NEW YORK CITY—Glenn Markman, 52, an EVP at Cushman & Wakefield and an expert on Downtown Brooklyn, lost his battle with cancer on Monday night. He served the industry for 28 years as a broker and spent the last 12 years at Cushman.
“Glenn distinguished himself through his work ethic, integrity and passion,” says Ed Forst, president & CEO of Cushman & Wakefield. He will be sorely missed by all those who knew and loved him.”
Adds Cushman's Bruce Mosler, chairman of global brokerage, “Glenn joined Cushman & Wakefield I was the CEO and from day one I knew he was a difference maker, a team player and a leader. Glenn and I were hired by the Brooklyn Nets to find the team an appropriate location, including for them to build a state-of-the-art practice facility. Mr. Brooklyn immediately took control and—largely because of his passion for and knowledge of the borough of Brooklyn—Glenn found the team the perfect location in Industry City.”
More specifically, Markman “masterminded” a new $45 million training center for the Nets the Sunset Park community. A love for basketball drove Markman to approach the National Basketball Association about creating an NBA-themed retail store. As the NBA's exclusive representative, he negotiated a lease for its 35,000 square foot store at 666 Fifth Ave.
In 2000, Senator Charles E. Schumer asked Glenn to join a team of government, business and civic leaders to guide the growth of tech companies here. His work with the tech sector continued until his passing, recently working with 3-D printing pioneer MakerBot to create its home at Industry City. His work with MakerBot was nominated for a Real Estate Board of New York Deal of the Year award.
Markman's vision helped establish Brooklyn as a viable commercial center and his skill and dogged determination made the borough one of the best renowned real estate brands in the country, according to Cushman & Wakefield.
Says fellow Brooklyn pioneer Bruce Ratner, chairman of Forest City Ratner Cos., “In the late 1980s, most people had written the borough off, but Glenn, who was born and raised on its streets, was that rare and passionate believer who felt drawn to act. He brought new companies and workers to downtown Brooklyn, opened restaurants and extolled his home borough's virtues to all who would listen. Most important, he generously gave back as a board member of several Brooklyn not-for-profit organizations.”
Others in the industry also expressed condolences. ?“Glenn was a quintessential New Yorker,” says Bill Rudin, CEO and vice chairman of Rudin Management Co. and chairman of the Association for a Better New York, of which Markman was an active member. “He got Brooklyn before Brooklyn was cool. He got tech before tech was cool. And unfortunately, in losing Glenn's battle with cancer, our city lost our champion trend-spotter.”
Glenn's love for New York was heightened in 2007-2008 through his participation at David Rockefeller Fellow, a program of the NYC Partnership, often noting that it was the most rewarding year of his professional experience.
“Glenn was selected as a David Rockefeller Fellow because of his outstanding professional achievements and his commitment to making the city a better place for everyone,” adds Kathryn Wylde, President & CEO of the Partnership for New York City. “He put his leadership skills to work as a key player in the resurgence of Brooklyn.”
Markman's family has established the Glenn Markman Memorial Fund. Contributions can be made to the New York Community Trust-Glenn Markman Memorial Fund, 909 Third Ave, 22nd Fl, New York, NY 10022.
Want to continue reading?
Become a Free ALM Digital Reader.
Once you are an ALM Digital Member, you’ll receive:
- Breaking commercial real estate news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
- Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
- Critical coverage of the property casualty insurance and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, PropertyCasualty360 and ThinkAdvisor
Already have an account? Sign In Now
*May exclude premium content© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
Rayna Katz
Rayna Katz is a seasoned business journalist whose extensive experience includes coverage of the lodging sector, travel and the culinary space. She was most recently content director for a business-to-business publisher, overseeing four publications. While at Meeting News, a travel trade publication, she received a Best Reporting award for a story on meeting cancellations in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina.
