The Future of Lower Manhattan

Jessica Lappin is the President of the Alliance for Downtown New York. The organization manages New York City’s largest Business Improvement District (BID) and provides service, advocacy, research and information to advance Lower Manhattan as a global model of a 21st century Central Business District for businesses, residents and visitors. Lappin also serves as the President of its sister organization, the Downtown Lower Manhattan Association. A lifelong New Yorker, and recent Crain’s “40 Under 40” honoree, Ms. Lappin has a distinguished record in civic life and public service. Since taking the helm of the Alliance in February 2014, Lappin has emerged as the voice of the downtown business community and ensured that the BID remains at the forefront of efforts to shape the neighborhood. Under her leadership, the Alliance has advocated successfully for incentives to improve the business climate, significantly expanded its free public WiFi network, received notable awards for both its marketing videos and redesigned website, instituted a district-wide solar-powered recycling program and helped secure nearly $100 million in resiliency funding for Lower Manhattan. Lappin has also led the organization’s economic development efforts to create a first-of-its kind innovation hub, work space and collaboration center called Lower Manhattan HQ. Prior to her tenure at the Alliance, Lappin was elected to serve two terms in the New York City Council, representing the Upper East Side, East Midtown, and Roosevelt Island, and was praised by the New York Times for her “steely resolve, dedication, and energy.” She played a key role in bringing the CornellTechnion Applied Science and Engineering Campus to Roosevelt Island, oversaw the approval of over 20,000 new public school seats citywide and 5 new schools on the East Side, helped keep 100 senior centers from closing, expanded the city’s recycling efforts and spearheaded the successful development of four new waterfront parks. And, as Co-Chair of the Women’s Caucus, she authored a nationally recognized, landmark bill to protect women’s health and reproductive rights. The Aspen Institute, a renowned international think tank, selected her as a Rodel Fellow in 2011. The Rodel program is focused on transcending political partisanship and addressing overarching questions of leadership and effective governance. She also serves on the Steering Committee of the Association for a Better New York (ABNY) and the boards of the FDR Memorial and Four Freedoms Park, Battery Conservancy, American Skin Association, and as an Ex Officio member of New York City Center and NYC & Company. Lappin lives in Manhattan with her husband and two sons. She graduated from Georgetown University, Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude, and from Stuyvesant High School, where she was in the first class to graduate from its Lower Manhattan location.

Francis Greenburger is the founder, chairman, chief executive officer and guiding force behind Time Equities, Inc. Founded in 1966, Time Equities, Inc. (TEI) has been in the real estate investment, development and asset & property management business for more than 50 years. TEI currently holds in its own portfolio approximately 32.4 million square feet of residential, industrial, office and retail property – including more than 4,000 multi-family apartment units. In addition, TEI is in various stages of development and pre-development of constructing approximately 1.4 million square feet of various property types which includes at least 1,447 residential units. With properties in 30 states, five Canadian provinces, Germany, the Netherlands, and Anguilla, the TEI portfolio benefits from a diversity of property types, sizes and markets. There are concentrations in the Northeast, Southwest, Midwest and West Coast, and new markets are always being evaluated. Mr. Greenburger is well known throughout the real estate industry for his ability to anticipate real estate trends and changing market conditions. TEI was a market leader in the cooperative conversion business in New York City, having converted over 100 buildings including over 10,000 units. More recently, TEI took the lead in the conversion of obsolete office buildings into residential apartments in New York’s Wall Street area. Building on our expertise in new residential construction and re-positioning, TEI is currently working on or has recently completed several development projects in Downtown Brooklyn, Manhattan, Long Island, Jersey City, NJ, Seattle, Washington, Chicago, Illinois and Toronto, Canada. Taking advantage of under-recognized opportunities has been the hallmark of the TEI strategy and a major component of its success. Mr. Greenburger also has a passion for the arts. He is the founder and principal benefactor of Omi International Arts Center, a 27 year-old not-for-profit arts colony and educational center which hosts residency programs for visual artists, writers, dancers, musicians, and architects from all over the world; as well as a renowned sculpture park which is open to the public on a 300-acre property in Ghent, New York just south of Albany. Mr. Greenburger himself is an art collector (his office is a virtual gallery) and he owns over 500 contemporary paintings and sculptures. He was awarded the insignia of chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government because of his commitment to the arts and his founding of the Omi International Arts Center. In addition, Mr. Greenburger is the Chairman of S.J. Greenburger Associates, Inc., a literary agency founded by his father 86 years ago, representing many world renowned and best selling authors including Dan Brown, Brad Thor, Daniel Amen, Patrick Rothfuss, Robin Preiss Glasser, and Rosemary Wells. Most recently, Mr. Greenburger founded the Greenburger Center for Social and Criminal Justice, which advocates for reforms to the criminal justice system, in 2014. In the capacity of the Founder and President of the organization, Mr. Greenburger serves as President of the Board of Directors, Chairman of the Executive Committee and is an Ex. Officio member of all other board committees. Mr. Greenburger guides the Center’s policy and advocacy efforts to ensure that the agency’s actions are in line with its mission, through weekly meetings with the Center’s Executive Director. He also reviews annual budgets, audits and financial statements and approves all expenditures over $1000. Mr. Greenburger is also a very active board member of several not-for-profit organizations: Alliance for Downtown New York, Baruch Real Estate Advisory Board for the Department of Real Estate, Lavigny Writer’s Residency, Lincoln Center – Real Estate and Construction Council, Little Red Schoolhouse/Elizabeth Irwin High School Board of Trustees, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, MASS MoCA (contemporary art museum), Michael Wolk Heart Foundation, NYU Real Estate Institute Advisory Board, Omi International Arts Center, Inc., Sports and Arts In Schools Foundation, and the Zicklin School of Business Dean’s Council at Baruch College. Mr. Greenburger graduated from Baruch College in 1974 with a degree in Public Administration. In addition to real estate and the arts, Mr. Greenburger is an avid tennis player. He resides in Manhattan with his wife Isabelle Autones and children Morgan, Noah, Julia and Claire.

Norman Sturner is a founding Principal of MHP Real Estate Services and serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of the firm. Mr. Sturner has engaged in all aspects of the New York real estate market, including project acquisition, management and brokerage. He is responsible for the firm’s acquisition and disposition activities and has acquired and sold more than 150 properties with an aggregate value of more than 12 Billion dollars. Recently, Mr. Sturner was honored again by The Commercial Observer as one of the 100 most powerful people in New York Real Estate. Norman Sturner is an approved Receiver by The New York State Office of Court Administration (OCA). Mr. Sturner is a Board Member of: Real Estate Board of New York, Grand Central Partnership, New York Realty Foundation, Jewish Braille Institute and Association for a Better New York.

Michael A. Pensabene joined Rosenberg & Estis, P.C. in August 2000, after spending seven years working for one of the largest real estate companies in New York City, while attending law school at night. That background has allowed Mr. Pensabene to be active in all aspects of the firm's practice, including commercial litigation, landlord and tenant litigation, rent regulation, real estate development and construction, assemblages, co-op/condo law, partnership disputes, title issues, foreclosures, workouts, and bankruptcy. Mr. Pensabene is qualified, pursuant to Part 36 of the Rules of the Chief Judge, to act as Counsel to Receiver and Counsel to Guardian. Mr. Pensabene's experience affords him the judgment to evaluate competing property interests and the business relationship between the parties, to know how and when to assert clients' rights to achieve their objectives. Mr. Pensabene's achievements representing clients such as the Hyatt Corporation, Trinity Real Estate, Forest City Ratner Companies and the Durst Organization are founded on these principles and were honed in a wide variety of forums, including City, State and Federal courts. Mr. Pensabene successfully tried one of the first cases concerning novel landlord and tenant issues resulting from the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack and set precedent concerning service of process. Mr. Pensabene's expertise in connection with construction activities has ensured the timely completion of developments and the protection of neighboring property rights, including negotiating easements, work agreements, clearing development sites, and obtaining injunctive relief from the Supreme Court. He has also represented boards, shareholders, unit owners, sponsors and managing agents in a wide variety of disputes concerning complex co-op/condo issues.

An expert in commercial real estate data and analysis, Charlie is on a mission to make the industry more transparent. Charlie was previously Head of Product for a firm that specialized in developing new software for Fortune 1000 companies.