Picket of Gotham Organization joins Common Ground board

According to Common Ground, one of New York City's largest supportive housing developer and managers, that David Picket, president of Gotham Organization, Inc., has joined its board of directors. Gotham Organization is a privately owned, family-run business spanning eight decades of work in New York City real estate and operates more than 2.8 million s/f of residential and retail properties. "I am thrilled to welcome David Picket to Common Ground's board of directors," said Brenda Rosen, executive director of Common Ground. "David and his family have a long and distinguished history in real estate, and he shares Common Ground's strong commitment to improving the lives of underserved New Yorkers." "The private development community has a critical role in the creation of much-needed affordable housing. At Gotham, David has overseen the creation of hundreds of affordable housing units in New York City, and I am very excited to welcome his unique set of skills and experience to the Board," said Jamie Rubin, president and chair of Common Ground's board of directors. "Common Ground's dedication to the people most at-risk is both inspiring and vital to the health of New York. Not only do they do great work for the city, but they also do it with a high level of professionalism and commitment, and for these reasons, I am proud to sit on the organization's board of directors," said Picket. Common Ground's relationship with Picket grew out of their work together at Gotham West, Gotham Organization's new 1,250-unit building in Midtown West. Common Ground led the marketing, leasing and compliance of the development's affordable housing component, a service this agency offers to real estate firms that build mixed used residences. Since joining the family business in 1991, Picket has overseen development for Gotham Organization's new projects through a period of unprecedented growth. Since 1998, he has led Gotham's development and property operations businesses, and under his astute direction, has greatly expanded Gotham's real estate portfolio, with the development of over 4,000 housing units, and two major urban retail centers in the Northeast. Mr. Picket was the first developer to capitalize on the resurgence of the multi-family housing market in New York in the mid-1990s and to recognize the untapped potential of the Midtown West neighborhood. The result has been several award-winning properties, including Nicole, Atlas New York, The Foundry, New Gotham and The Corner. Most recently, Gotham Organization completed Gotham West, a 1,250 unit development on 11th Avenue and 45th St. in the heart of Hell's Kitchen. With the opening of this new rental building, Picket has also introduced Gotham West Market, a first-of-its-kind market on the ground floor of Gotham West, creating a premiere dining destination for residents and neighbors alike. Picket sits on the boards of a variety of institutions including the College of Arts and Sciences Advisory Board at Cornell University, his alma mater. He serves as co-chairman of the board of overseers for Mount Sinai Beth Israel, Mount Sinai St. Luke's and Mount Sinai Roosevelt and also serves as a director of the owners & builders division at the Real Estate Board of New York. Picket is a member of the board of directors for the Garment District BID and the board of Citizens Housing and Planning Council. In 2011, he was honored by the UJA Federation of New York and in 2007, received the Tree of Life Award from the Jewish National Fund.