NEW YORK CITY-William Gottlieb Real Estate has formed a joint venture with Aurora Capital Associates to redevelop the adjoining properties at 9-19 Ninth Avenue -- home to the French bistro Pastis -- and 406 West 13th Street, in the heart of Manhattan’s Meatpacking District, according to the New York Post.

The buildings are part of the extensive Manhattan real estate holdings in the estate of William Gottlieb. The estate encompasses more than 100 buildings in Greenwich Village and the Meatpacking District, all of which are managed and leased by William Gottlieb Management Co., LLC, headed by Irving Bender and Neil Bender.

“We are honored that Irving and Neil chose our company to participate in the redevelopment of this amazing piece of real estate,” says Bobby Cayre, president of Aurora, in a statement. “Irving and Neil are great partners to have, and we are already working on other exciting opportunities together.  William Gottlieb Real Estate’s unparalleled downtown portfolio, acquisition foresight and extensive relationships throughout the city greatly complement Aurora.”

The contiguous buildings slated for redevelopment, which include a footprint of 18,000 square feet with 250 feet of wraparound frontage and a total of more than 100,000 square feet of air rights, “offer enormous potential as a flagship site for luxury retail brands and for a boutique hotel or office development,” said Aurora vice president Jared Epstein. He added, “Interest in this site, which is the epicenter of the Meatpacking District, has been remarkable, and we haven’t formally hit the market yet.”

As part of the joint venture, William Gottlieb Real Estate has made an investment in Aurora’s neighboring redevelopment at 21-27 Ninth Avenue, which features Sephora and Catch.

Neil Bender comments, “I am happy to be partnering with Aurora on these projects in the Meatpacking District and future projects throughout New York. Our combined development experience and retail expertise create a strong synergy between our firms, which will enhance our future success together.”