-- Bob Knakal has released a new episode of The Bob Knakal Show featuring MaryAnne Gilmartin, Founder and CEO of MAG Partners and former President and CEO of Forest City Ratner Companies, who discusses her career developing New York real estate.
The conversation traces Gilmartin's work across public service, economic development, and several significant New York City projects — from Brooklyn's MetroTech Center and the New York Times Building through Atlantic Yards and the founding of MAG Partners — and examines the decisions and trade-offs involved in building within a complex, high-cost market.
Gilmartin reflects on how being underestimated shaped her approach, and how preparation, persistence, and what she calls "weaponizing competency" informed her decisions. She also discusses lessons from public service, the role of mentorship in real estate, and why New York City is both difficult and rewarding to build in.
The episode also covers:
- How Brooklyn developed into a major business district earlier than many anticipated
- The practical realities of leading the Atlantic Yards project
- Why preparation and adaptability matter in development
- How MAG Partners was structured around purpose-driven development
- The role of mentorship and long-term relationships in a real estate career
Bob Knakal hosts the show as a series of detailed conversations with figures in commercial real estate, focused on the deals, developments, and decisions shaping New York City and beyond. The episode is available now across major podcast platforms and YouTube.
About MaryAnne Gilmartin
MaryAnne Gilmartin founded MAG Partners, a WBE-certified development company, in 2018. The firm holds a $1 billion New York pipeline, including Ruby at 243 West 28th Street, a COOKFOX-designed mixed-income building that reached 98 percent occupancy in summer 2024, and two residential buildings — Mabel at 335 Eighth Avenue and Anagram Turtle Bay at 300 East 50th Street — that began leasing in summer 2025. With Sagamore Ventures, Goldman Sachs Asset Management, and MacFarlane Partners, MAG Partners is leading Baltimore Peninsula, a 235-acre Baltimore masterplan, and managing 1.1 million square feet of waterfront office, retail, and residential space.
Previously, Gilmartin was President and CEO of Forest City Ratner Companies, where she directed several of its largest projects, including Barclays Center, the centerpiece of the $4.9 billion Pacific Park Brooklyn development; The New York Times Building, designed by Renzo Piano; New York by Gehry, designed by Frank Gehry; and the Tata Innovation Center at Cornell Tech, designed by Weiss/Manfredi. She also served as Chair and interim CEO of Mack-Cali Realty Corporation.
Gilmartin is Chair Emeritus of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership and a trustee of the Brooklyn Academy of Music and New York Public Radio. She serves on the boards of the Real Estate Board of New York, two Columbia University advisory boards, and Jefferies Group LLC, where she chairs its ESG, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.
About the company: BKREA (Bob Knakal Real Estate Advisors) is a New York City investment sales firm founded by Bob Knakal, focused on the sale of development sites and commercial buildings across the five boroughs. The firm advises owners and investors through market analysis, zoning expertise, and a disciplined approach to property valuation.
Contact Info:
Name: Bob Knakal
Email: Send Email
Organization: BKREA
Address: 135 West 36th Street NY NY 10018
Phone: 212-888-8850
Website: https://bkrea.com
Video URL: https://youtu.be/BozDxhRMzuw?si=ry3j9HSnc18L2Zmw
Release ID: 89193490
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