Thousands of votes have been cast in The Commercial Observer’s first annual Power 100 Reader’s Poll and as of 1 pm this afternoon, Donald Trump holds a razor- thin advantage over Andrew Farkas of Island Capital Group, with Ralph Herzka of Meridian Capital Group trailing closely in third. Read More
The polls are open, and the public’s verdict on who should top the list of real estate’s most powerful people lies in your hands. So spread the word. For the first time since The Commercial Observer launched our Power 100 issue in 2008, we’ve added an online reader’s poll that, while distinct from Read More
Can The Commercial Observer party at its own party? You bet! The CO got down at its annual Power 100 celebration, which honors its picks for the top 100 most powerful, influential and successful real estate figures in the city. Held at the Core Club in Midtown on Monday night, the gathering featured a collection of the most distinguished owners, brokers, executives and politicians. After the jump, a minute-by-minute color commentary on the city’s most powerful human beings. Read More
Forest City Ratner developer Bruce Ratner suffered one of the most dramatic drops in this year’s Power 100 (at least, without actually dropping out of the list), going from 48 in 2011 to 72 in 2012. But the Ohio-based company’s biggest critic, Norman Oder, insists the 24-rung fall was too much. Read More
During the final months of his 2010 campaign for governor, Andrew Cuomo, the former United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, found himself high above Manhattan, sitting across a table from Stephen Ross.
To most political analysts and voters, Mr. Cuomo’s gubernatorial ascendance was already a foregone conclusion, thanks, perhaps, to the precision of Read More
“The governor is on the line,” a top real estate executive recalled his wife telling him early one morning in his suburban home several weeks ago.
He remembered feeling a small spasm of panic as he cursed aloud—without realizing his wife was on the other side of the door holding the receiver out.
The man put the phone to his ear. “That’s what you say when I call?” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in jest. Read More
It was April 23, two days before SL Green’s first-quarter 2012 earnings were announced, and chatter was reaching a fever pitch: Would Viacom, which occupies about 1.3 million square feet at SL Green’s 1515 Broadway, choose to renew its lease or opt to follow its Times Square cousin Condé Nast in taking space in Downtown Manhattan? Read More
In the world of Gary Barnett, everything is the best.
The president of Extell Development, a company he launched in the 1990s following a stint as a diamond trader in Belgium, made this plainly clear during a recent tour of One57, his 1,005-foot-tall tower near Carnegie Hall on West 57th Street. When completed, the building will rank not only among the city’s tallest properties, but, with its views of Central Park, among its most luxurious as well. In other words, the best.
On the One57 amenities: “This will be the best amenities package in the entire city. All the others are good. But they don’t have everything.”
On the One57 finishes: “Look at this kitchen. Where will you find a kitchen anywhere like this? It’s the best, and we have two of them.”
On the One57 floor plans: “We have the best floor plans on the market.” Read More
