Rezoning Ramifications for NYC Development

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  Meredith Marshall

  Mr. Marshall is a co-founder of BRP Companies, a vertically integrated owner, operator, developer and manager of transit-oriented, mixed-use, multifamily properties in the NY Tri-State area. With over 70 employees and a track record of 1.3 million SF of completed real estate projects, the firm has over $1 billion in transactions currently under development. Mr. Marshall is responsible for executing BRP’s investment strategy including deal origination, acquisition, finance and development. He has also led the firm’s strategic partnership initiatives such as the firm’s decade long partnership with Goldman Sachs Urban Investment Group and BRP’s active relationships with all of the New York City Agencies. Prior to co-founding BRP, Mr. Marshall was a Managing Director at Musa Capital Advisors, an emerging markets private equity and financial advisory firm based in New York City. Musa Capital managed a Separate Account for Kingdom Holding Africa, HRH’s Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal’s Investment vehicle for Sub-Saharan Africa. At Musa Capital, Mr. Marshall was instrumental in executing cross-border transactions including the $37 million development of a mixed-use office complex and mall in Harare, Zimbabwe. Mr. Marshall also led successful investments in the Telecommunications and Financial Services sectors. Prior to Musa Capital Advisors, Mr. Marshall was a Senior Associate at Wasserstein Perella & Co., an investment banking firm based in New York City. While at Wasserstein, Mr. Marshall was an integral member of the firm’s Telecommunications and Media, Mergers and Acquisitions practice, where he assisted in transactions exceeding $15 billion. Mr. Marshall is a Founding Member of the Council of Urban Professionals (CUP), and is a Member of the Executive Board of the New York State Affordable Housing Association (NYSAFAH). Mr. Marshall also proudly serves on the Boards of Enterprise NYC Advisory Board and Citizens Housing and Planning Council since 2018, and is a Trustee of Xavier University of Louisiana. Mr. Marshall holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Boston University and a Master of Business Administration in Finance and International Business from Columbia Business School.

  BRP Companies

  Co-Founder & Principal

  Meredith Marshall

  Co-Founder & Principal

  BRP Companies

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  Brian Collins

  Brian Collins is Executive Vice President and Director of Development where he oversees the development projects across the firm’s portfolio. Previously, Mr. Collins was the Head of Acquisitions and Development at Fisher Brothers. Most recently, he oversaw over $1.5 billion in development of residential properties in New York City and Washington, DC, including 111 Murray, 225 East 39th Street, 101 West 87th Street, 37 Warren Street and 701 2nd Street NE on Capitol Hill. Prior to joining Fisher Brothers, Brian was President of Intrawest, one of the largest resort owner/operators and real estate development companies in North America. As President, Brian oversaw all real estate activities worldwide. Before Intrawest, Brian was the founder of Colgate Development, a development company which specialized in the development of luxury hotels and condominiums. Under Brian’s leadership, Colgate developed several hotels and residential properties including The Ritz-Carlton in Charlotte, NC and the Residences at The Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia. Brian started his career in real estate development as a principal and COO of Millennium Partners. Overseeing the commercial components of Millennium’s projects, Brian was responsible for the development of The Ritz-Carlton hotels in New York, Boston and Washington and the Four Seasons hotels in San Francisco and Miami as well as five Sport Club/LA facilities, office space, movies theatres and parking garages. Brian is an active member of the Urban Land Institute where he serves as vice chairman for ULI New York. He is also active in numerous New York real estate groups and councils. Mr. Collins holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Colgate University and a Masters in Accounting from NYU. He and his wife have two children and live in Fairfield CT.

  Silverstein Properties

  EVP & Director of Development

  Brian Collins

  EVP & Director of Development

  Silverstein Properties

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  Paimaan Lodhi

  Paimaan works to advance advocacy efforts for the real estate industry on policy related issues such as land use, housing, economic development, construction, sustainability, and tax policy. Prior to REBNY, he spent several years in government, including time serving as the District Manager for Community Board 10 in Harlem. Before that, he served as an urban planner for the Manhattan Borough President’s Office and was a policy analyst at The Center for Urban Policy Research.

  REBNY

  SVP of Policy and Planning

  Paimaan Lodhi

  SVP of Policy and Planning

  REBNY

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  James Nelson

  James Nelson is Principal and Head of U.S. Investment Sales where he leads Avison Young’s significant investment sale efforts and growth strategies in the top U.S. markets. Avison Young is a full service global real estate firm with over 5,000 real estate professionals located in 120 offices in 20 countries including more than 50 offices across the United States. With a differentiated approach, the cohesive U.S. Investment Sales Group leverages best in class execution to deliver superior results for clients. Since joining Avison Young in 2018, James has been involved in over 225 sales valued at well above $3 billion dollars, resulting in his being named a top global top producer, a Commercial Observer’s Power 100, and a CoStar Power Broker. James has also been a recipient of REBNY’s prestigious Edward S. Gordan Deal of the Year award. Some noteworthy clients include The Archdiocese of New York, Breaking Ground, The Carlyle Group, JP Morgan Chase, Salvation Army and Vornado among others. James builds unique sales platforms at Avison Young consisting of a unified, client-first sales group that is broken out by asset class and providing the best client experience. This approach aligns with Avison Young’s principally owned structure which allows principals to be personally invested in the long-term success of their clients. Throughout his over 25-year career, James has been involved in the sale of approximately 500 property and loan sales for an aggregate value of over $5 billion dollars. Prior to joining Avison Young, James served as Vice Chairman of Cushman & Wakefield, where his team was ranked the number one Investment Sales broker nationwide in 2016. Previously, James was a partner and top producer for Massey Knakal for six of their last eight years and was named the company’s youngest partner in 2004. James is passionate about real estate and helping others achieve success. With his Wall Street Journal bestselling book The Insider’s Edge To Real Estate Investing, podcast, videos, and weekly Forbes articles, he advises on how to navigate and stay on top of this ever-changing market. He enjoys guest lecturing at Columbia, Fordham, NYU, Wharton, and of course his alma mater Colgate. He often provides this real estate expertise to notable mainstream publications such as The Wall Street Journal, NY Times, and the NY Post. James serves on the boards of REBNY, SparkYouth NYC, and USA Water Polo and is a former Chairman of YM/WREA. He is also a co-founder of the Real Estate Services Alliance (RESA) and the Colgate Real Estate Council. His greatest joy is spending time with his wife Allison and three sons Luke, Austin, and TJ either at home in Connecticut, up on the Cape, or travelling to their water polo tournaments on the West Coast. You can follow James on Instagram at @jamesnelsonnyc or visit jamesnelson.com for more information.

  Avison Young

  Principal, Head of U.S. Investment Sales

  James Nelson

  Principal, Head of U.S. Investment Sales

  Avison Young

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  Jodi Stein

  Jodi Stein is a partner in Herrick’s Land Use & Zoning Group. Jodi has significant experience representing real estate developers in obtaining discretionary land use approvals through New York City’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) and before the Board of Standards and Appeals. Jodi also advises clients on the zoning and land use aspects of Qualified Opportunity Fund investments, and in obtaining approvals or resolving issues that arise during the development and construction process. She frequently appears before the New York City Department of City Planning, Department of Buildings and Department of Housing Preservation and Development, as well as the Landmarks Preservation Commission, City Council, Department of Transportation, local community boards and other city and state agencies. Prior to joining Herrick, Jodi was vice president of acquisitions and development for one of the largest privately-held real estate companies in North America. In that role, she was responsible for growing the company’s $2 billion development platform in New York City, Miami and Los Angeles. Jodi worked on obtaining all approvals for all their new development projects — advising on acquisition and pre-development; directing and overseeing all discretionary and government approvals; forging relationships with community leaders in each city; and working with architects, general contractors, subcontractors and environmental consultants through the various development phases of each project.

  Herrick Feinstein

  Partner

  Moderator

  Jodi Stein

  Partner

  Herrick Feinstein

Markets on the Rise: Investment, Acquisition, & Finance

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  Daren Hornig

  Daren is the Managing Partner of HCP and has over 20 years of real estate experience and a diverse background as a real estate broker, telecommunications entrepreneur and as a real estate investor & developer. Prior to HCP, he was the Senior Vice President and Principal of Metropolitan Realty Associates where he was responsible for acquisitions and development projects. Prior to MRA, Mr. Hornig managed all investment and development activities in the Northeastern United States for SAXA and directed all acquisitions, developments, sales & marketing initiatives. He was also previously the President and CEO of The Quest Group, a New York based real estate services firm. Mr. Hornig is a 1989 graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park with a Bachelors degree in Business Marketing. He is married with twins and resides in Roslyn, New York.

  Hornig Capital Partners

  Managing Partner

  Daren Hornig

  Managing Partner

  Hornig Capital Partners

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  Vickey Barron

  When Vickey Barron talks, the real estate world listens. She is direct, honest and able to expertly maneuver through the twists and turns of New York real estate without ever missing a beat. Thanks to her calm demeanor, relaxed confidence and engaging spirit, her customers find the whole experience fun and rewarding from start to finish. Behind Vickey’s charismatic charm is a smart, tough, serious and very successful master of real estate brokerage, who sees the world as she knows it should be and then works to help make it happen. She has earned the respect and admiration of her fellow brokers, along with an impressive base of buyers and sellers – as well as serving as a trusted advisor to some of New York’s most influential real estate developers. Vickey has been featured in leading trade press articles and high-end design magazines – including The Wall Street Journal, The Real Deal, The NY Times, and HGTV’s Selling New York. She has won numerous achievement awards, including the Real Estate Board of New York Eileen Spinola Award for distinguished service and major contribution to the industry by donating her time, expertise, and knowledge of ethics. As an active member of REBNY she has helped to further the profession by encouraging higher standards and developing advanced education. Since her early start in real estate, when she was “Rookie of the Year”, she has set her own high goals only to surpass each one. As the Director of Sales at the converted Ralph Walker collection (100 Barclay, Stella, and Walker Tower), she has also played a key role in the dramatic growth of the new development market in NYC by commanding and achieving record-breaking sales prices for this unique and magnificent portfolio. Vickey combines a sense for people, art and design with sophistication, experience and knowledge of NYC real estate. The result is a trusted adviser who can bring calm and confidence to help one through just about any situation. An astute business woman and smart negotiator, she is also affable and a delight to work with. This is demonstrated not only in the way she conducts business, but also in the loyalty of her team, several of whom have worked with her for years as valued colleagues. The result is a leader and a team committed to excellence. Some marvel at how she is able to get it all done. Her answer is, “If you want something done, give it to a busy person.”

  Compass

  Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker

  Vickey Barron

  Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker

  Compass

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  Richard Carr

  Richard T. Carr, Jr. joined The Community Preservation Corporation (CPC) in 2018 as Vice President, Mortgage Originator for its Agency lending subsidiary, CPC Mortgage Company LLC. In this role, Carr is responsible for sourcing and originating business within the company’s suite of Agency products including Freddie Mac’s Small Balance Loan, Conventional, and Targeted Affordable Housing, as well as the HUD/Federal Housing Administration Multifamily Accelerated Processing program. Carr brings three decades of expertise and leadership within the industry, having more than $25 billion in commercial real estate balance-sheet origination, underwriting, structuring and syndication experience across all asset types. Prior to joining CPC, Carr was the founder and president of Petrich International, a commercial real estate financial services firm which provided capital markets advisory, loan structuring, and senior and subordinate debt placement. He also served as Senior Vice President at HSH Nordbank AG, where he was responsible for establishing a commercial real estate loan distribution platform to support the expansion of the direct origination business in the U.S. for the Hamburg, Germany based lender. Additionally, he co-founded Carr Realty Advisors, and was Vice President at Credit Agricole (f.k.a. Credit Lyonnais). Carr currently holds adjunct professorships at both the New York University Schack Institute of Real Estate and the Fordham University Real Estate Institute. Carr earned his bachelor of science in Business Administration with a focus on finance from Villanova University, and a professional certification in Executive and Business Coaching from New York University. Carr serves on the board of the Mortgage Bankers’ Association of New York, and is founder and chair of its Mentor Program and Scholarship Foundation. He is also a member of the Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate, the International Council of Shopping Centers, and is a former committee member of the Real Estate Lenders Association.

  The Community Preservation Corporation

  Vice President, Mortgage Originator

  Richard Carr

  Vice President, Mortgage Originator

  The Community Preservation Corporation

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  Morris Betesh

  Mr. Betesh joined Meridian Capital Group in May 2017, where he leads an eight-member team. Prior to joining Meridian, he served as a Director at Cushman & Wakefield Capital Markets and a Director of Capital Services at Massey Knakal Realty Services. To date, Mr. Betesh has financed over 500 buildings across the United States and has closed well in excess of over $5 billion in transactions throughout his career. Previously, Mr. Betesh was a Portfolio Manager at a private family office, where he managed a portfolio of properties in Midtown Manhattan and was principally responsible for restructuring and developing the portfolio, in addition to directly leasing the properties and managing the finances at a corporate level. Mr. Betesh attended Brooklyn College, where he received his Bachelor of Science in Business Management and Finance and was honored with the Brooklyn College Presidential Scholarship.

  Meridian Capital Group

  Senior Managing Director

  Morris Betesh

  Senior Managing Director

  Meridian Capital Group

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  Daniel Parker

  Daniel Parker is a Managing Director on the Hodges Ward Elliott (“HWE”) New York commercial investment sales team. Mr. Parker has spent over a decade working in both principal and advisory roles in the New York City commercial real estate market. Prior to joining HWE, Mr. Parker was a Vice President at The Related Companies, where he led a management team overseeing a 2,700 unit multifamily portfolio in New York City. Prior to working for Related, Mr. Parker worked in the Savills Studley Capital Transactions Group, working on a team that closed in excess of $2.2 billion in commercial real estate transactions including residential, office, retail and land. Mr. Parker started his real estate career working as a multifamily asset manager, overseeing 45 rent-regulated properties with 1,600 apartments and 78 retail spaces located in New York City for Prana Investments. In addition to New York City office, retail and land transactions, Mr. Parker brokers multifamily properties in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx. Mr. Parker has represented institutional clients that include Related, Rockpoint, Carlyle, KBS, Westbrook and Normandy, as well as a number of private families and investors. Mr. Parker recently brokered the sale of a $71 million workforce housing portfolio on behalf of Related to a partnership between Taconic Investment Partners and Clarion Partners. Other notable multifamily sales include the record-breaking $140 million sale of a 38 walk-up properties with nearly 1,000 units in the Bronx, 316 Bergen in Brooklyn, the Madison Belvedere at 10 East 29th Street in Manhattan, 442 Lorimer, 184 Havemeyer, 164 Havemeyer, the leasehold at 300 East 46th Street, and 111 Kent Avenue. In 2005, the New York City Teaching Fellows program selected Mr. Parker for a one year public school assignment as a full-time English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher in Washington Heights at PS 5. From 2001-2003, Mr. Parker lived in Mexico City, where he offered service through his church and became fluent in Spanish. Mr. Parker is an Eagle Scout and remains an avid photographer, camper and hiker. He regularly spends time with his family at Candlewood Lake in New Milford, CT to enjoy the outdoors and water sports. Mr. Parker received his Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Utah and an MBA in Finance and Economics from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University.

  Hodges Ward Elliott

  Managing Director

  Moderator

  Daniel Parker

  Managing Director

  Hodges Ward Elliott

Reshaping New York: How Construction, Development & Design Impact a Neighborhood Dynamic

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  Raizy Haas

  SVP

  Extell Development

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  Colleen Wenke

  Colleen is President and Chief Operating Officer at Taconic. She also leads Taconic’s Development and Construction practice. As President and COO, Colleen oversees corporate matters across the firm. As Head of Development and Construction she manages all aspects of development including strategic planning, zoning and entitlements, predevelopment, project budgeting, design management, construction oversight, procurement, risk management and insurance, community relations, branding, and marketing through sale or lease-up. Since joining Taconic in 2000, Colleen has planned and overseen both ground-up and restoration projects in the commercial, residential and mixed-use sectors, totaling over 7 million square feet of commercial space and 1,500 units of housing. In addition, Colleen leads Taconic’s development advisory business, which focuses on key partnerships for client-led development and construction projects. Colleen received a Bachelor of Arts degree magna cum laude in psychology from Boston College, and earned a Master of Science degree in real estate development and finance from NYU’s Schack Institute of Real Estate. Colleen is an active member of ULI’s Program Steering Committee, NYPEN, Professional Women in Construction, and sits on the Fordham Real Estate Executive Advisory Council.

  Taconic Partners

  President & COO

  Colleen Wenke

  President & COO

  Taconic Partners

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  Isaac Henderson

  Mr. Henderson is a Develpopment Dirctor at L+M Development Partners. Mr. Henderson has over 15 years of development experience and has been involved in the development of over 2,000 units of mixed-income housing. Mr. Henderson has extensive experience working with federal, state, and city affordable housing programs including Low-Income and New Market Tax Credits, Tax Exempt Bonds, and public subsidies. Currently, Mr. Henderson is managing the Essex Crossing Project a nine-site, 2 million square foot development in New York’s Lower East side that will include over 1,000 units of mixed-income housing, retail, office, and community facility space. The project is expected to be built over 10 years. Prior to joining L&M in 2012, Isaac spent six years as a project manager at CPC Resources in New York. Before CPCR, Isaac worked for six years at BRIDGE Housing Corporation as a project manager developing affordable housing. Isaac has a Master Degree in Urban Planning from the Department of City and Regional Planning at the University of North Carolina. Isaac received a B.A. from Grinnell College with a major in Economics.

  L+M Development Partners

  Development Director

  Isaac Henderson

  Development Director

  L+M Development Partners

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  Sohail Shahpar

  Sohail Shahpar is a Vice President in First American Title’s National Commercial Service office in Manhattan. He joined the NCS office in 2014 after working several years as an attorney at a firm in New Jersey. A graduate of Boston University and Hofstra Law, he has been barred in both New York and New Jersey since 2006. Most importantly though he makes an incredible grilled cheese sandwich.

  First American

  Account Executive & Counsel

  Moderator

  Sohail Shahpar

  Account Executive & Counsel

  First American