Keynote: Partnerships to Increase Affordable Housing

Alicia Glen on the Future of New York Multifamily

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  Alicia Glen

  Alicia Glen is the Founder and Managing Principal of MSquared, a nationwide real estate development and investment platform creating the next generation of mixed-use, mixed-income projects in rapidly growing and increasingly unaffordable cities and metro regions. Alicia is the former New York City Deputy Mayor and a nationally recognized expert in urban development, infrastructure finance, job creation, and housing policy. As Deputy Mayor from 2014 to 2019, Alicia was the architect of “Housing New York” – the largest housing plan in the nation – and developed and financed over 125,000 affordable homes, shattering all previous records. She also created “NYCHA 2.0,” a stabilization and modernization plan to generate $24 billion in funds for renovations and essential capital repairs across NYCHA’s portfolio by converting units to private management and building new mixed-income projects. She also launched the largest municipal ferry system in the United States; initiated large scale planning efforts on the Long Island City waterfront, Sunnyside Yard and Governors Island; negotiated the expansion of Google’s NY campus, spearheaded the rezoning of the Garment District and East Midtown; established the Tech Talent Pipeline for the life sciences and technology sectors; and repositioned the City’s industrial assets to support modern manufacturing and film and TV production. Prior to serving as Deputy Mayor, Alicia was Head of the Urban Investment Group (UIG) at Goldman Sachs and co-led the firm’s 10,000 Small Businesses initiative. Under her leadership, UIG catalyzed more than $5 billion of mixed-use development in cities across the country through equity, debt, and tax investment vehicles. UIG also invested in and structured innovative public-private partnerships, including the first domestic Social Impact Bond, CitiBike bike share, “New Lab” in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the headquarters of the National Dance Institute at P.S. 90, and Teacher's Village in Newark, NJ. From 1998-2001, Alicia served as the Assistant Commissioner for Housing Finance at the NYC Department of Housing, Preservation and Development. An attorney who practiced at several national law firms in their real estate groups, she began her career at Brooklyn Legal Services. Alicia is the current Chair of the Trust for Governors Island and Chair of women.nyc. She is also an advisor to the Terner Center for Housing and Innovation at UC Berkeley and an adjunct professor at Columbia Business School. Alicia received a BA from Amherst College and a law degree from Columbia University.

  MSquared

  Founder, Managing Principal

  Keynote

  Alicia Glen

  Founder, Managing Principal

  MSquared

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  Andrea Kretchmer

  Andrea Kretchmer is a developer of affordable housing and mixed-use projects in New York and Connecticut. Andrea is a founding principal at Xenolith Partners LLC, a woman-owned affordable housing development company. At Xenolith, Andrea focuses on new construction of mixed-use developments. Her interests include cultivating for-profit and non-profit partnerships; government, community and industry relations; and the pursuit of municipally-owned development sites. Prior to starting Xenolith, Andrea was also a founding principal of The Kretchmer Companies LLC, a woman-owned affordable housing development firm based in New York City and spent several years with a mixed-use developer based in Westchester County. With those firms, Andrea completed the development of Coney Island Commons and Stanley Commons, both 200,000+ sf mixed-use projects with large community facility spaces including a 43,000 sf YMCA. Andrea’s Connecticut experience includes the adaptive re-use of a historic mill in Stonington, CT and an award-winning 80-unit mixed-income Passive House development in New Britain, CT, Prior to her career in affordable housing, Andrea was a practicing geologist. She has extensive experience in the investigation and remediation of contaminated sites throughout the New York metropolitan area. Her experience includes a wide scope of soil, surface water, ground water and ecological investigations. Andrea brings the unique combination of brownfield and real estate development to her projects. Andrea received her Bachelor’s Degree from Colgate University and her Master’s Degree in Geology from UCLA. Andrea is the Membership Chair and a Board Member at the New York State Association for Affordable Housing (NYSAFAH) and at Congregation Rodeph Sholom. Andrea is also a Fellow at the Urban Design Forum. Her past board services includes Citizens Housing and Planning Council, the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, the Bronx Real Estate Summit and the New York City Brownfield Partnership.

  Xenolith Partners

  Principal

  Keynote

  Andrea Kretchmer

  Principal

  Xenolith Partners

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  Anita Laremont

  Anita Laremont advises clients on various land use, zoning, and development matters. Anita has worked with numerous large-scale economic development and land-use projects in New York City and throughout the state. Prior to joining Fried Frank, Anita was the Chair of the New York City Planning Commission and Director of the Department of City Planning, having previously served as its general counsel and executive director. She also served for many years as general counsel of Empire State Development Corporation. Anita received her JD from New York University School of Law in 1979 and her BA, magna cum laude, from Mount Holyoke College in 1976. She is admitted to practice in New York.

  Fried Frank

  Partner

  Moderator

  Anita Laremont

  Partner

  Fried Frank

Increasing Housing Supply & Incentivizing New York City Development Activity

Developer Incentives, Speeding up Approval Process & Creative Ways to Add Units

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  Richard Coles

  Managing Partner

  VanBarton Group

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  Basha Gerhards

  Basha is focused on topics related to housing, land use, zoning, resiliency, and community development. Previously, Basha served as a senior land use advisor to Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer. Prior to that, Basha worked at City of New York’s Department of City Planning. She has an M.S. in Urban Planning from Columbia University GSAPP and holds a B.F.A. in Historic Preservation, with a concentration in Urban Design & Development, from the Savannah College of Art & Design.

  Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY)

  Senior Vice President of Planning

  Basha Gerhards

  Senior Vice President of Planning

  Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY)

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  Brooks McDaniel

  As Senior Vice President of Building Repositioning, Brooks McDaniel provides overall direction and leadership to STOBG’s Building Repositioning Group. He works closely with the NYC-based executive leadership for Pavarini McGovern and Structure Tone to develop long-range strategic plans to help establish STOBG as an expert in building repositioning, particularly in the NYC market, as well as work with leadership across the organization to best leverage the company’s expertise in this important sector. Brooks was previously Vice President of Design & Development at Extell Development Company, where he was responsible for the design of millions of square feet of residential, commercial office, hotels, retail, and educational buildings. Prior to working at Extell, Brooks was a project director at SHoP Architects in New York, where he worked on various cultural, residential, and institutional projects. Earlier in his career, he also worked as an architect at Asymptote Architecture, Davis Brody Bond, and Roger Ferris & Partners. A registered architect, Brooks earned undergraduate degrees in management and in marketing from Lehigh University and a master’s of architecture from Parsons New School in New York.

  STO Building Group

  SVP, Building Repositioning

  Brooks McDaniel

  SVP, Building Repositioning

  STO Building Group

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  Michael Capozzi

  Michael D. Capozzi’s practice encompasses all aspects of New York and New Jersey commercial and residential landlord-tenant and real estate litigation. He has extensive trial experience and manages an array of commercial real estate and landlord-tenant matters, including those involving lease violations, declaratory judgments, breach of contract, contract enforcement, and Yellowstone injunctions. Michael also has significant experience in negotiating and drafting complex settlement agreements. Throughout his career, Michael has litigated matters before the state and federal courts of New York and New Jersey. Prior to joining Ingram, Michael worked as an associate attorney for the Law Offices of John C. Lane, as well as Law Offices of Charles H. Gruen.

  Ingram Yuzek Gainen Carroll & Bertolotti LLP

  Partner

  Moderator

  Michael Capozzi

  Partner

  Ingram Yuzek Gainen Carroll & Bertolotti LLP

Making New York City More Affordable Across the Five Boroughs

Balancing the Differing Housing Needs for all New Yorkers

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  Ty Barnes

  MD, Affordable/Workforce Housing

  Tishman Speyer

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  Spencer Orkus

  Spencer Orkus is a Partner and the President of Development at L+M Development Partners who has been with the company since 2007. He has developed over 5,000 affordable new construction units within various mixed-use new construction projects compiling over $2.5 billion in financing resources. Spencer leads L+M’s efforts to provide housing that is healthy, energy-efficient, and resilient to climate change. He is passionate about the intersection of housing, healthcare and food access, partnering with various healthcare providers, food-oriented social justice enterprises and other non-profits. He has led L+M’s venture into the new era of sustainable construction, having completed our first passive house project with geothermal heating/cooling and NYC’s first net-zero community in the pipeline. Prior to joining L+M, Spencer worked as a licensed structural engineer for DeSimone Consulting Engineers designing high-rise residential buildings and other structures. He has a BA and MA in Architectural Engineering from Penn State University and an MA in Real Estate from New York University’s Schack Institute of Real Estate. He is co-chair of the NYSAFAH policy committee, a board member of New York Passive House and serves on the Hastings on Hudson waterfront zoning committee.

  L+M Development Partners

  Partner, President, Development

  Spencer Orkus

  Partner, President, Development

  L+M Development Partners

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  Liz Oakley

  Executive Vice President, Affordable Development

  Douglaston Development

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  Brian Cook

  Principal

  Capalino

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  Emanuel Kokinakis

  As a principal and development manager, Emanuel Kokinakis oversees all aspects of Mega Development’s operations and pipeline. Since joining Mega, Emanuel has worked with Mega’s executive management team, gaining a vast knowledge of the company’s construction operations and the building process. Emanuel applied this experience along with his passion for the design process and finance to expand Mega’s development arm. Emanuel is responsible for the deal sourcing, acquisitions, design development, financing, general construction oversight, marketing and lease-up of Mega Development’s projects. Emanuel has placed nearly 800 units into service, has currently 700 units in construction and secured another 2,000 units in predevelopment with a total executed transaction volume more than $1B. These projects feature complex financing and deal structures and are over a wide range of multi-family mixed-use asset classes, including commercial properties, rentals and condominiums. Over his time at Mega, Emanuel has developed a passion for affordable and supportive housing and has worked with the industry’s agencies, funders and not-for-profits to execute innovative projects.

  Mega Contracting Group

  Principal and Development Manager

  Emanuel Kokinakis

  Principal and Development Manager

  Mega Contracting Group

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  Ericka Keller

  Ericka Keller built upon the second generation family business Brisa Builders Corp’s history as a HUD 202 General Contractor that built senior housing for faith-based sponsors by opening her own company in 2016, Brisa Builders Development LLC. Brisa Builders Development LLC is an organization focused specifically on the development of affordable housing with faith-based organizations and church partners. Brisa Builders Development LLC has closed over 450 million dollars of affordable housing units with more than 108,575 sq. ft. of commercial/retail and community facility spaces, all with faith-based partners since the company’s inception in 2016. The company currently has over 1,150 units of deeply affordable housing in predevelopment in NYC including 233 units as the selected developer for the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s Brownsville RFP- Site B. In 2019, she partnered with a colleague to expand the business outside of the NYC metropolitan area by forming Brisa Development LLC, Brisa was the winner of the City of Chicopee, Massachusetts Baskin Site in 2020 and the 24-acre Carriage Grove site in Belchertown, Massachusetts in 2021 as well as purchaser of properties in Rhode Island and Maine. Ericka has received several awards and citations including the New York State Association of Affordable Housing (NYSAFAH) 2021 M/WBE of the Year and 2021 Crain’s Notable Business Woman Recognition. Ericka also provides an annual scholarship to young men from Brooklyn, pursuing college with an entrepreneurial spirit, in honor of her late father, Thomas B. Keller.

  Brisa Builders Development LLC

  CEO and Managing Member

  Moderator

  Ericka Keller

  CEO and Managing Member

  Brisa Builders Development LLC

Financing Outlook: Deal Flow & Weighing Investor Confidence

Investing in New York vs. Suburbs & Other Hot Markets

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  Brett Meringoff

  As Managing Partner, Brett Meringoff’s responsibilities include leading the company’s acquisitions and development activities, with a focus on large-scale redevelopment and mixed-income housing, as well as the strategic direction of the company. Prior to joining Fairstead, Brett was Senior Vice President and development partner at WinnDevelopment, one of the oldest and largest affordable housing developers in the country. Under Brett’s leadership, projects entitled, in development and completed, totaled more than 4,900 units in 19 properties. At the time of his departure, there were 5 projects totaling nearly 1,000 units in the predevelopment pipeline. In 2019, Brett was appointed by Governor Northam to the Board of the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. He also currently serves on the Board of the Latin American Youth Center in Washington DC, which has been providing educational and recreational programs for youths in the DC metropolitan area for nearly 50 years. Brett previously served on the Green/Energy Committee of the National Leased Housing Association, the Young Leaders Education Committee of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), DC Real Estate Group, the Executive Committee of the University of Pennsylvania Mid-Atlantic Regional Advisory Board (MARAB), and as a ULI Mentor. Brett received a Bachelor Arts from the University of Pennsylvania.

  Fairstead

  Managing Partner, Development

  Brett Meringoff

  Managing Partner, Development

  Fairstead

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  Brooke Richartz

  Managing Director

  JP Morgan Chase

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  John Gilmore

  Senior Vice President and Managing Director John Gilmore brings more than a decade of commercial real estate experience to Walker & Dunlop’s Multifamily Finance Group. Mr. Gilmore is focused on the affordable multifamily space and has extensive experience sourcing loans for execution through Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Mr. Gilmore is also highly experienced in complex deal structures including structured credit facilities, tax-exempt bonds, and federal and state tax credits. Prior to joining Walker & Dunlop, Mr. Gilmore was a Vice President and Senior Relationship Manager in the Community Development and Investment group within KeyBank Real Estate Capital. While at KeyBank, he was a member of the management team tasked with expanding the bank’s affordable housing activity to all 50 states. He originated almost $1 billion of new mortgage debt in this position. Mr. Gilmore served many additional functions throughout his career at KeyBank, including working in the bank’s Income Property Group, Asset Recovery Group, and Private Equity Group. Mr. Gilmore began his career in the commercial real estate industry at Hartford Mezzanine Investors, LLC, where he was responsible for structuring real estate investment transactions for various levels of the capital structure with a primary focus on mezzanine positions. Mr. Gilmore attended Morehouse College where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in finance and a minor in economics with cum laude honors. Beyond the company, he is active in industry associations and is a member of the MBA’s Affordable Rental Housing Advisory Council as well as the Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) Affordable & Workforce Housing Product Council. Mr. Gilmore also serves on the board of Bridge Street Development Corporation and the steering committee of the Real Estate Associates Program.

  Walker & Dunlop

  SVP and Managing Director

  John Gilmore

  SVP and Managing Director

  Walker & Dunlop

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  John Motzel

  John Motzel is a Senior Managing Director on the NewPoint Originations team. He joined NewPoint with the company’s acquisition of Barings Multifamily Capital. With more than 25 years of agency lending experience, Motzel has originated in excess of $8 billion in multifamily loans. Prior to Barings, Motzel worked at Berkadia Commercial Mortgage, where he served as a Senior Vice President. Previously, he was a Senior Vice President at Capmark and held the same position at GMAC Commercial Mortgage. Motzel is a graduate of Villanova University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Management.

  Newpoint Real Estate Capital

  Senior Managing Director

  John Motzel

  Senior Managing Director

  Newpoint Real Estate Capital

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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

• Moderator

  Rashid Walker

  CEO & Founder

  First Street Capital