Michael Tavani

Pandemic or not, Michael Tavani and his partners have continued building M18 into a global presence with strong local roots.

Along with Big Apple developers like Extell, CIM, Naftali and DDG, the firm’s got its fingerprints on projects like Central Park Tower, the largest residential tower in the world; a Bjarke Ingels-designed rental complex in Harlem; Water Street Tampa, a 50-acre master plan developed by Bill Gates and Jeff Vinik; DUMBO’s Front & York, spanning an entire block; Four Seasons New Orleans residences, which will occupy the former World Trade Center tower; and Aman New York, the first-ever urban residences from the global ultra-luxury brand inside the iconic Crown Building.

All of it helped make up for a tough year for hotels, another big M18 category. But even those, Tavani said, are coming back, with a slew of new openings set for the next few months.