CATSIMATIDIS TALKS BIZ, POLITICS

Fresh off of starting an exploratory committee to get the pulse on a NYC mayoral run, Red Apple Group and Gristedes Foods chairman John Catsimatidis last week visited B’nai B’rith’s real estate unit lunch. We snapped the Clinton Democrat-turned-Republican, who said, “You can’t beat up companies to create jobs and beat up banks to hope they’ll extend money.” He was particularly concerned that New York is No. 50 in the US for economic development. Offer incentives to build and spend money here, he says. “Don’t scare them away with taxes.” What's critical: getting more people in the right positions, he says, and more biz people in politics.
Giuliani took care of the crime and Bloomberg provided leadership, so we never felt the recession. A bad leader, he says, will impact the dollars coming into NY; in that case, you might as well “short your real estate.” Among ideas he’d push: a 2014’s World’s Fair, 50 years after the city’s famed event and one that wouldn’t be a “flashbulb” like the Olympics. He’s joined above by Hofheimer Gartlir & Gross’ Gerald Morganstern, Zlokower Co’s Harry Zlokower, Newmark Grubb Knight Frank’s Robert Shapiro, Sklar Realty Group’s Lydia Sklar, First American’s Jeff Mitzner, BDO’s Stuart Eisenberg, and Sholom & Zuckerbrot’s Frank Zuckerbrot.

Continue reading this story with a free account

Log in or register
Sign up for more articles like this
Subscribe to Bisnow's National Newsletters
Related Stories

Wall Street Anxiety Pushes Meta Into The Neocloud Business

Comcast Consolidates To 140K SF In Times Square

Microsoft Moves To Undo Local Tax Breaks For Atlanta Data Center Projects

ICE Pivot From Warehouse Plan Funnels Cash To Private Prison Owners

SpaceX, Tesla To Spend $16.8B Building First Phase Of 100M SF Chip Factory

Longtime Newmark CEO Barry Gosin To Step Down

USG To Unveil New Solution For Data Center Partners At DICE South In Texas

CRE’s ESG Retreat Masks Growing Spending On Climate Risk

Blackstone Vice Chairman Tom Nides On Leadership And The Future Of CRE

Orders To Vacate On The Rise, Leaving Tenants With No Home, No Timeline

Delaware Statutory Trust Fundraising Jumps 31%, Putting 2026 On Track For A Record $10B

Fannie Mae Latest Lender Suing Alan Stalcup To Collect 'Bad Boy' Guarantee