and improved the quality of life in so many communities across the city.  He built big residential buildings in areas where people at the time were not looking to build or live.” Read More

By Daniel Geiger 7/25/12 12:05pm

Lease Beat

623 Fifth Avenue

Avison Young Leases Its First Manhattan Headquarters

Avison Young is taking 15,000 square feet at 623 Fifth Avenue as space for its new Manhattan headquarters, The Commercial Observer has learned.

The Canada-based real estate services company opened in the city last year and has been operating out of temporary space offered by the office suite company Regus at 245 Park Avenue. Read More

By Jotham Sederstrom 4/26/11 2:13pm

The Sit-Down

Charles Cohen’s Designs on the Future (They Include Madoff)

Charles Cohen has weathered the downturn well. The design-oriented president and CEO of Cohen Brothers Realty has been overseeing a bevy of construction and redevelopment projects nationwide, including in Manhattan. The Commercial Observer sat down with Mr. Cohen, 59, to discuss his love of design and his more recent work as a film producer.

Read More

By Laura Kusisto 2/02/11 5:59pm

Lease Beat

Interior Designer Finds New HQ at 3 East 54th

3 East 54th Street

Charles Cohen hasn’t been showing his love for innovative design of late, but the developer can still appreciate a tenant with aesthetic flair.

Interior design firm the Switzer Group has leased the entire 14,500-square-foot seventh floor at 3 East 54th Street for its new corporate headquarters. While Mr. Cohen has publicly Read More

By Jotham Sederstrom 5/24/10 6:54pm

His Schedule’s Full

The Commercial Observer: You’ve done a lot of work redeveloping design centers across the country, including the Decoration & Design Building in Manhattan and the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles, which is currently under construction.

Mr. Cohen: The Pacific Design Center is in the third phase, which is a great office building that’s Read More