Lon Rubackin
Senior Vice President
Professional Experience
Associated Office
Lon Rubackin has developed and leased millions of square feet worth billions of dollars as a retailer, a developer/owner and as a broker. Lon’s most recent leasing assignments have included representing Vital Climbing Gym for their 45,000-sq.ft. climbing facility at Essex Crossing on the Lower East Side. Lon also represented the leasing and subsequent sale for Lend Lease & Victor Homes on the retail portion of their newly built, Rafael Viñoly designed, mixed-use project on 5th Avenue & 30th Street.
Other significant leasing assignments include representing The Kushner Companies in the purchase of the 250,000 sq. ft. retail condo in the former New York Times headquarters for $296 million. Simultaneously, Lon leased 60,000 sq. ft. to National Geographic and nearly 50,000 sq. ft. to Gulliver’s Gate, a new miniature world, entertainment attraction. As Bed Bath & Beyond’ s exclusive broker, Lon represented the tenant in the leasing of 120,000 sq. ft. in Brooklyn—the largest retail deal in the company’s history.
Prior to joining CBRE, Lon was Managing Partner and founder of the GFI Retail Group and spearheaded all facets of the day-to-day operations of the division. Lon also ran the GFI Realty Group and oversaw 18 brokers who averaged $800 million per annum in sales over the previous five years of operations.
Previously, Lon was Senior Vice President of Forest City Ratner for nearly 11 years. Among his many accomplishments was the acquisition and leasing of one of the largest and most unique properties in the entire New York metro area, Ridge Hill in Westchester, New York, a $1 billion mixed-use project. In addition, he oversaw leasing of Forest City’s four-million-square-foot portfolio, which included the 42nd Street project, and successfully completed deals with Dave & Buster’s, Ripley’s Believe it or Not, etc. Lon also served as Vice President of Retail Development for The Related Companies and worked for nearly 13 years on the retail side for Barnes & Noble as well as the regional electronics retailer, Nobody Beats the Wiz.
Team Overview
Retail Services
Our team offers a full range of integrated services for Retailers, Owners, Investors and Developers.
Learn MoreSpecializing in Retail Services in New York City and globally.
Our team goal is simple. We partner with our clients to understand their business objectives and create innovative ways to leverage our expertise and platform. As a truly global, full-service real estate services provider, we are uniquely qualified to handle every client request and to anticipate unarticulated needs, no matter how large or complex.
The visionary solutions we create are adding value for our clients and making quantifiable differences in their bottom line. Our global reach and capabilities allow us to serve a diverse group of retailers and retail property owners.
At the heart of the retail environment, lies the intersection of data and the consumer experience. Where information and analytics come together to reveal market trends. Where a deep understanding of consumer behavior informs the physical experience. Where ideas become actions that directly impact business success. At CBRE, we are passionate retail experts. We know how to leverage this powerful combination of data and consumer insight, therefore building true business advantage. We call this Retail Science.
