Francis J. Greenburger
Francis J. Greenburger (born February 13, 1949)[1] is an American real estate developer, literary agent, author, philanthropist and the founder of Time Equities inc., the Omi International Arts Center and the Greenburger Center for Social and Criminal Justice.[2]
Biography
Greenburger was born in Forest Hills, Queens, New York City, New York. His father was the literary agent Sanford Greenburger and his mother a German immigrant and author. His father was a first-generation American and the son of Hungarian immigrants whose literary agency was like a salon which attracted an eclectic expatriate clientele, a milieu in which the young Francis found himself ensconced. He attended Stuyvesant High School hut dropped out in order to pursue dual careers in the book business (eventually upon his father's death taking over the elder Greenburger's agency) and real estate. Summarily attending Washington Irving High School at night, he went onto to get his GED and then an undergraduate degree from Baruch College in public administration.
Greenburger went on to earn the moniker "the co-op king of New York" for his specialty of converting Prewar apartment buildings into occupant-owned residences which offered the tenants the ability to become owners and created new wealth.[3]
His literary agency, which still carries his father's name, has at different times represented, among other authors, Dan Brown, James Patterson, Nicholas Sparks and George Bach.
In 1992 Greenburger founded the art center and residency Art Omi in Ghent, New York.[4]
Today he is the CEO of the real estate firm he brought into being, Time Equites, which is set to open the multibillion-dollar mixed-use residential and commercial building 50 West Street in lower Manhattan adjacent to the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel.[3] In addition, Time Equities, in a joint venture with JK Equities, has purchased a vacant parcel on South Michigan Avenue in Chicago with the attention of erecting a 73-story residential tower 1000 South Michigan designed by the German born American starchitect, Helmut Jahn (as is 50 West).[5]
In 2016 BenBella Books published his autobiography Risk Game: Self-Portrait of an Entrepreneur which he co-authored with Rebecca Paley.[6][7]
References
- ^ "Francis Greenburger".
- ^ Chaban, Matt A. v (6 October 2014). "From a Father's Anguish Comes a Plan to Help Mentally Ill Inmates" – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ a b "New York Developers Feel a Chill". The New York Times. 19 September 1990.
- ^ "Collector's Corner: Francis Greenburger - ARTnews".
- ^ "Site for planned 73-story tower sells for $17 million".
- ^ Sederer, MD, Lloyd I. (February 20, 2017). "Francis Greenburger, A Man On Many A Mission: A Profile". The Huffington Post. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
- ^ Kim, Elizabeth (September 1, 2016). "Where the deal isn't the only drama". The Real Deal. Retrieved March 6, 2017.