By Matt Chaban 11/15/11 11:11am

Occupy Wall Street

Zuccotti Park rangers. (Getty)

Brookfield: Thank You Mayor Bloomberg for Letting Us Clean Up Zuccotti Park

Brookfield Properties has just released a statement thanking the mayor and the city agencies that evicted the Occupy Wall Street protestors in the predawn hours this morning. It is not clear what exactly set this off, perhaps it was the injured paramedic the mayor has made reference to, but as he said it today’s press conference, “We have been in constant contact with Brookfield and yesterday they requested that the City assist it in enforcing the no sleeping and camping rules in the park.”

The feeling on both sides was that the situation had deteriorated to such a point that action was necessary. “In our view, these risks were unacceptable and it would have been irresponsible to not request that the City take action,” Brookfield said in its statement, which you can read in full below. Read More

By Matt Chaban 10/18/11 5:42pm

POPS-ing OFF

Sony is watching. (The Nation)

Keep Off the Plaza! Brookfield and Rudins Get Proactive About Occupy Wall Street

In addition to Zuccotti Park, the Occupy Wall Street demonstrators have taken over the Brooklyn Bridge, Park Avenue, Washington Square Park, Times Square, the local McDonald’s, and tonight they march on Lincoln Center. Fearing new encampments in the plazas outside of their Midtown towers, the already-occupied Brookfield Properties, as well as the august Rudin Management and the corporate godheads at Sony, have begun putting out new signs forbidding a litany of activities, according to The Times. Read More

By Matt Chaban 10/14/11 9:42am

Occupy Wall Street

Hallelujah! (Getty)

Can Brookfield Change the Rules at Zuccotti Park?

The occupation of Zuccotti Park can continue, leading to celebratory marches across downtown today. At the heart of the debate over the base camp on Brookfield’s “property” is whether or not the landlord can retroactively change the rules at the site. The Observer has heard a mix of answers from architects and zoning experts, but according to the Department of City Planning, which oversees the city’s POPS, Brookfield can make some restrictions, but not others. Read More

By Matt Chaban 10/13/11 12:22pm

Greensward

Don't worry, we've got it. (Brookfield)

Is the Zuccotti Park Cleanup Really a Trap for Occupy Wall Street?

The protestors occupying Wall Street/Zuccotti Park are worried about the new plans to clean up the park tomorrow, calling it an eviction notice. The mayor showed up last night, politely informed the occupation of the move, and asked them to make way for Brookfield’s cleaning crews.

The protestors have responded by calling for bucket brigades, but according to a source with intimate knowledge of the site, they may not have to. It appears Brookfield, and not the occupiers, would be breaking the law if they tried to return and were denied access. Read More

By Matt Chaban 10/11/11 1:29pm

Week In Review

After Occupy Wall Street, Big Real Estate Would Like to See More Restrictions on Private ‘Parks’

Privately owned public spaces, or POPS, have been largely ignored by New Yorkers, even as they have reshaped the city over the past 50 years. Plazas, passageways and pocket parks have been carved out of giant new office and apartment buildings in exchange for considerable development bonuses (a few hundred thousand square feet here or there). This has led a band of urban activists to fight for awareness of and activity in POPS across the city. Read More

By Matt Chaban 9/29/11 9:45am

Occupy Wall Street

Cozy. (Getty)

Brookfield Bummer! Occupy Wall Street’s Occupation of Zucotti Park Will Continue, NYPD Says

Besides free pizza, pepper spray and those Guy Fawkes/V for Vendetta/Anonymous masks, one of the enduring symbols of the Occupy Wall Street protests has been the base camp at Zucotti Park. The park reopened in 2006, rebuilt by landlord Brookfield Properties after years of neglect followed by damage on 9/11.

It turned out to be a convenient location for protestors, as it is one of the largest open spaces near Wall Street, but the powerful Brookfield has been trying to evict the protestors all week. Now, the NYPD is taking the side of the protestors for once, saying thanks, but no thanks. Read More

By Laura Kusisto 6/06/11 3:20pm

Career Moves

Mitch Rudin Named Brookfield U.S. CEO

CB Richard Ellis New York Tri-State Region President Mitchell Rudin is leaving the firm to be U.S. chief executive of Brookfield Office Properties, by far downtown’s largest landlord, whose properties include the World Financial Center.

“It is never an easy decision to leave a place as special as CBRE, but I was presented with a rare Read More