WASHINGTON, D.C. – July 8, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — The Alliance for Downtown New York’s Board of Directors last night unanimously elected Brookfield Properties Partners’ Global Office CEO Dennis Friedrich as its new Chairman. Friedrich replaces Robert Douglass, who has served as the Alliance’s Chairman since its inception in 1995 and will remain a member on the Board of Directors.
“I’m incredibly excited to welcome Dennis and look forward to all that he will do to move the Alliance into its next era as Chair. Dennis brings a wealth of experience and a new perspective, and I am very much looking forward to our work together,” said Downtown Alliance President Jessica Lappin. “On behalf of the Board, the Alliance staff and myself, I want to extend our deepest gratitude to former Chair Robert Douglass. I thank him for his vision, dedication and twenty years of unparalleled leadership. He’s been a great mentor not just to me, but to my predecessors and to countless members of the Alliance staff. His mark on our Lower Manhattan, our city and state are indelible.”
“Helping lead this organization has been a wonderful honor, one of the great highlights of my life,” said former Chair Douglass. “The Alliance is now in very good hands and I am confident we will continue to achieve great things in the months and years ahead.”
“It is a very exciting time for Lower Manhattan, and I believe our brightest, most vibrant days are ahead of us,” said Dennis Friedrich, the Alliance’s incoming chair. “Lower Manhattan’s renaissance has only just begun. The Alliance is the guardian of the interests of Lower Manhattan, and our mission is as critical now as it has ever been. I feel proud and privileged to take on the responsibilities of chair.”
Brookfield is the largest property owner in the Lower Manhattan market, with seven office buildings and a total of 12.9 million square feet. The firm has played a strong role in Lower Manhattan’s revitalization and the resurgence of its office market. Following Hurricane Sandy in 2012, Brookfield pumped 30 million gallons of seawater out of the lower levels of One New York Plaza and invested $13 million in the renovation of its retail. Under Friedrich’s leadership, Brookfield has leased 14.7 million square feet of space in Lower Manhattan since 9/11, bringing an array of new and diverse tenants downtown, including Time Inc., Hudson’s Bay Corp. and Revlon.
Dennis Friedrich was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Brookfield Properties in July 2012 following a year as President and Global Chief Investment Officer. At Brookfield, he was integral in executing Morgan Stanley’s 1.2 million square foot lease at Lower Manhattan’s One New York Plaza and currently oversees global development at properties including Brookfield Place. He has been instrumental in the growth of Brookfield’s portfolio in Lower Manhattan, leading the strategic acquisitions of 200 Vesey Street in 2002, One New York Plaza in 2006 and One North End Avenue (NYMEX) in 2014.
Prior to his appointment as CEO, he was Chief Executive Officer of U.S. Commercial Operations since 2009. Previously, he was President of Brookfield Office Properties’ U.S. Commercial Operations, following two years as Chief Operating Officer of U.S. Commercial Operations. Prior to joining Brookfield Office Properties, Dennis was co-head of Jones Lang LaSalle’s tenant advisory practice in New York. He holds a business degree in finance from Baruch College and is a member of the Real Estate Board of New York.
