Martin Dorph, Who Oversees NYU’s Real Estate Portfolio, to Retire

Martin Dorph, the executive vice president at New York University who oversees the college’s huge real estate portfolio, will retire in October after nearly 20 years at the school, NYU announced.

Dorph arrived at NYU in 2007 as chief financial officer, then moved in 2015 into his current position, in which he supervises the institution’s operational and administrative functions, including the school’s real estate holdings.

During his time at NYU, Dorph successfully launched branch campuses in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai, improved financial aid programs, saw the school’s assets more than double and its endowment triple, and built or acquired around 3 million square feet for the school, according to the announcement.

“During defining moments and turbulent times, Marty — and the team he assembled — has helped ensure that NYU thrived,” Linda Mills, president of NYU, said in a statement announcing Dorph’s retirement.

“Time and again, he has shown his skill as a problem-solver: reaching into the heart of the thorniest challenges and coming up with solutions that serve NYU in both the short and long term,” Mills added. “He has done so much for NYU.”

It’s unclear who will replace Dorph when he retires in October. Dorph could not be reached for comment.

When Dorph sat down with Commercial Observer in July 2018, NYU owned or occupied 171 buildings, or about 15 million square feet, in New York City, including academic buildings and dormitories at 20 Astor Place, 708 Broadway and 120 East 12th Street.

At the time, Dorph was also in the process of building a $1.3 billion “super-project” with an additional 2 million square feet called the John A. Paulson Center at 181 Mercer Street in SoHo.

The center, which was completed in 2023 as NYU’s largest built academic facility, comprises about 750,000 square feet and features classrooms, performing arts spaces, a theater, a gym, and student and faculty housing, CO reported.

Recent real estate deals for the university include spending $69.2 million to buy 35 Cooper Square in August and master-leasing the entire 1.1 million-square-foot 770 Broadway.

While NYU ended 2024 with an endowment with a market value of approximately $6.5 billion, Dorph will leave the school at a time of uncertainty for the commercial real estate world, as policies under the Trump administration threaten both education and construction.

Isabelle Durso can be reached at idurso@commercialobserver.com.