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FOCUS KEYPHRASE: Earle Altman, who spent decades at Helmsley Spear before founding ABS Partners Real Estate, died on May 1. He was 93.
Altman’s passing was disclosed in a release by the Young Men’s/Women’s Real Estate Association, an organization he once chaired. No cause of death was disclosed.
After graduating from high school — where he was a captain on the gridiron — Altman started as a messenger at Spear & Company while taking night classes at Baruch College. He was mentored by famed investor Alvin Schwartz and, after a tour with the Marines during the Korean War, returned to the newly-merged Helmsley Spear to work under Schwartz and Harry Helmsley.
Altman spent more than four decades at Helmsley Spear, ascending to a senior executive role, before founding ABS Partners alongside Daniel Burack, Peter Burack, Steven Hornstock and Gregg Schenker in 1999. Today, the real estate investment-focused firm’s portfolio spans 14 million square feet across 11 states.
The company’s portfolio includes the retail and office building at 200 Park Avenue South in Midtown Manhattan, a boutique office building at 145 East 57th Street in the Plaza District and a six-property retail set on Steinway Street in Astoria.
Altman oversaw acquisitions, sales, management, leasing and advisory groups before retiring from the firm.
Just last week, an ABS team including Hornstock and Schenker was honored with the Real Estate Board of New York’s top dealmaker award; they brokered the the $124.5 million sale of 1450 Third Avenue and 140,000 square feet of air rights to Jeffrey Levine’s Douglaston Development, New York’s first multifamily building to be split and partially demolished.
Major real estate figures paid tribute to Altman over the weekend. On LinkedIn, Savills senior managing director Bill Montana called Altman a “giant in NYC real estate,” adding, “he was a friend and mentor to literally thousands of people and a huge contributor to society with his time and his resources.”
Bob Knakal and Olympic Realty CEO David Schwartz also shared condolences online.
In addition to chairing and being an active lifelong member of YM/WREA, Altman served in philanthropic roles with Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center UJA-Federation of New York, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and REBNY.
Altman is survived by his wife Linda — who was by his bedside at his death after 67 years of marriage — his three daughters, eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren
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