On today’s podcast, we sit down with Melissa Román Burch to learn more about her project with Lendlease Development, Claremont Hall. Located in the academic acropolis of New York City, Claremont Hall is a mixed-use building with modern neo-gothic architecture and sweeping views of the Hudson River. We also dive into some of Melissa’s other developments such as the Atlantic Yards (renamed Pacific Park) and 1 Java Street. 

Melissa believes that development is about people and to be innovative we have to get curious and question fundamental assumptions. We ask the question of how to expand in a dense urban environment such as New York City and touch on topics of housing access and supply. We also talk about the importance of strategic partnerships with development, equity, and construction firms, as well as technology firms that have a growing interest in housing issues. 

Lendlease Development partnered with Union Theological Seminary to begin its work on Claremont Hall in June of 2020, right in the early stages of the pandemic. In an attempt to creatively renew the aging infrastructure on the 100-year old campus, Union sought out a developer to help them tap into their New York City air rights. 

Tune in to today’s episode to learn more about unique New York City construction phenomenons and the community-centered partners who are bringing these projects to life.  

About the Guest:

Melissa is a leading property executive and developer in New York with two decades of public company real estate experience. Over her career, she has initiated the entitlement and development of over 10 million square feet of commercial and residential mixed use projects. Those are often ones that are distinguished by urban placemaking, environmental leadership and innovative partnerships. Currently, she is the Chief Operating Officer for the NYC Economic Development Corporation and leads the Real Estate Transaction Services and Asset Management divisions.

Topics Covered:

• Melissa Román Burch’s background and the Claremont Hall development
• Lessons learned from the Atlantic Yards project 
• Curiosity and the importance of thinking differently in development 
• A descriptive walk through of the Claremont Hall project 
• What are air rights? 
• The importance of community involvement 
• Old and new partnerships 

About Your Host

Atif Qadir is the Founder of Commonplace, a company dedicated to tackling one of the biggest barriers to more inclusive, affordable, and sustainable development: improving access to capital. Commonplace helps impact-driven developers and capital providers with shared values discover and connect with each other.

Connect with Melissa Román Burch 

• Connect with Melissa on LinkedIn
• Connect with Lendlease on LinkedIn
• Visit Lendlease’s website

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