Here is what your fellow Columbia Business School Real Estate Alumni have been doing recently. If you don’t see your news mentioned, please let us know.

Andrea Olshan Tapped to Right Seritage Ship
Seritage Growth Properties announced that Andrea Olshan has been appointed chief executive officer and president of the company. Olshan will join the company’s Board of Trustees. She will step down as CEO of her family’s Olshan Properties and move to the role of chairman of the board. “I am grateful to the Board for this incredible role that leverages my extensive experience repositioning a diverse collection of retail and mixed-use real estate assets across the country,” said Olshan, who has led the strategic direction of her firm since taking the reins in 2012.

Virtual CO/REBNY Celebration Strikes Cautiously Optimistic Tone for 2021
“What has happened with urban office employment is not a cyclical change, it’s secular,” said Tommy Craig, senior vice president of Hines. “It’s too early to understand the long-term world of a post-Zoom world. Not only have we lost 500,000 jobs, but the fundamental relationship between work and place is being reassessed.”

15 Technology Trends Disrupting Real Estate Today (byline)
Recent history has shown that the way for organizations in every industry to stay relevant in the marketplace is through disruptive innovation. To this end, smart leaders in real estate are leveraging emerging technologies while others avoid new tools.

Dune Real Estate Partners Announces Promotions
“We are pleased to recognize the meaningful contributions to Dune’s growth and success that each of these team members has made,” said Cia Buckley Marakovits, President of Dune. “We congratulate them on their well-deserved promotions and are confident that they will continue to thrive in their new and expanded roles.”

BRP’s Meredith Marshall: “We get the story wrong in New York” (video)
Discussing the current political climes, Marshall noted that while city politicians may have good intentions, they don’t always understand the complex economics of real estate. “We need to build more workforce housing for the typical New York City worker,” he said. “We can’t all do it with HPD and city subsidy, because we just don’t have enough money.”

American Campus Communities, Inc. Announces Board Refreshment and Governance Enhancements
American Campus Communities, Inc. the largest owner and manager of high-quality student housing properties in the U.S., today announced the appointment of Herman Bulls, Alison Hill and Craig Leupold to the Company’s Board of Directors, effective immediately.

Former SL Green Exec Isaac Zion Joins Acram Group
Isaac Zion, who had served as co-CIO for the real estate investment trust, has joined Acram Group, a New York City-based real estate firm formerly known as JMC Holdings. He’ll join Acram’s two executives—JMC founder and managing partner J. Matthew Cassin and partner David Taylor—as a managing principal at the firm.

New Food Hall Coming to 100 Pearl Street
“Our team put a lot of work into reimagining 100 Pearl Street as a prime downtown location for today’s modern workforce,” said Brian Steinwurtzel of GFP Real Estate. “We believe that the addition of Urbanspace will not only be a great amenity for the tenants in our building but will also provide a welcoming space for the rest of the surrounding downtown neighborhood.”

New Year, New Dreams Fulfilled at The Heritage at Claremont
[Residents] have complimentary access to concierge services – a perk that is offered to all residents who call this community home. “With a genuine smile and warm welcome, our friendly staff of concierges elevate the unique way of life offered at this community,” said Kevin Cullen, Vice President of The Conti Group, the project’s developer. “Whether you need a helping hand, a watchful eye or a go-to person for some of life’s details, our concierges greatly extend a variety of thoughtful services.”

Shake Shack to Open First Drive-Thru Location
“As part of Phase 3 at Vineland Pointe, the first Shake Shack drive-thru will offer a terrific casual dining experience alongside premium retail,” said Bill O’Connor, CEO of O’Connor Capital Partners. “We are very pleased to be bringing this iconic restaurant operator both to the local community and Orlando visitors.”

Welcome to the Ground Floor: Street-Level Offices for a Post-Pandemic World
It’s a trend that’s definitely on the radar of Jonathan Wasserstrum, co-founder and CEO of SquareFoot, a New York-based commercial real estate company that has worked with companies like Instacart and Casper to find their spaces. Giving up that bird’s-eye perch of midtown Manhattan, or London’s financial district or the Sydney Harbour Bridge, may not be such a sacrifice when one considers the benefits. “You keep your home safe. Your office has shared rules and regulations. If a company can eliminate some of those x-factors — especially if people have vocalized them in their searches for new office space — it makes sense to try to meet those needs,” said Wasserstrum.

RCLCO Ranks Summerlin® and Bridgeland® Among Nation's Best-Selling Master Planned Communities of 2020
"New home sales are a leading indicator of market demand for land sales in our MPCs and are a testament to the exceptional quality of our communities, focused on health and wellness with substantial amounts of open green space," said David O'Reilly, CEO of The Howard Hughes Corporation. "As the developer and largest single real estate owner within our communities, we are in a unique position to deliver the amenity-rich, walkable urban environments in natural settings that people and companies are seeking today."

Fortnite Developer Will Convert a Dead Mall Into Its New Campus
“Epic shares our vision for transforming Cary Towne Center into a vibrant community space,” Jason Davis, managing director at Turnbridge Equities, said in a statement. “The property could not be placed in better hands. After years of shifting development plans for the center, we’re thrilled the space will be utilized to its full potential and turned into something the Town and community of Cary can be proud of.”

J.P. Morgan, Deutsche Bank Lend $116M on Meadow Partners’ Meatpacking Office Buy
Meadow Partners sealed its acquisition of the leasehold interest in 860 Washington Street with a $116 million loan from J.P. Morgan and Deutsche Bank, Commercial Observer has learned. Cushman & Wakefield’s Gideon Gil, Alex Hernandez, Lauren Kaufman and Emily Johansen negotiated the financing.

Forbes 30 Under 30 2021: Retail & Ecommerce: Branch Cofounders Sib Mahapatra & Verity Sylvester
These friends started Branch Furniture in 2018 to offer high-quality, affordable office furniture to start-ups ready to graduate from WeWork. They had just closed their first seven-figure deal--installation of 900 workstations for TouchBistro in Toronto--when the pandemic hit. As offices emptied, they rushed to cater to the work-from-home set, convincing Facebook, Shopify, Salesforce and hundreds of other companies to offer a special employee discount. Sales are projected to hit $6 million in 2020, up from nearly $1 million in 2019. Branch has raised $3.9 million from RRE, Nine Four Ventures, Alate Partners and others.

Postal Realty Trust, Inc. Strengthens Executive Leadership Team
Mr. Klein stated, “I look forward to joining the Company’s leadership team and guiding its financial decisions as the Company continues on its exciting growth path. The Company’s impressive results since its IPO and more recently in circumnavigating the pandemic speaks to the quality of the Company’s properties and tenants, and the work ethic of the team. I believe that Postal is well positioned for continued success and I look forward to joining the team and contributing to the Company’s bright future.”

Salomon and Alberto Smeke’s Salt Equities pays $29M to David Slaven’s Red Brick Properties for property in Greenpoint
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G4 Steps Up with Bridge Loan for Bushwick Brewery Transformation
“These tenants intend to capitalize on the population growth and emergence of Bushwick as it continues its rapid transition to a 24/7 live/work community,” said Stabler. “Bushwick is a young neighborhood with a young population and we remain focused on executing this project with that demographic in mind.” 

Mission Capital’s Jonathan More, Steven Buchwald, Lexington Henn arranged the new financing and, according to More, “G4’s keen understanding of construction and of the sponsor’s vision for the property was what drew them to provide the loan.”

Madison, Plymouth Close on $86M Industrial Development
Kyle Torpey, director of Madison International Realty’s US investments team, added, “This portfolio is a prime example of the types of investments we are pursuing in this joint venture with Plymouth. Memphis is one of the top industrial markets in the country, and we are able to address the leasing opportunities with significant scale and experience in the market.”

Stratus Properties Inc. Announces Appointment of Neville L. Rhone, Jr. to Its Board of Directors
Stratus Properties Inc. announced today the appointment of Neville L. Rhone, Jr. to its Board of Directors. Mr. Rhone will serve as an independent Class II director, effective immediately, and will be up for election to the Board at the 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

Phoenix Realty Group Expands Executive Team
Phoenix Realty Group (PRG), a 20+ year old national multifamily real estate owner, operator, fund manager and developer, is pleased to announce that Henry Gom, a seasoned real estate executive, has joined the firm as Managing Director and Principal.

NY Firm Snags DC Office Property
An MC Real Estate partnership closed last week on its $106 million acquisition of a fully leased office building in Washington’s East End submarket. […] MC Real Estate was founded last year by New York real estate veterans Steve Grant and Andy Nathan. […]The duo is currently working with domestic and foreign capital partners, including wealthy families and institutional shops. They focus primarily on office properties in New York, Boston and Washington. Investment profiles run the gamut from core to high-yield. “We see lots of opportunities in 2021 for both core and coreplus transactions and, increasingly, in value-add opportunities,” Grant said.

Nancy Lashine | Managing Partner and Founder of Park Madison Partners, Host of “Innovations in Real Estate” Podcast
For the final episode of 2020, Matt speaks with Nancy Lashine, Managing Partner of Park Madison Partners and host of the podcast series, “Innovations in Real Estate”. Matt and Nancy interview each other about their respective careers, highlights from their podcasts, and current wisdom from their respective businesses. Nancy talks about the current drivers for institutional capital into real estate strategies from her perch as a capital raiser at Park Madison Partners.

Deleware North Opens Bokamper’s at FLL
“Bokamper’s has built such a great following in this region that we know it will be a perfect fit for travelers in the airport space,” said Jamie Obletz, president of Delaware North’s travel division. “We’re excited to welcome loyal Bokamper’s followers, as well as those who have yet to experience the superb food and unmatched atmosphere.”

January Start Eyed for Rutledge Hill Project
"Rutledge Flats, conveniently located on Rutledge Hill, will provide much-needed workforce housing in small yet well-designed apartments in the downtown Nashville market," Shapiro emailed the Post.