SquareFoot commercial real estate company has announced that Michael Colacino has joined in the role of president, a first for the company. Colacino previously served as president of Savills from 2002 to 2018 and was involved in a 2014 merger that led to the formation of Savills Studley.
The news comes mere weeks after SquareFoot’s recent announcement of a $16 million Series B financing round that will go toward further investments in technology, marketing, personnel, and new market expansion.
Initially approached to be a strategic adviser as part of SquareFoot’s financing round, Colacino suggested that he could offer greater value in a more formal position by shepherding the next stage of growth for the business.
In addition to working on dozens of large-scale leases for companies such as Microsoft and Credit Agricole, Colacino has also represented many large law firms including Willkie Farr & Gallagher and Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman. As a consultant and broker, Colacino has worked on portfolios of smaller-scale transactions in multiple markets for corporate accounts such as MeadWestvaco and NBC.
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DMG Investments, LLC announced that Jeffrey Amengual has been appointed Chief Operating Officer of the Company.
In his new role, alredy in effect, Amengual will oversee all company operations, and lead the company’s undertakings to improve efficiency across the enterprise.
Amengual joined DMG Investments, LLC in 2017 and most recently held the position of Senior Vice President. Prior to joining DMG Investments, Mr. Amengual was the Director of Construction at Largo Investments.
Amengual has an extensive background in construction and has over 40 years of private real estate experience, with projects located throughout the United States, as well as several international projects. Since joining the company in 2017, Amengual has directed and lead all aspects of construction, acquisition, finance, development, marketing and property/asset management.
“We are delighted and fortunate to have someone with Jeffrey’s business acumen, expertise and deep institutional knowledge take on this major and important leadership role at DMG,” said Jacky He, Chief Executive Officer, DMG Investments LLC. “I look forward to being able to have Jeffrey’s approach and strategy to business extended across our organization.”
Amengual earned his Bachelor’s Degree from Boston University where he graduated Summa Cum Laude.
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Eastern Union has hired Tzvi Yormark to lead the company’s Underwriting Department.
The department recently expanded to eight people with the recent hiring of two new senior processors: Sara Steinhardt, who will be based in Monsey, NY, and Shmaya Lobel, who will operate from the company’s Lakewood, NJ office.
Senior processors expedite the loan approval process by accelerating the flow of regulatory and financial paperwork passing between borrowers and bankers.
Yormark had previously supervised accounting operations with Benchmark Healthcare Consultants based in South Bend, IN, where he simultaneously oversaw day-to-day accounting functions at 21 long-term-care facilities.
Prior to that, he was comptroller at Strawberry Fields REIT also in South Bend, where he maintained daily accounting operations for a company that owns and leases out nursing homes to private operators.
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Morrison & Foerster, a leading global law firm, is pleased to announce that Jay Gavigan has joined the firm’s New York office as a partner in its Lending + Financial Transactions Group. Gavigan is a finance lawyer who brings to the firm 25 years of experience advising clients on a wide range of financial transactions, including acquisition and leveraged finance, project finance, asset finance, syndicated credits, real estate finance, and workouts.
Gavigan has represented both borrowers and lenders in high-stakes financing engagements. On the borrower side, his clients include asset managers, manufacturers, builders, funds, and other financial institutions; on the lender side, he represents commercial and investment banks, insurance companies, funds, and other direct lenders. Gavigan works largely with companies in the energy, construction, and real estate industries, and he has significant experience handling cross-border financings and other transactions related to leasing, capital markets, and derivatives across Europe, Asia, and Latin America.
Gavigan also advises commercial banks, agencies, operators, and investors in offshore oil and gas transactions, principally in the Americas. In this regard, he represents clients on acquisitions, refinancings, construction, workouts, transportation, and credit enhancement transactions, as well as debt capital markets transactions (project bonds) and combined bank/bond transactions.
Gavigan received his J.D., cum laude, from Northwestern University School of Law and his B.A. from Michigan State University.
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Colliers Project Leaders | USA has appointed Joe Bolano as the chair to the NYC Builds Bio+ Healthcare Sub-Committee. Bolano, who was recently appointed as the Managing Director of Colliers Project Leaders’ New York office, leads the Healthcare and Life Sciences practice throughout the Northeast. Bolano will look to leverage his nearly 40 years of experience in the healthcare construction and real estate sector to grow the presence of NYC Builds Bio+ and develop New York City’s life sciences sector.
Bolano brings with him a proven track record of successful and long-standing client relationships in the New York area healthcare market.
Launched in 2018, NYC Builds Bio+ connects commercial life science opportunities to New York City’s real estate developers through events, research, reports and educational programs.
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Rob Kluge recently joined Current Real Estate Advisors, a tech-focused commercial real estate firm in New York, as senior managing director.
Kluge brings over 12 years of experience to Current, primarily representing tenants seeking commercial space. Rob most recently helped launch WeWork’s brokerage division and prior to that spent nine years as a commercial broker focused on office space at CBRE.
Kluge has completed over 100 deals totaling over 1 million s/f throughout his career, guiding both start-ups and public companies in various industries through the real estate process. Notable past clients include The City of New York (the largest tenant in New York City), Samsung, and Boeing.
Kluge is a graduate of the Smith Business School at the University of Maryland.
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Choyce Peterson, Inc. a commercial real estate brokerage, announced that Scott C. Peterson has joined the brokerage team as vice president. Peterson will lead Choyce Peterson’s Investment Sales specialty in the local commercial real estate market, focusing on Fairfield County, CT.
Peterson brings 20 years of experience in finance, accounting and risk management. As a Certified Public Accountant based in the Stamford offices of Big 4 accounting firms Ernst & Young and PricewaterhouseCoopers, Peterson performed financial statement audits and advisory services in avariety of industries. He then built a risk management function at Bridgewater Associates, the world’s largest hedge fund. Peterson has a proven track record of solving complex problems and ensuring his clients have the right information to make the best decisions.
Peterson earned a Master of Science in accounting from The University of Notre Dame, as well as a Bachelor of Science in business administration with a concentration in finance from Villanova University.
He can be found most evenings and weekends either coaching his children’s sports teams or in community meetings.
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Tom Vecchione has joined the architecture and design firm, Vocon, as global firmwide partner and principal in their New York City office. Vecchione is a strategic design expert with more than 30 years of experience in architecture and real estate planning. His role includes expanding the Vocon brand, sparking new relationships for the firm, and generating creative business opportunities.
Vecchione has advised top corporations, premier building owners and global developers to position their properties for the demands of the next generation of business. The core of his work is the belief that impactful design enhances business performance and employee engagement.
Vecchione received his degree in architecture from the New York Institute of Technology and studied urban planning at Cornell University. He is on the Board of Directors at The Center for an Urban Future, The New York City Landmarks Preservation Foundation, and on the Advisory Board at the Cornell Baker Program in Real Estate.
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Architecture and interior design firm Spacesmith has promoted architects William Wong and Olga Anaya.
With over 15 years of experience in design, construction and project management William Wong, AIA, has been promoted to the position of principal.
A native New Yorker, Wong joined Spacesmith in 2012. Over seven years with Spacesmith, Wong has earned a reputation as a leader in project management across the firm’s work in the workplace, retail, academic, and nonprofit sectors. Recent projects led by Wong include the academic renovation at Columbia University’s Chandler Hall and the public and unit interiors conceived for the mixed-use residential complex at 10 Halletts Point.
Experienced architect Olga Cervantes Anaya, AIA, has been elevated to the role of associate. Originally from Chicago, Anaya earned her Master’s in Architecture from New York’s Parsons School of Design and also studied at École nationale supérieure d’architecture de Versailles (ENSAV) in France. Anaya has worked on a wide range of challenging projects for Spacesmith including Hermes of Paris and NYLAG (New York Legal Assistance Group). Previously Anaya worked for the government division of Historic Zones and Monuments in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, and also at the firm Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, where she served critical roles on several teams designing buildings all over the world, including in Dubai, Mumbai, and cities in China.
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Cooper Robertson has announced the elevation of two architects to partner: Erin Flynn R.A., LEED AP, known for award-winning cultural and museum work, and Mike Aziz, AIA, LEED AP, recognized as an expert on urban design, campus planning, and computational design.
According to Cooper Robertson’s managing partner, Donald Clinton, AIA, MRAIC, LEED AP, the new roles for Flynn and Aziz reflect an emerging diversity of design and planning work as well as an evolving presence in the fields of architecture and urban design.
In their elevation to partnership, Flynn, Cooper Robertson’s Director of Architecture, and Aziz, the firm’s Director of Urban Design, now join current partners and directors including Clinton; Bruce Davis, AIA, LEED AP; and John Kirk, AIA; Scott Newman, FAIA; and Brian Shea, FAIA.
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SBLM Architects has announced Stephen J. Hegeman is its new Director of Healthcare Studio.
Hegeman is an architect, leading teams of architects, engineers and consultants through significant, complex projects. He has delivered projects in the healthcare, science & technology, justice, education and commercial practice areas. His focus has been healthcare facility projects through all phases: conceptualization, budgeting, regulatory approval, design, construction and commissioning.
For the past 30 years, Hegeman has developed an extensive portfolio of medical projects for NYU Langone, NYP, Northwell, St. Joseph’s RMC and Maimonides. He has delivered a range of radiation oncology projects including IGRT and Proton. He has designed facilities for imaging technologies such as CT, MRI, Hybrid OR, and Angiography.
Prior to joining SBLM, Steve has worked for specialty Healthcare firms including Array, Francis Cauffman, and Cannon Design.
He is a registered architect in multiple states, member of American Institute of Architects (AIA), a LEED Accredited Professional and certified by the National Council for Architectural Registration Board (NCARB).
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Alexander Dunham has joined HLW’s New York studio as Director of Workplace. Dunham’s portfolio spans 15 years, and includes work across many verticals such as transportation, aviation, healthcare, higher and secondary education, and the arts.
As Director of Workplace, Dunham will focus on overseeing the firm’s workplace strategy efforts, as well as leading the change management process for a range of clients. He will also be responsible for enhancing technical procedures and overseeing projects in the tri-state area. Dunham’s previous experiences in project management will help add further expertise and structure to Strategy and Discovery’s scoping discussions and project administration.
The move came alongside other new hires, including Julia Belkin in New York, and Francesca Gernone in London, both as Principal.
