DBP announces Brooklyn real estate leader Ofer Cohen as Chairman of the Board of Directors

Downtown Brooklyn Partnership (DBP) announced today that TerraCRG Founder and CEO Ofer Cohen has been unanimously elected Chairman of its Board of Directors. Cohen succeeds MaryAnne Gilmartin, Founder and CEO of L&L MAG, and will lead a committed group of leaders incorporate, real estate, academic, and cultural sectors in their work to improve Downtown Brooklyn.

“Ofer is a proven leader in Brooklyn with an incredible passion for Downtown. He joins us at an exciting and pivotal time as we embark upon a number of important initiatives focused on improving Downtown Brooklyn for businesses, residents and visitors,” said Downtown Brooklyn Partnership President Regina Myer. “From the Tech Triangle, to our academic and cultural institutions, to the incredible opportunities to create great new open space with the Brooklyn Strand and improvements in the public realm,Downtown Brooklyn is an innovation, development, entrepreneurship, and quality of life leader in New York City.”

“I am thrilled to follow in the footsteps of MaryAnne Gilmartin to chair the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership. Downtown Brooklyn is the beating heart of the borough and, with all the infrastructure put in place by both the public and private sectors, is well positioned to become the bloodline for NYC’s continued growth trajectory,” said Ofer Cohen, TerraCRG Founder and CEO. “The Brooklyn renaissance has ushered in a new wave of opportunities and I look forward to working with Regina and the team as we continue to transform Downtown Brooklyn into a true global business district.”

Outgoing Chair, MaryAnne Gilmartin, Founder and CEO of L&L MAG, said, “It has been my pleasure chairing the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership for the past four years, and I am proud of all the work we have accomplished, helping transform the area into a premier hub for business, tech and higher education. The landscape has changed dramatically since we started, with Downtown Brooklyn becoming a thriving 24-hour mixed-use community, and I am confident that under Ofer’s leadership the neighborhood will continue to lead the way in growth and innovation for cities around the world.”

Cohen has been a member of DBP’s board since 2014 and is an active, longstanding member of the Downtown Brooklyn community. He brings a wealth of experience in the civic, business and real estate sectors, and a strong network of relationships across industries that will help drive DBP’s work.

As chairman, Cohen will draw on his Brooklyn business and real estate expertise to continue to establish Downtown Brooklyn as one of New York’s fastest growing business centers and hubs of innovation. His deep understanding of the neighborhood will serve as a valuable resource for DBP as the organization focuses on creating a more hospitable environment for businesses, meeting the demand for Class A office space, and attracting new companies and amenities to the area.

Cohen founded TerraCRG, the only real estate brokerage and advisory firm focused solely on Brooklyn commercial transactions, over a decade ago and has been at the center of the borough’s transformation ever since. The firm, which has now grown to 30 people, has handled over two billion dollars’ worth of transactions in Brooklyn.

Prior to founding TerraCRG, Cohen was a senior broker at Massey Knakal’s Brooklyn office. Before his work in real estate, Cohen was involved with a number of tech-startups, including an internet firm that was later acquired by MTV Networks. He remains involved in various tech-startups as an adviser and angel investor.

In addition to Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, Cohen also serves on the Board of Directors of the Brooklyn Navy Yard and The Brooklyn Hospital Foundation, and is the co-chair of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce’s Real Estate Committee.

Cohen lives in Clinton Hill and enjoys spending time with his twin daughters, working out, cooking and traveling, and recently launched a podcast called HeyBK, where he hosts in depth conversations with the people behind the Brooklyn transformation.