NEW YORK CITY-Optimism filled the halls of the New York Hilton as the city’s top brokers, developers and officials celebrated the Real Estate Board of New York’s 116th Annual Banquet. More than 2,000 people attended the event inside the Mercury Ballroom on Thursday evening.

“I think the turnout has been a great one,” said CBRE's CEO of the New York Tri-State Region and REBNY chairman Mary Ann Tighe, welcoming the crowd. The banquet featured speakers and award-winners with positive outlooks for the year to come.

“On the federal level, we are going to work hard to get more federal investment and change rules to get more investors into New York’s real estate market,” said US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). “We’re going to push to create economic growth.”

Honoring his service to the city and the real estate industry, Howard J. Rubenstein, president of Rubenstein Associates, Inc., received the Harry B. Helmsley Distinguished New Yorker Award. Rubenstein, who has presided over the agency which bears his name, founded the public relations firm in 1954—and has grown it to become one of the largest in the nation.

“I could give a long list of Howard’s contributions to the city and real estate organizations, but I want to say REBNY is proud to honor all he does for our industry,” Tighe said. “He greatly loves this city and shows it everyday in what he does.”

Taking the Bernard H. Mendik Lifetime Leadership in Real Estate Award was Douglas Durst, president of New York real estate dynasty the Durst Organization. “There could be no doubt that Douglas has met the standard,” Tighe said. “Today, Douglas leads one of the great real estate companies in the history of this city. He is also a tireless philanthropist. It is an honor to give him this award.”

Durst, the chairman and a member of the third generation to lead the family business, assumed role of president of the company in 1992. In addition to overseeing the family’s 13-million-square-foot portfolio, Durst is a director of REBNY, the Graduate Center of City University Foundation, the New School, the Trust for Public Land and the Project for Public Spaces. He is also the co-chair of Friends of the Hudson River Park.

Durst said his father, Seymour, spoke at the event nearly 20 years ago. “This is a great honor for me.”

Check out more photos from the event below: