Arik Kislin
Entrepreneur

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Arik Kislin has had many successes in his life, but one of the most important projects that he has worked with has been Gansevoort Hotel. This hotel began the foundation of an attempt to revitalize New York City's Meatpacking District. Contrary to what some real estate developers believed, Kislin and his partners, the Achenbaum family, were able to develop their project into a space that encouraged other businesses and tourists to visit the area.

The project actually began in the early 1990s when Kislin was working for a real estate development firm that operated 3.6 million square feet of prime...[more]

Arik Kislin has had many successes in his life, but one of the most important projects that he has worked with has been Gansevoort Hotel. This hotel began the foundation of an attempt to revitalize New York City's Meatpacking District. Contrary to what some real estate developers believed, Kislin and his partners, the Achenbaum family, were able to develop their project into a space that encouraged other businesses and tourists to visit the area.

The project actually began in the early 1990s when Kislin was working for a real estate development firm that operated 3.6 million square feet of prime property in New York City. While there was certainly money to be made on safe bets in well established neighborhoods, Kislin and his partners looked to the Meatpacking District. The property value was low and showed little sign of improvement without substantial effort. This kept many developers away. They felt the neighborhood was lost and could not be used to generate a profit. Kislin saw things differently.

Kislin and his fellow entrepreneurs finished the Chelsea Market Complex shortly after looking to the Meatpacking District for inspiration. The 1.5 million square foot space housed numerous retail stores that attracted new shoppers to the area. Contrary to the fears of other developers, people really did come to the complex to check out the new shopping opportunities.

The Chelsea Market Complex was an important step towards revitalizing the Meatpacking District, but it was not going to do the job on its own. Affluent people did not tend to spend much time in the area. Kislin and the Achenbaum family conjectured that more people with disposable income could be attracted to the neighborhood if they were given a luxurious hotel to stay in.

They therefore started building the Gansevoort Hotel. True to their dreams, the hotel really did attract more affluent people, not only tourists and New Yorkers who wanted to see the newly revitalized area of town, but also famous fashion designers since the neighborhood was quickly becoming a Mecca of the fashion industry.

The Meatpacking District soon developed into the vibrant neighborhood that it is today with many boutiques, retail stores, galleries, and nightspots.

Kislin did not build this success out of nowhere. He had several experiences before creating the Gansevoort Hotel Group. He invested in a charter plane management company called Air Rutter that was struggling to keep up in the difficult aviation industry despite several wise decisions that had kept them in business. With Kislin's financial assistance and advice, the company soon built a hangar that housed a fleet of aircraft, a maintenance and fueling facility, and a headquarters at Long Beach International Airport.

Today, Kislin spends much of his time fulfilling his duties as principal for Linx Industries, a firm that specializes in diversified investment strategies. He also enjoys playing baseball and watching games. He, his wife, and two children also enjoy sports [less]