PHILADELPHIA – May 19, 2021 – Ensemble Real Estate Investments and Mosaic Development Partners (Ensemble/Mosaic) today announced that Serge Nalbantian has joined the joint venture as Vice President of Development & Construction. He will manage the development of projects across the partnership’s 109 acres at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.
“Serge is a commercial real estate veteran of great reputation and achievements, and we are excited to have him join our growing and talented Philadelphia team,” said Brian Cohen, Senior Vice President and Regional Director. “His experience leading iconic mixed-use projects and knowledge of development in the City of Philadelphia will be tremendous assets in executing our ambitious development plans at the Navy Yard.”
Nalbantian comes to Ensemble/Mosaic from The Goldenberg Group, where, as Senior Vice President, Development Director he led the planning and design efforts of a 1.6 million square foot multi-family and hospitality project in Center City Philadelphia.
Previously, Nalbantian worked at Liberty Property Trust (now Prologis) in Philadelphia where he first collaborated with Cohen and Mark Seltzer, Senior Vice President of Development for Ensemble. While at Liberty, Serge was first a Development Director on the Comcast Center and then a Vice President of Development on the Comcast Technology Center, where he directed the development of the 60-story, 1.8 million square foot LEED Platinum tower, which includes a 217-room Four Seasons Hotel and local broadcast television studios for NBC and Telemundo.
In between working on Comcast Center and the Comcast Technology Center Serge worked with Eagle Hills Jordan in Amman, Jordan, developing a resort complex comprised of four 5-star hotels, 750 residential units, a conference center and retail amenities on the Red Sea; and Mubadala Development Company in Abu Dhabi, UAE, responsible for the Mina Zayed Waterfront Development.
“Serge’s ability to assemble, motivate, and manage diverse and multidisciplinary teams to execute complex projects from inception through occupancy are a perfect fit for Ensemble and Mosaic’s ambitions for the Navy Yard.” Said Cohen. “He is creative, solution focused, and adept at delivering design excellence within the confines of a project’s budgetary constraints.”
Nalbantian transitioned to development after a successful career in architecture, where he held leadership positions on the design and execution of large-scale civic projects. He has also served as an Adjunct Professor of Design at Drexel and Temple Universities.
Nalbantian earned a Master of Architecture from Syracuse University’s Florence, Italy campus and a Bachelor of Architecture from Drexel University. He holds certification from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards and is a Registered Architect in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. He is currently Vice Chair of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
Kennedy and McLaurin Join Team
Nalbantian will lead the growing Ensemble/Mosaic project team which has also added two experienced Project Managers. Both Project Managers will work on the development of the Navy Yard’s new residential, life science and hospitality projects, managing the design and construction process, consultants, and contracts.
Jewelle Kennedy has transferred to Philadelphia from Ensemble’s Long Beach office where she has served in similar roles on several multi-family projects for Ensemble. She joined Ensemble from AvalonBay Communities, a multi-family REIT. Kennedy earned Bachelor of Science in real estate from Georgia State University and a Master of Science degree in real estate development from Columbia University, and is a member of the Urban Land Institute and is an associate member of CREW: Commercial Real Estate for Women.
Krystal McLaurin comes to Mosaic from Palace Builders LLC, a general contracting company headquartered in Aston, PA where she served as a project manager on residential, commercial and medical office construction projects. She began her career at McKissack & McKissack, a leading African American, female owned construction management firm in Philadelphia before moving to Texas to work on several real estate projects as an owner’s representative. She earned a Bachelor of Science in marketing from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Master of Science in construction project management from Northeastern University. She resides in Philadelphia.
“The expansion of the project team through the addition of these two accomplished African-American young women brings us one step closer to delivering on our vision and advancing our robust diversity initiative at the Navy Yard,” said Leslie Smallwood-Lewis, Co-Founder and Owner of Mosaic Development Partners. “We are excited to welcome them.”
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About Ensemble Real Estate Investments
Over the past 40 years, Ensemble has successfully invested and developed more than $2 billion in real estate across the United States, offering state-of-the-art property solutions in the healthcare/life science, hospitality, commercial, multi-family and mixed-use sectors. A widely respected leader in its industry, Ensemble has revolutionized the art of master planning, delivering iconic and strategically engineered facilities and beautifully preserved historic buildings—all designed to transform and inspire the communities they serve. Headquartered in Long Beach, California, Ensemble has offices in Philadelphia, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Reno. For more information, visit www.ensemble.net.
About Mosaic Development Partners
Mosaic Development Partners is a Philadelphia based, minority-certified commercial real estate development and project management company founded in 2008. Mosaic primarily focuses on ground up development and adaptive reuse of commercial properties in underserved urban communities. The company has successfully used viable, but complicated finance instruments (largely in the form of local, state, and federal loans and tax credits) to help stabilize and grow neighborhoods and create jobs. By partnering with municipalities, established developers, not-for-profit organizations and government entities, Mosaic has leveraged its investments and revitalized properties in struggling or stagnated communities. Since 2012, Mosaic and its partners have secured and invested more than $120 million in Philadelphia neighborhoods, resulting in hundreds of construction and full-time jobs, eliminating blight, and spurring additional investment in those communities. To learn more about Mosaic, visit www.mosaicdp.com.
About the Navy Yard
The Navy Yard is a growing community of nearly 15,000 employees and 170 employers who occupy 7.5 million square feet across a mix of property types, including office, retail, industrial, R&D, and institutional. Employers include the Urban Outfitters headquarters; GSK’s North American headquarters; Jefferson Health; life science companies such as Wuxi, Iovance, and Adaptimmune; manufacturers; corporate R&D, such as Axalta’s Global Innovation Center; critical U.S. Navy engineering centers; technology startups; and a graduate engineering, business, and research campus for Penn State University. In addition to its proximity to a large, diverse talent pool; airport and highway access; and the ability to create customizable workplaces, the Navy Yard offers community members a range of amenities including restaurants and cafes, a riverfront greenway, free shuttle access, bikeshare, and over 20 acres of open green space. The Navy Yard is a collaborative community with curated food trucks, health and wellness programs, rotating public art installations by local and international artists, and hosts a variety of food, fitness, and philanthropic events in its parks. For more information about the Navy Yard, visit www.navyyard.org and follow us on Twitter @NavyYardPhila.
