Lend Lease, one of the world’s largest property and infrastructure providers, announced the appointment of Melissa Burch as executive general manager, New York, for the Americas Development business.
Burch will lead and grow the firm’s development business in the New York market, pursue and identify development opportunities and large-scale urban regeneration projects throughout the greater metropolitan area, as well as support our development efforts nationally.
“I am excited to welcome Melissa to our Development business.  She brings a full range of experience in the New York market and has a proven track record of operational success,” said Denis Hickey, CEO Americas. “Melissa’s extensive knowledge of entitlement, design, construction, marketing, leasing and the execution of complex urban development projects makes her the ideal executive to grow our Development business in New York.”
Prior to joining Lend Lease, Burch served as executive vice president for Forest City Ratner Companies where she had overall responsibility for commercial and residential development. Â She oversaw the development of the Pacific Park project, the 22-acres development formerly called Atlantic Yards that includes the Barclays Center and eight million s/f of new rental and condominium housing, office, retail space, and eight acres of public open space.
In addition, Burch spearheaded various projects throughout the New York City region and supervised the on-going leasing of Forest City Ratner’s office and residential operating portfolios.
Burch received her Bachelor of Arts in Government from Harvard College and her Master of Business Administration from the Harvard Business School.
FCR announced that Susi Yu will replace Burch as executive vice president for Residential Development. A long-time FCRC executive, Â Yu returns to the company from a stint as senior vice president at the Howard Hughes Corporation.
“As we continue to drive our robust residential platform in New York, we are very pleased to have Susi Yu leading the charge,” said FCR president MaryAnn Gilmartin. “Susi is the consummate residential developer and we are thrilled she has decided to return. We wish Melissa all the best in her exciting new venture.”
Yu will guide the development of Pacific Park Brooklyn for the Greenland Forest City venture, which includes approximately six million square feet of residential space (6,430 units of affordable and market-rate housing) and eight acres of publicly accessible open space.
The construction pipeline includes 363 rental units at 461 Dean (50 percent affordable), which is being developed solely by FCRC and will be the tallest modular building in the world once completed, 298 rental units at 535 Carlton (100 percent affordable) and 300 market-rate condo units at 550 Vanderbilt, all of which are currently under construction and projected for completion in 2016.
Yu will oversee the remaining development pipeline, including 30 Sixth Avenue, the SHoP Architects-designed, 100 percent affordable rental building at Pacific Park Brooklyn and three potential residential towers planned above East River Plaza in East Harlem.
In addition to the current residential pipeline, Yu will also supervise existing residential properties at 8 Spruce in Lower Manhattan and DKLB BKLYN in Fort Greene as well as identify new development opportunities.
Trained as an architect at the University of Virginia’s School of Architecture, Yupreviously worked for ten years as an architect, most recently as a project architect for Robert A.M. Stern on hotel, public, multi-family residential and single-family residential projects. She is a graduate of Columbia University’s Master of Science in Real Estate Development Program and is a registered architect in New York State.
She emigrated from Seoul, Korea to Richmond, Virginia at the age of 10.
Susi will replace Melissa Burch who is departing to lead Lend Lease Group’s NYC-based development business.
