When the calendar changes to 2024, genuine is trying to remember the real estate icons the industry lost last year.
Indeed, their professional legacies will live on through the impact they had on real estate. They built empires, reshaped cities and skylines, reimagined architecture, redefined luxury, and changed the way we traded and did business.
This list is organized chronologically.
Nelson Rising, a prominent California project developer, died on February 9 at the age of 81 from complications related to Alzheimer’s disease. Mr. Rising has spearheaded mega-projects like the U.S. Bank Tower in downtown Los Angeles. He also helped revitalize San Francisco’s Mission His Bay and revitalized the Playa His Vista district. Rising Realty Partners is currently managed by his son Christopher.
Rafael Viñoly, the Uruguayan architect who shaped skylines around the world, died of an aneurysm on March 2 at the age of 78. His most notable designs in New York included the signature projects 432 Park and 125 Greenwich. He also designed the “Walkie Talkie” building in London and the Tokyo International Forum.
H. Dale Hemmerdinger, who was chairman of ATCO Properties and led the Metropolitan Transportation Authority during turbulent times, died on April 20 at the age of 78 due to complications from pneumonia after contracting the coronavirus. . During Hemmerdinger’s heyday, ATCO developed, owned and managed millions of square feet of land in New York. . He also served as MTA chairman from 2007 to 2009, setting records for on-time work at a time when the Great Recession was wreaking havoc there.
Stephen Fisher, a senior partner at Fisher Brothers in New York City, died on May 1 at the age of 63 due to complications from a medical procedure. Mr. Fisher is a fourth-generation executive of the family business and oversaw the construction and design of the acquired properties. Mr. Fisher led Plaza Construction for his 10 years and helped transform the Fisher Company into a top competitor of Big Apple.
John Cushman III, grandson of the founder of Cushman & Wakefield, died on May 4 at the age of 82. Cushman joined a commercial securities firm at age 22 and contributed to his family’s legacy. After parting ways with Cushman Realty Corporation, Mr. Cushman became chairman of C&W after it was acquired by the giant corporation in 2001.
Sam Zell, a billionaire real estate investor who made a habit of snapping up distressed properties on the cheap, died on May 18 at the age of 81. Mr. Zell founded Equity Residential, a multifamily real estate investment trust, and built an empire of apartments, offices, and mobile homes. Zell sold Equity Office to Blackstone Group in 2007 for $39 billion, which at the time was the largest private equity deal in history. He also dabbled in media, purchasing newspaper conglomerate Tribune Company for $8.2 billion in 2007.
Jerry Merriman, an architect who helped shape Dallas’ skyline, died on May 25 at the age of 74 after a battle with cancer. The founder of Merriman Anderson Architects helped redevelop and preserve dozens of downtown landmarks before calling it his own in 2020. The South Dakota native was involved in the revitalization of the Statler Hotel, Lone Star Gas Building, Old Dallas High School, Tower Oil Building, and First National Bank Tower.
Adina Azarian, a real estate agent in the Hamptons, died in a plane crash on June 4 at the age of 49. Ms. Azarian was the founder and president of her own boutique firm, Adina Equities, for nearly 20 years. She eventually moved her base to East Her End and most recently Keller served as an associate real estate broker at Williams Points Her North. Her nanny and young daughter also died in the accident.
Milo Kleinberg, a commercial interior designer whose fame earned him the nickname “King of the Garment District,” died on June 19 at the age of 97. Kleinberg founded MKDA, his 75-person architecture and interior design firm based in New York. Kleinberg was known for designing showrooms for fashion giants such as Gloria and Vanderbilt, but his firm also worked on retail and office space for companies such as Citibank and Lufthansa. Ta.
Richard Ravitch, who played an important role in the history of New York and New York City, died on June 25 at the age of 89. Ravitch inherited HRH Construction, which built notable apartment complexes such as Sanremo and Beresford. He also served as chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and briefly served as lieutenant governor under President David Paterson.
Angelo Mozilo, the leader of a major mortgage finance company whose reputation was tarnished by the 2008 financial crisis, died on July 16 at the age of 84. Mr. Mozilo helped found Countrywide Financial and built it into one of the nation’s largest mortgage finance companies. The company had a tendency to make risky loans, which turned Mozilo into one of the villains of the Great Recession.
Renowned French architect Thierry Despont passed away on August 13th at the age of 75. Although Despont designed homes for the rich and famous, he also helped create iconic projects in New York City. He was a co-architect on the restoration of the Statue of Liberty and renovated the Battery Marine Building.
Bartlett Koch Jr., founder of one of Central Texas’ largest construction companies, died on September 2nd at the age of 93. His San Antonio-based company played a role in the construction of notable landmarks, including the 1968 World’s Fair site. Austin’s projects include renovations to Austin Community College’s Rio Grande campus and Linden, his 28-story residential building on the edge of downtown Austin.
Wayne Ratkovich, a prominent Downtown and West Los Angeles developer, died on September 24 at the age of 82 from complications from an aortic aneurysm. The founder of the Ratkovich Company was instrumental in redeveloping historic buildings in Los Angeles, spearheading the development of Playa Vista and the Sun. Pedro. His Google campus in Vista, a block in downtown Los Angeles and Playa Playa, is one of his key developments.
Bill Morgan, a Holocaust survivor and founder of the Houston-based multifamily housing development company Morgan Group, died on October 15 at the age of 98. Mr. Morgan escaped from the ghetto in the village of Stanisław during World War II, using a false identity and posing as a farm worker. . He arrived in the United States in his 1949 and launched a company that became the Morgan Group in 1959. The company is one of Houston’s largest multifamily developers.
Peter Hsieh, a real estate developer whose family-owned company built tens of thousands of homes in nearly a dozen states, died on October 23 at the age of 88 after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. Development company. In addition to housing, the company also helped build the Hoover Dam, the Golden Gate Bridge, and countless highways.
Mel Sembler, a real estate developer and prominent Republican fundraiser, died of lung cancer on October 31 at the age of 93. Mr. Sembler has developed more than 350 shopping centers and retail projects throughout the Southeast. He also helped found a chain of residential drug treatment centers for adolescents known as Straight Inc. Due to controversy and legal issues, the program was closed in his 1993 year.
Artem Tepler, co-founder of multifamily developer and investor Shane Tepler, died by suicide on November 1 at the age of 41. Originally from Serbia, Tepler made his first real estate investment at the age of 23 and founded his company in 2009. The firm has completed 22 of his multifamily developments, four custom homes, four mixed-use projects and more throughout Los Angeles.
Fort Worth construction company CEO Zach Muckleroy died on November 22 at the age of 44 in a car accident. The three-vehicle crash also killed his two children and seriously injured Mr Mickroy’s wife. Mr. Muckleroy headed Muckleroy & Falls Construction, a company founded by his father in 1979. He joined his family business in 2009 and three years ago he became CEO.
Alberto Vadia, who played roles in Midtown Miami and South Miami’s Wellington Village, passed away on November 29th at the age of 76. The low-profile Cuban-born developer apprenticed under the late Robert Traurig and will now work closely with his younger son, Alex Vadia of Midtown Opportunities.
Mark Berson, a central figure in the development of Newark, passed away on December 2nd at the age of 79 after a short battle with illness. Mr. Burson founded Fidelco Group in 1981 and has owned and developed commercial properties in multiple states, including New Jersey. In addition to the company’s developments, Mr. Berson has advised on other projects, including Newark’s first major apartment development in 40 years and a movie studio site to be operated by Lionsgate.
Jeremy Farrell, an executive with Tri-State property owner LeFrak Organization, died suddenly on December 4 at the age of 44. Mr. Farrell has been an executive at a development company for five years and previously served as chief counsel for Jersey City. At LeFrak, Farrell was special counsel and executive director of community and government affairs.