Tag Archives: East River

The Howard Hughes Corporation Names RKF Exclusive Consultant and Leasing Agent for the South Street Seaport

Redevelopment Poised to Attract Destination Retail, Dining and Entertainment Tenants

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Following last month’s unanimous approval by the New York City Council for the redevelopment of Pier 17, The Howard Hughes Corporation (NYS: HHC) has named RKF as the exclusive consultant and leasing agent for the South Street Seaport.

The new Pier 17 (Photo: Business Wire)

With over 365,000 square feet of retail, dining and entertainment space located along the East River in Lower Manhattan, the South Street Seaport is comprised of the historic Uplands and Pier 17, south of the Brooklyn Bridge. The redevelopment plan features the complete transformation of the Pier 17 building, including enhanced and increased open space on the pier along with a new exterior façade encompassing dynamic retail space filled with distinctive stores, restaurants and neighborhood shops. Larger open spaces on the pier along with the new rooftop space – ideal for concerts, music and other entertainment events – will showcase breathtaking views of the city skyline, East River and Brooklyn Bridge. The design is contemporary yet draws from the site’s history as a bustling marketplace and renowned maritime port.

“Our vision for a revitalized and reenergized Seaport will create an unrivaled New York experience that is compelling for the ever-growing population of residents, local workers and visitors,” said David R. Weinreb, Chief Executive Officer of The Howard Hughes Corporation. “Working with RKF will ensure we bring best-in-class offerings, including acclaimed national and international retailers, local shops and destination restaurants.”

A team of RKF brokers consisting of Chairman & CEO Robert K. Futterman, Executive VP Karen Bellantoni and Associate Tess Jacoby will represent The Howard Hughes Corporation on this landmark assignment. The RKF professionals will work in close collaboration with a team of The Howard Hughes Corporation executives, including Keith Laird, Executive Vice President of Leasing, and Michelle Waak, Vice President of Leasing.

“We are honored to have been chosen by The Howard Hughes Corporation to help transform the South Street Seaport and create the most vibrant retail and entertainment venue in Lower Manhattan,” said Robert K. Futterman. “Our deep expertise with urban

From: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/04/18/the-howard-hughes-corporation-names-rkf-exclusive-/

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

MetLife Originates over $9.6 Billion in Commercial Mortgages and Invests $1.7 Billion in Real Estate

March 13, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

Filed under: Investing

MetLife Originates over $9.6 Billion in Commercial Mortgages and Invests $1.7 Billion in Real Estate Equity in 2012

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)– MetLife, Inc. (NYS: MET) announced today that it originated, through its real estate investments department, over $9.6 billion in commercial mortgage loans in 2012. MetLife continues to be the largest portfolio lender in the insurance industry with $43.1 billion in commercial mortgages outstanding at year end 2012.

“MetLife was a very active lender domestically and internationally in 2012, as we continued to focus on top quality properties in major markets,” said Robert Merck, global head of MetLife Real Estate Investors. “Our strategy for growth is based on prudent risk management and a long-term approach that enables us to execute quickly, process large transactions and provide our customers with world-class service.”

MetLife participated in a number of high-quality commercial mortgage transactions with loan sizes of $175 million and above during 2012. Some noteworthy transactions included:

$362 million loan on Waterside Plaza, a 1,471-unit apartment complex built over the East River in Manhattan;
$264 million loan on Broadgate West, a Class A, top quality office complex in London;
$258 million loan on The Westin in Times Square, a hotel located in Manhattan;
$253 million loan on 101 California, a Class A, top quality office tower located in San Francisco;
$200 million loan on a portfolio of retail properties in the U.K.; and
$183 million loan collateralized by a portfolio of 39 industrial properties diversified in 10 Mexican markets.

Within its international portfolio, MetLife successfully grew its commercial mortgage lending activities in 2012, originating over $1 billion in the U.K., $191 million in Mexico and more than 33.6 billion yen for its Japanese local account.

In October 2012, MetLife reorganized its real estate arm to better manage its investments and the investments for its institutional investors and launched a third party asset management business within the real estate investments department. This enables the company to use its extensive experience in real estate to create investment opportunities that generate attractive, long-term returns for institutional investors.

“We have more than a century of experience in real estate investing and …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

News, Politics, Government

Overloading, pilot response cited in fatal 2011 helicopter crash

March 3, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

U.S. safety authorities on Friday said a fatal crash at a New York City heliport in 2011 was likely due to overloading and the pilot’s failure to recover from an unexpected flight motion.

Three people suffered fatal injuries when the helicopter plunged into the East River shortly after takeoff.

The victims included Sonia Marra, a British woman living in Sydney, Australia, who was in New York to celebrate her 40th birthday. Also killed were Marra’s mother, Harriet Nicholson, who was also British but lived in Portugal, and domestic partner, Helen Tamaki, who was a citizen of New Zealand but lived in Sydney.

The pilot was a family friend who survived.

The National Transportation Safety Board said in a report Friday that the helicopter was between 28 pounds (12 kilograms) and 261 pounds (118 kilograms) overweight when it took off.

Investigators say the weight, wind factors, an ineffective pilot maneuver in response to an onboard alarm and a subsequent surprise yaw caused the aircraft to spin out of control.

The NTSB report finalizes preliminary conclusions described in another report released in December.

Articles of Interest

Newtown Creek In NYC, One Of Most Polluted Areas In US, Awaiting Cleanup

March 2, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By The Huffington Post News Editors

NEW YORK — Just across the East River from midtown Manhattan’s shimmering skyscrapers sits one of the nation’s most polluted neighborhoods, fouled by generations of industrial waste, overflow from the city’s sewage system and an underground oil leak bigger than the Exxon Valdez spill.

It’s easy to see – and smell – the filth in and around Newtown Creek, which runs through an area of working-class homes, warehouses and industrial lots straddling Brooklyn and Queens. The odor of petroleum mixes with the smell of sewage, particularly on rainy days when the city’s treatment plants can’t handle the volume and municipal pipes send trash and human waste straight into the creek.

NYC seaport a 'ghost town' months after Sandy

February 25, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

The historic cobblestone streets and 19th-century mercantile buildings near the water’s edge in lower Manhattan are eerily deserted. It’s a neighborhood silenced by Superstorm Sandy.

Just blocks from the tall-masted ships that rise above South Street Seaport, the windows of narrow brick apartment buildings are still crisscrossed with masking tape left by their owners before the storm. Store interiors are stripped down to plywood and wiring. Restaurants are chained shut, frozen in time, saddled with electrical systems that were ruined by several feet of salt water that raced up from the East River and through their front doors.

Nearly four months after the storm, roughly 85 percent of small businesses near the South Street Seaport are still boarded up. It could be months before some reopen, while others may never return.

Bartle Doo Article Archives

Tag Archives: East River

The Howard Hughes Corporation Names RKF Exclusive Consultant and Leasing Agent for the South Street

MetLife Originates over $9.6 Billion in Commercial Mortgages and Invests $1.7 Billion in Real Estate

Overloading, pilot response cited in fatal 2011 helicopter crash

Newtown Creek In NYC, One Of Most Polluted Areas In US, Awaiting Cleanup

NYC seaport a 'ghost town' months after Sandy

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