Industry veteran Shari Krasnow-Renzi has joined Avison Young as a director of project management as part of the firm’s expansion of its project management services platform in New York City, the company announced today.
Ms. Krasnow-Renzi previously spent 15 years with Turner & Townsend, where she managed build-out and construction assignments.
She will oversee project Read More
Tenant representation firm Cresa has hired former Newmark Grubb Knight Frank broker Robert Sattler as a vice president within its brokerage team.
Mr. Sattler told The Commercial Observer that he jumped at the opportunity to be part of Cresa’s expansion of its New York operations, as it expands its real estate footprint in the city and plows ahead with an aggressive hiring campaign.
“I’m excited because this is a great opportunity for a company with a national platform to grow in New York City,” he said. Read More
Coldwell Banker Commercial Alliance is launching an asset management division and has hired Steve Pressler and Joanne Agoglia to lead it, The Commercial Observer has learned. The team will provide management and leasing services to local landlords.
Mr. Pressler and Ms. Agoglia have worked together for over 20 years, and have leased and managed buildings including 509, 590, 609, 720 and 724 Fifth Avenue; 803 and 824 Madison Avenue; and 180-182 Broadway. Read More
Tenant representation firm Cresa has appointed Jim Pirot as its new senior vice president of project management, the latest move in the firm’s New York expansion following its relocation and expansion to 450 Lexington earlier this year.
Mr. Pirot brings three decades of experience in property management and operations for commercial, residential, hotel Read More
Forest City Ratner Companies today confirmed what has long been understood in New York real estate circles: MaryAnne Gilmartin will succeed Bruce Ratner as president and chief executive officer of the development company.
Mr. Ratner, 68, will serve as the executive chairman of FCRC, stepping aside so that Ms. Gilmartin, executive vice president of commercial and residential development, can take over.
“I’m exhilarated by the notion of being able to partner with Bruce going forward, but I know business,” Ms. Gilmartin told The Commercial Observer in a telephone interview. “I am a developer at heart so Bruce and I are like-minded in terms of the importance of civic building and community and how we create great places.” Read More
Larry Silverstein, the affable face of Silverstein Properties and the man behind the redevelopment of the World Trade Center, is stepping down as CEO – the latest of a string of high-profile real estate CEOs to step down this year.
The co-chief executive at the firm, Mr. Silvertein’s heir apparent, Marty Burger, who joined in 2010 as executive vice president after 15 years with Related Companies, will succeed Mr. Silverstein, The Wall Street Journal reported. Mr. Silverstein will stay on as chairman.
“Marty is a terrific young guy, and his function is really going to be to grow the company,” the 81-year-old real estate icon, Mr. Silverstein, told the Journal. Read More
Thor Equities has hired Richard Farley to lead their leasing department as Vice President of Office Leasing. Mr. Farley will be joining in light of Thor Equities’ New York City portfolio expansion. Read More
Office-leasing specialist Adam Rappaport has joined Avison Young as principal, leaving Cushman & Wakefield after 13 years to join a growing list of industry pros to be scooped by the Canadian firm.
A string of hires within the last few months highlights the firm’s mission to expand its footprint across New York City and the United States — and Mr. Rappaport cited that as a motivator for his move.
“I am excited to be part of an organization that is poised for such tremendous growth, and look forward to leveraging my relationships and expertise to establish new avenues for business development,” Mr. Rappaport said, in a statement announcing his hiring. Read More
The Spector Group announced that George Kuchek, senior associate and project manager, will be moving from their Long Island offices to their New York City office and that Robin Thompson will be joining the firm as Director of Business Development.
“We’re proud to be adding new talent and expertise while also maintaining and redeploying the Read More
Industry veteran John Ryan III is the latest hire in Canadian real estate firm Avison Young’s mission to expand its footprint across New York City and the United States.
As Principal of the firm’s New York City office, Mr. Ryan will harness his 23 years of experience in tenant and landlord representation, providing brokerage services for key clients.
“I am thrilled by the opportunity to join Avison Young,” Mr. Ryan said, in a prepared statement. “The positive trajectory of Avison Young’s growth nationally, as well as in the New York City market, where the firm has established a high-quality reputation in a relatively short period of time, has been very exciting to watch.” Read More
Todd Korren joined Massey Knakal Realty Services yesterday, stepping out from the transaction-based roles that made him one of the city’s elite brokers and into a managerial role as Managing Director of Manhattan.
Mr. Korren, who spoke exclusively with The Commercial Observer about his new role, will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Read More
Four brokers at Newmark Grubb Knight Frank will be taking over leasing responsibilities for three prewar office buildings on Broadway. The buildings, owned by W&H Properties, include 1333, 1350 and 1359 Broadway.
The leasing team will consist of William Cohen, executive vice president and principal, and Ryan Kass, senior managing director, Neil Rubin, director of Read More
The New York City Chapter of NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, today announced the results of its election for 2013 chapter leadership roles. Neil Tipograph, partner at Imowitz Koenig & Co., has been elected to serve as president, having been president-elect in 2012.
The organization has 55 chapters nationwide and about 15,000 members. Read More
Bruce Ratner is stepping down as CEO of Forest City Ratner Companies, a source tied to the organization tells The Commercial Observer, confirming rumors that have been swirling around the industry for the past year.
Mr. Ratner, 68, will step aside this winter, assuming the role of company chairman and putting MaryAnne Gilmartin, the firm’s current executive vice president of development and leasing, at the helm of the firm’s day-to-day operations, the source said.
“It’s been in the works for a significant amount of time… over the last year or so,” the source said. “Everyone knows Bruce is a mentor to her (Ms. Gilmartin) and that she was being groomed for the role.”
“The stories are accurate,” he added, referring to the string of media reports that followed suit after an initial report published in Crain’s yesterday.
The decision begs the question of whether the man behind the Barclays Center and Metrotech Center in Brooklyn, and the 52-Story marvel and home to The New York Times at 620 Eighth Avenue, has simply had enough of the day-to-day squabbles that characterized the last decade of his tenure at the firm. Read More
Newmark Grubb Knight Frank has promoted three executives at its Manhattan headquarters to senior managing director positions. Jason T. Greenstein, Daniel L. Levine and Joshua L. Friedman each have been with the firm for a little more than a decade.
Mr. Greenstein focuses predominantly on tenant representation, advising a number of corporations in Manhattan, including Read More
Affordable Housing or Lack Thereof
