This type of deal was indicative of most of the panelists' toneat the Seventh Annual commercial real estate event. Movers andshakers of CRE gathered within the towering majesty of theRoosevelt Hotel here to discuss and debate the future of New York'sreal estate market. Despite the downturn, the mood wasoptimistic.

The conference began with keynote speaker Seth Pinsky from theNew York City Economic Development Corp. (NYCEDC), voicing hisopinion that Mayor Michael Bloomberg was the "best mayor this cityhas ever seen." Pinsky pointed out that currently, New York had thehighest bond rating in 80 years and that, by the end of the mayor'sterm, the boroughs will have "rezoned 20% of the city's land area."Listing some of these accomplishments, Pinsky rattled off a slew ofongoing projects including, the far Westside, the 11th Avenuesubway expansion, Willet'sPoint, Hunt's Point, theAtlanticYards project and the two new stadiums inthe Bronxand Queens.

This positive point was carried over into the "New York PowerPanel: In the Midst of an Unparalleled Financial Crisis, EconomicDownturn and Presidential Election, What is 'New York's State ofMind?'" The panel was moderated by Anthony Malkin, president ofW&M Properties, with panel members Pinsky, James Orr, assistantVP/Microeconomic and Regional Studies Function for Federal ReserveBank of New York, and David Levison, chairman & CEO of L&LHolding Co. LLC. The following "Town Hall Meeting: Outlook forLeasing Investment & Development in the New York City Market"crossed at a nexus of similar issues troubling the real estatemarket. The town hall was moderated by Carl Schwartz, partner,chair, RE Department, member of the executive committee at Herrick,Feinstein LLP. The town hall panelists were Robert Freedman,president and CEO of GVA Williams; Norman Sturner, principal atMurray Hill Properties; Michael Cohen, research strategist Property& Portfolio Search; and Kenneth Siegel, international directorat Jones Lang LaSalle Americas Inc.