The New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) has chosen Kinwood Partners, led by David Himmel, along with Douglaston Development to construct 590 housing units in the Meatpacking District as part of the Gansevoort Square project. The decision follows an EDC request for proposals (RFP) that encouraged but did not require inclusion of an “emerging developer.” According to the RFP, such a developer would have completed fewer than 10 projects in the past decade, each under 150 residential units and less than $30 million in cost.
Kinwood Partners is headed by David Himmel, a former chief operating officer at Jamestown and son of Leslie Wohlman Himmel, co-founder of Himmel & Meringoff Properties. Although Kinwood has not previously developed any projects, Himmel’s industry background fits the letter of the city’s criteria. This selection has raised concerns about whether the designation “emerging developer” achieves its intended purpose.
Alicia Glen, founder of MSquared and former deputy mayor for housing and economic development under Mayor Bill de Blasio, criticized the decision: “It makes a mockery of the whole thing.” She added, “As a former government official and a feminist, this is disgusting,” arguing that such classifications should help companies lacking access to resources needed for large-scale developments.
Another affordable housing developer who did not apply for the project commented anonymously: “This is the equivalent of Eric Trump leaving the family firm and forming a new company and calling it an emerging developer.” The developer suggested that these designations are meant to support those from underrepresented backgrounds or minority- or women-owned businesses.
Himmel established his firm earlier this year as David Himmel Development before renaming it Kinwood in October. It remains unclear if Kinwood was created specifically to pursue this project; however, its launch coincided with the application deadline.
Douglaston president Steven Charno defended the partnership: “David and Kinwood bring exactly what we need in partners for projects like Gansevoort Square,” citing Himmel’s experience at Jamestown and prior work in the neighborhood. “His expertise with local community organizations made our proposal stronger, and we’re excited about what we’re building together for New Yorkers.”
The selected site at Little West 12th Street and 10th Avenue was formerly home to Gansevoort Meat Market. The developers plan to set aside up to 55 percent of apartments as affordable housing. They do not intend to use city funds but will seek property tax relief through program 485x.
An EDC spokesperson stated: “The proposal not only meets but exceeds the number of permanently affordable homes targeted in the RFP as well as other critical criteria laid out from the very beginning — all without public subsidy. At a time when Manhattan needs more affordable housing, this proposal will deliver it and further cement Meatpacking as a vibrant economic and cultural corridor.”
The Gansevoort Square initiative forms part of broader redevelopment plans including expansion of cultural institutions like the Whitney Museum. The EDC estimates that overall redevelopment will generate approximately 3,700 construction jobs, create 160 permanent positions, and result in an economic impact of $1.1 billion.
Kinwood was brought onto Douglaston’s team partly because of Himmel’s familiarity with area projects such as Chelsea Market and Pier 57 during his time at Jamestown. Though Andrew Kimball—now head of EDC—also worked at Jamestown during some overlapping years with Himmel, there is no indication they collaborated directly.
While having an emerging developer on a bid could offer an advantage under RFP guidelines aimed at diversifying applicants, these goals are not mandatory; teams must show good faith efforts toward hiring minority- or women-owned businesses for at least 25 percent of project costs.
Kirk Goodrich from Monadnock Development said that generally speaking emerging developers should be individuals who have industry experience but lack institutional support or capital: “The perfect situation…is: an individual who has toiled in the world of development…who never really had family money or personal capital but has a solid knowledge base…”
He cautioned against selecting candidates lacking relevant experience entirely: “You also don’t want a situation where someone says they are a developer but have no ability to carry out core functions…”
Jamestown was previously described incorrectly as a REIT; it is actually a private firm.
