Real Estate and Development Power Players

Douglas Eisenberg, Founder and Executive Chairman
Douglas Eisenberg is the founder and executive chairman of A&E Real Estate, a vertically-integrated real estate management and investment firm with preeminent property management, asset management and construction capabilities. Mr. Eisenberg holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Cornell University and a Juris Doctorate from Brooklyn Law School. Mr. Eisenberg currently is a member of the boards of Montefiore Hospital, New York Junior Tennis League, Randall’s Island Park Alliance, Citizens Committee for New York City and the New York Urban League.

What is your favorite landmark in New York State?
Statue of Liberty.

What has been your favorite development project and why?
My favorite project to date is the acquisition and development of Riverton Square in the heart of Harlem. Aside from beautifying and restoring this historic property, it was our honor to dedicate the community center in memory of former NYC Mayor, The Honorable David Dinkins, and his wife, Joyce.

How did you become interested in architecture, real estate, or construction?
Exploring New York City as a child, along with the exposure to real estate through my father’s property management firm, cultivated within me a strong visual acuity of structures, old and new. I’ve always been fascinated with how the interdependence of architecture, real estate, and construction contributes to the development of communities. 

 What is the current state of commercial real estate in New York? What impact has the pandemic had?
2020 saw an exodus of Manhattanites fleeing to the suburbs, putting New York real estate on shaky ground. As the economy has slowly bounced back to pre-pandemic days, so have rent averages. As a die-hard New Yorker, I’m a big believer in this city. New York City is the epicenter of just about everything, as far as I’m concerned — including real estate. The recovery has shown that the city is open for business — big time.

What is your favorite place you’ve ever lived?
New York City — lived here my whole life!

James Patchett, CEO
James Patchett is the chief executive officer of A&E and joined the firm in 2021. He is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the firm including operations, investments, financing, capital programs, and dispositions and is a member of the firm’s Management Committee and Investment Committee. Prior to A&E, Mr. Patchett was president and CEO of the New York City Economic Development Corporation. Mr. Patchett holds a BA in Economics from Amherst College and an MBA from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. He serves on the Board of the Prospect Park Alliance.

What is your favorite landmark in New York State?
I love the Empire State Building because it’s the only landmark building my (young) kids recognize. They love to point out the different colors at night from all parts of the city. And we were fortunate to visit it for the first time during the pandemic. It was amazing to go up when there was almost no one else there! (Now that the tourists are back, we probably won’t be!)

What has been your favorite development project and why?
I had the pleasure of overseeing Essex Crossing while at EDC. Essex is a major mixed-use development on the Lower East Side with the new Essex Market, a historic neighborhood staple, at its core. I don’t believe there is any more successful or widely supported example of a ground-up development project in the middle of such a dense urban area.

What is the current state of commercial real estate in New York? What impact has the pandemic had?
The impacts really vary based on the asset class. At A&E, we’re fortunate to be in multifamily, which has come through the pandemic in great shape. That being said, the depths of COVID hit both renters and owners very hard.

How did you become interested in architecture, real estate, or construction?
I first worked “in real estate” in eighth grade when I started a Habitat for Humanity program at my church. From the first time I watched a family move into their new home, I was sold on the importance of housing in changing people’s lives.

What is your favorite place you’ve ever lived?
I’ve now lived in Brooklyn for 13 years, which is the longest I’ve ever lived anywhere. There is a reason I’ve stayed so long. Brooklyn has everything.

Maggie McCormick, President
Maggie McCormick is the president of A&E and joined the firm in 2012. Ms. McCormick is actively involved in the strategic direction of the firm and managing all areas of the firm, including operations, investments, financings, capital programs, and dispositions. She is a member of the firm’s Management Committee and Investment Committee. Ms. McCormick holds a BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Cornell University. Ms. McCormick is actively involved with Minds Matter, a college-focused program for underprivileged high school students.

What is your favorite landmark in New York State?
New York Public Library – I can’t resist a good library, and as with many things, New York’s is the best. 

What is the current state of commercial real estate in New York? What impact has the pandemic had?
NYC is back and has been back, with commercial real estate picking up steam. The pandemic obviously had an effect and sped up the exodus of some New Yorkers, but since mid-2021 we’ve seen that New Yorkers want to be here more than ever.

How did you become interested in architecture, real estate, or construction?
I was a structural engineering major who wanted a career in a dynamic, social, and fast-paced industry. After meeting and working with Douglas very early in my career, I found that real estate was a great place to combine my logical, problem-solving mindset with my desire to get out from behind my desk and work with different people every day.

What is your favorite place you’ve ever lived?
New York, of course.

Vincent Altieri, a principal in Berdon LLP’s Audit Department with more than 15 years of experience, serves clients in a broad array of industries, most notably in the real estate and real estate-related sectors. He has also provided tax and accounting services to retail enterprises, nonprofit organizations and foundations, wholesalers, and professional service firms. Vincent graduated from Fordham University with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting. He has been licensed as a Certified Public Accountant in New York since 2003.

What is your favorite landmark in New York State?
This may be recency bias, but this past weekend I visited the Summit at One Vanderbilt. Complete 360-degree views of Manhattan, from the Chrysler, Metlife, The Empire State, One World Trade, and Central Park, you can see it all. They also have a great terrace, bar, and art exhibits. All in all, a fantastic experience.

What has been your favorite development project and why?
Being involved in the revitalization of Hotel Chelsea has been my most rewarding project. Seeing all the pieces come together, culminating with a recent stay with my wife for our anniversary, and seeing a preview of the end result has been very fulfilling.  The attention to detail in construction, down to the furniture and artwork is astounding, and the recently re-opened El Quixote and its food and ambience are nothing short of spectacular.

What is the current state of commercial real estate in New York? What impact has the pandemic had?
I believe we are at a crossroads. While development and outlook are still strong, the long-term effects of the pandemic are still unknown. While NYC seems revitalized, tenants have yet to return to the office full-time and have assumed a hybrid workforce, which I believe will continue indefinitely. Much of this relates to pricing, but the main cause is a generational shift in thinking and transition of power. If this trend continues, we will see usage change of many existing asset classes, more amenities, work-life play, landlords investing in ideas to attract tenants to the office on a regular basis.

How did you become interested in architecture, real estate, or construction?
In my travels to Italy and other parts of the world, I always loved and admired the attention to detail in architecture and marveled how such large projects came together. Since college, when I began my career at Berdon, it sort of fell into my lap. Given Berdon’s vast wealth of knowledge in this area and in working with multiple generations of real estate families, as I continued to grow at the firm, my experience further renewed my interest and love of real estate.

What is your favorite place you’ve ever lived?
I’ve been a New Yorker for my entire life, currently residing in White Plains. Although I’ve traveled extensively, NY will always be my home. Given the access to theater, music, arts, food, and culture, I’ve never had the desire to live anywhere else.

Gary Barnett is the founder and chairman of the Extell Development Company. Mr. Barnett founded the company in 1989, and began acquiring assets across the country with a focus on New York City. A born and raised New Yorker, Barnett gained much of his professional experience working in the international diamond industry. Mr. Barnett has led the Extell Development Company to be one of the most active development companies in New York working across the residential and commercial sectors.

Richard Barth is a senior advisor at Capalino + Company, an urban strategy and government relations firm. Barth is the former executive director of the New York City Planning Department. He has over 30 years of experience as a leader in land use planning, public policy, and community development. Barth has been a key player in a number of important New York City real estate projects including the creation of the Hudson Yards Project and comprehensive amendments to the Theater Subdistrict.

Teresa Gonzalez, Partner

Samara Daly, Partner

Teresa Gonzalez and Samara Daly joined Bolton-St. Johns as partners in 2020 after five years at DalyGonzalez, the boutique public relations firm they co-founded and still run. Gonzalez has experience working with real estate and corporate clients, and is well-versed in land use matters, while Daly has worked with mixed-use developers and nonprofits on projects at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Brooklyn Bridge Park, and the Chelsea Hotel.

Lee J. Brodsky is the chief executive officer of BEB Capital, a privately held, multifaceted real estate company. Since its formation in 2013, Lee has led BEB to become an institutional-grade owner and operator of industrial assets along the East Coast. In addition to their industrial portfolio, BEB owns and manages numerous multifamily assets and development sites in New York City and the surrounding region.

Ben Brown, Managing Partner and Head of U.S. Office
Ben Brown is a managing partner responsible for the U.S. office portfolio. Ben joined Brookfield Properties in 2010 and has held various roles, including leading investment activity for the office property business in London and New York. He is currently responsible for the commercial operations and investment activity for Brookfield’s office business in the U.S., where the firm is either the largest or one of the largest commercial real estate owners and operators in New York, Washington D.C., downtown Los Angeles, Houston and Denver, and is active in San Francisco, Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. 

Prior to joining Brookfield, Ben spent time in Boston, Florida, and New York with the New Boston Fund, Sovereign Bank, and Thor Equities. Ben is a member of the Real Estate Board of New York’s Board of Governors, and he serves on the Board of Hudson River Park Friends. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration (Finance) from Northeastern University.

Sabrina Kanner, Executive Vice President of Development, Design, and Construction
Sabrina Kanner is executive vice president of development, design, and construction at Brookfield Properties’ development group, responsible for multi-use developments in the northeast U.S. With Brookfield Properties and its predecessor, Olympia & York, for 40 years, Sabrina joined the construction division of O&Y in 1982. In her tenure with the company, Sabrina has played a key role in the construction, design and development or redevelopment of over 40 million square feet of signature Brookfield projects such as Brookfield Place, 300 Madison Avenue, Greenpoint Landing, Bankside, The Yards, Halley Rise, the restoration/renovation of the Winter Garden at World Financial Center after 9/11, Bay Adelaide and Manhattan West. 

Sabrina holds a B.A. from Union College and is a member of WX and the National Academy of Construction. Additionally, Sabrina sits on the Board of Directors of the New York Building Congress (Executive Committee), The Salvadori Center (Chair), The Regional Plan Association (Executive Committee), Urban Green Council (Chair), The Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation, Cedar Realty Trust, and The Opus Group.