Brooklyn State of the Market

Rebecca D’Eloia is a real estate development executive with 25 years of experience in large- scale, public/private redevelopment projects primarily in the metropolitan region. As Executive Vice President of Development at RXR, she leads development activities across multiple asset classes within the company’s ground-up portfolio. Her project experience includes complex, multi-phased master plans such as the Innovation District at Nassau Hub, the 72-acre site surrounding Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum;  Garvies Point, a $1B+, 1,100-unit mixed-use redevelopment project which is reclaiming a 56-acre former industrial site along the waterfront in Glen Cove; Veridea, a 1,100 acre, mixed use greenfield in the Research Triangle region of North Carolina; and the redevelopment of Long Island University’s Downtown Brooklyn campus.  Prior to joining RXR, Rebecca was Senior Vice President at Forest City Realty Trust, focusing on the entitlements and development of Pacific Park (Atlantic Yards) in Brooklyn, and the design and construction of Barclays Center, home of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets.  She also led the $160M renovation of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Nassau County.  Prior to Forest City, Rebecca was part of the team leading the redevelopment of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, a $1.2 B reconstruction of the campus housing eleven world-renowned performing arts organizations, including the New York Philharmonic, the Juilliard School and the Metropolitan Opera.  Rebecca began her career at the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, where she oversaw revenue contracts and licenses for the agency.  A graduate of Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Rebecca resides in Huntington, Long Island with her husband and 2 children.

David E. Gross, AIA is the Co-Founder and Executive Partner of GF55 Architects, a national firm with offices in New York City and Miami. GF55 has a specific expertise in Multi Family, Retail, Educational, Hospitality, and Industrial Architecture. Since 1984, GF55 has designed and built over 12 million square feet of housing nationally. David’s projects have received two Urban Land Institute Models of Excellence Awards and was the recipient of the Andrew J. Thomas “Pioneer in Housing” Award in 2010 from the NYC AIA Chapter. David received an AIA Award of Merit for the renovation and addition of a historic and significant Mid Century Modern house in Rye NY. His work has also been featured in Architectural Digest and The New York Times. David has established the David E. Gross Fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania Weitzman School of Design for the study of Housing. David is a board member at the University of Pennsylvania Weitzman School of Design advisory board to the School of Architecture, the New York State Association for Affordable Housing (NYSAFAH); Citizens Housing and Planning Council (CHPC) as well as the NY Housing Conference. He has been a visiting design juror at Yale College, New Jersey Institute of Technology, and Pratt Institute. From 2004 to 2016 he taught an annual session on the relationship of the Architect to the Development Process at the NYU Graduate School of Real Estate MBA Program. The continued progress and intelligent development of Architecture through future generations was fundamental to David’s decision in establishing this fellowship. David graduated Cum Laude with Distinction from the University of Pennsylvania. He also earned his Master of Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania where he was a Thesis Prize Finalist and a Stewardson Memorial Competition Representative.

Sean R. Kelly, Esq. holds the title of Partner at Ariel Property Advisors. In addition to originating and executing exclusive listing sales, he is responsible for leading business development and networking initiatives in Brooklyn, with a particular focus on Downtown Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights, Dumbo, Park Slope, Gowanus, Fort Greene and Clinton Hill. Prior to joining Ariel Property Advisors, Mr. Kelly served as a Managing Director at CPEX Real Estate, where he led a team of dedicated sales professionals in selling and ground leasing development and conversion sites. In this role, Mr. Kelly managed all projects within his business line by maintaining client relationships, developing custom marketing campaigns, and leading the negotiation process. Since entering the New York City market, Mr. Kelly has successfully brokered more than 120 transactions, consisting of more than 6 million square feet with an aggregate value of over $800 million. His accomplishments earned him recognition as a CoStar “Power Broker,” and the Home Reporter and Brooklyn Spectator both named him a “Rising Star.” Mr. Kelly is licensed to practice law in New York and New Jersey. His professional affiliations and licenses include the following: New York Real Estate Associate Broker License, St. John’s University School of Law Alumni Association, St. John’s University Loughlin Society, University of South Carolina Alumni Association – President’s Club, The Association of the Bar of the City of New York, New York County Lawyers Association, the New York State Bar Association, and the American Bar Association. He received his Juris Doctorate from Saint John’s University School of Law, and his Bachelors of Science in Finance and Small Business Entrepreneurship from the University of South Carolina. He also worked as a journey-man Ironworker on 4 Times Square, 383 Madison Avenue, and several of the New York City bridges. Mr. Kelly currently resides in Staten Island, NY, with his wife and two daughters and can be reached at 212.544.9500 or via email at srkelly@arielpa.com

Gbenga is the Chief Real Estate Officer and EVP for the Brooklyn Navy Yard. In this role, he is charged with oversight of the Development, Design & Construction, Leasing, Planning & Transportation and External Affairs departments and provides strategic direction for the Yard’s 300+ acres of real estate. Gbenga has over 20+ years of real estate development experience across various asset classes working in the private, not-for-profit, and public sectors. Prior to joining the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation, he served as Senior Vice President in the Real Estate Transaction Services group at the New York City Economic Development Corporation, where he was responsible for providing strategic direction and project management on a portfolio of projects in furtherance of City objectives to create more affordable housing and jobs in technology, life science and manufacturing sectors of the City’s economy. Gbenga is a graduate of Wesleyan University and the London School of Economics & Political Science.