Izak Senbahar

Izak Senbahar
Born	March 21, 1959 Istanbul, Turkey
Residence	New York City, New York
Nationality	United States
Ethnicity	Jewish
Occupation	real estate developer
Spouse(s)	Sarah Senbahar (née Genske)
Children	Alexi Senbahar Oliver Senbahar

Izak Senbahar (born March 21, 1959, in Istanbul, Turkey) is an entrepreneur, hotelier, and real estate developer known for his deep commitment to world-class architecture and design. He is president of Alexico Group LLC, which is recognized as a leader in luxury residential and hotel development.^[1] According to The Real Deal magazine, the combined value of the company’s projects in 2014 was approximately $2 billion.^[2]

Early life and education

Born to a Jewish family,^[3] the son of Fani and Sabatay Senbahar,^[4] Senbahar studied at the French Lycée in Istanbul (Lycée français Pierre-Loti) and moved to the United States in 1977 to attend the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., earning a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in 1981. He then attended New York University, receiving a master's degree in international finance in 1983.

Career

Before entering real estate, Senbahar worked as a precious metals trader at the New York City offices of Groupe Sucre et Denrées (SUCDEN), a French commodities broker.^[5] In the mid-1980s, he joined Kiska, a Turkish construction firm, to help the company establish itself in the New York real estate market.^[6] With Kiska, Senbahar oversaw the development of various properties including 353 Central Park West, a 19-story luxury condominium building.^[7] Subsequently, he partnered with Steven Elghanayan to develop the Elektra, a 32-story condominium in New York City’s Gramercy Park neighborhood; the building, completed in 1992, was later sold to Beth Israel Medical Center (now Mount Sinai Beth Israel).^[8] In 1993, Senbahar formed Alexico Group and joint ventured with Simon Elias to develop a number of high-profile projects designed by internationally acclaimed architects and designers.

Selected projects

• The Grand Beekman, 2003. This 89-unit luxury condominium at 400 East 51st Street was designed by Costas Kondylis & Partners.
• 165 Charles Street, 2004. Designed by Pritzker Prize–winning architect Richard Meier, this 16-story glass tower in Manhattan’s West Village neighborhood won the Housing Design Award from the American Institute of Architects New York chapter.^[9] The building is regarded as a pioneer in the evolution of significant and daring architecture in new luxury residential buildings in New York City.
• The Laurel, 2008. At 400 East 67th Street, this 129-unit condominium was designed by Costas Kondylis & Partners with interiors by Brian Callahan.
• The Mark. Originally built in 1927, this Art Deco building at 25 East 77th Street houses a mix of hotel rooms/suites and cooperative apartments, a Frédéric Fekkai salon, a Jean-Georges restaurant, and a John Lobb shoe kiosk. Its reimagined interiors are by internationally acclaimed designer Jacques Grange, known for his commissions for Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino, and Princess Caroline of Monaco. Many other designers and artists—including Eric Schmitt, Mattia Bonetti, Ron Arad, Guy de Rougement, Karl Lagerfeld, Todd Eberle, Patrice Dangel, Vladimir Kagan, Piero Lissoni, and Paul Mathieu—contributed to the project.^[10]
• 56 Leonard, scheduled for completion in 2015. Designed by the Pritzker Prize–winning Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron, this 60-story condominium tower will stand 821 feet high and be the tallest building in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood. Its cantilevered floors, extending outward from a central axis, give the building a jagged appearance. A sculpture by Anish Kapoor will stand at the building’s base. The sales office for the project, designed by Shelton, Mindel & Associates, won a professional design award from the Society of American Registered Architects.^[11] In an interview with Fox Business, Senbahar stated that at 56 Leonard, Alexico sold $700 million worth of residences in 10 weeks.^[12]

Personal life

He is married to Sarah Genske;^[13] they have two children, Alexi and Oliver.^[14] In an interview with The Real Deal magazine, Senbahar said that he enjoys “drumming, percussion and bongos.”^[15] On January 1, 2014, The New York Post reported that at a New Year’s Eve party the night before, “Paul McCartney brought the house down by spontaneously jumping on stage to sing Wings’ tune ‘Goodnight Tonight’ and luxury developer Izak Senbahar accompanied him on bongos.”^[16] A self-described perfectionist, Senbahar stated in a New York Times interview, “I am working on many things in my personality—by the time I expire, I’ll be perfect.”^[17]

References

1. AboutMe.com, Mann Report, “Committed to Building Remarkable Urban Homes.”
2. Katherine Clarke, “Izak Senbahar,” The Real Deal. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
3. Haaretz: "Manhattan transfer - Joining the burgeoning wave of construction in the Big Apple these days are Israeli-born real-estate moguls, who are investing billions of dollars in high-profile structures of every stripe" By Haim Handwerker June 2, 2005 |"After that, he joined forces with Izak Senbahar, also Jew of Iraqi origin"
4. New York Times: "Paid Notice: Deaths - SENBAHAR, SABATAY July 26, 2011
5. About Me. “Izak Senbahar.” Retrieved November 16, 2014.
6. Gawker, “Izak Senbahar.” Retrieved November 16, 2014.
7. Gawker. “Izak Senbahar.” Retrieved November 16, 2014.
8. Gawker. “Izak Senbahar.” Retrieved November 16, 2014.
9. American Institute of Architects. “AIA New York Chapter 2005 Housing Design Award Winners.” Retrieved December 1, 2014.
10. “The Mark Hotel, So Glam!” Quest magazine, August 28, 2014. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
11. Shelton, Mindel & Associates, Awards page. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
12. “$100 million Homes,” Fox Business, May 10, 2013. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
13. New York Times: "Paid Notice: Deaths GENSKE, WILLIAM BACKMAN" July 18, 2004
14. The Real Deal: "The Closing with Izak Senbahar" by Katherine Clarke March 01, 2013
15. Katherine Clarke, “Izak Senbahar,” The Real Deal. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
16. Page Six Team, "Newly Single Madge Parties in Paradise to Ring in 2014," The New York Post, January 1, 2014. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
17. Vivian Marino, “The 30-Minute Interview: Izak Senbahar,” The New York Times, April 16, 2013 Retrieved November 25, 2014