Ailanthus

What Ailanthus does

Ailanthus is a New York City-based real estate development firm specializing in public-private partnerships for affordable and mixed-income housing, concentrated in Brooklyn neighborhoods including Bedford-Stuyvesant, Sunset Park, and East New York. The firm identifies complex urban sites capable of supporting 150 or more housing units, navigates rezoning and public review processes, aligns community stakeholders and government agencies, and assembles institutional development, construction, and capital partners to move projects from sourcing through completion. Its current pipeline includes Atlantic BK (456 units, 30% affordable), One Sunset (187 units, 25% affordable), Herkimer-Williams Phase 1 (245 units, 100% affordable), and Herkimer-Williams Phase 2 (354 units, 100% affordable), with a publicly stated five-year goal of 10,000 new housing units.

The company operates a project-based development model. Revenue is generated through real estate development fees, property sales, and long-term ownership of residential properties, with affordable units priced per NYC affordable housing guidelines and market-rate units at prevailing market rates. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales — Ailanthus engages landowners, capital providers (Wells Fargo, Ares, JP Morgan Chase, Canyon Capital, BEB Capital), co-developers (Douglaston, SK Development, Gotham), general contractors (Levine Builders, Monadnock Construction), and architecture partners (dencityworks, Handel, WXY) on a project-by-project basis. Marketing is largely via earned media and a corporate web presence, while distribution to end-users flows through NYC housing lotteries for affordable units and standard leasing/sales channels for market-rate units. The firm is structured as Ailanthus BK LLC, is privately held, and is led by three principals (Ofer Cohen, Vivian Liao, Tucker Reed) supported by a small functional team including a Director of Development and a Director of Capital Markets.

Name

Ailanthus

Legal name

Ailanthus BK LLC

Website

https://ailanthus.co

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ailanthus is a New York City-based real estate development firm that uses public-private partnerships to deliver affordable and mixed-income housing in Brooklyn, with a ~3,000-unit current pipeline and a stated five-year goal of 10,000 new housing units.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Real Estate Development

NAICS

Land Subdivision (23721)

SIC

Land Subdividers & Developers (No Cemeteries) (6552), Operative Builders (1531)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Land Development & Subdivision Homebuilding (Build-to-Sell Communities) (IMAFABAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Spec Home / Production Homebuilding (Tract & Volume Builders) (IMAFABAD), Urban Renewal, Brownfield Redevelopment & Land Reuse (BPAIANAI)

Keywords

• Affordable housing development
• Mixed-income housing
• Public-private partnerships
• Urban real estate development
• Brooklyn housing projects

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Development and Property Revenue: Revenue generated through real estate development fees, property sales, and long-term ownership of residential properties. Projects combine affordable units (mandated affordable housing components) with market-rate units to create mixed-income developments.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Ailanthus is a private real estate development company that identifies complex urban sites in New York City (primarily Brooklyn), navigates public review and rezoning processes, aligns community stakeholders and government agencies, and partners with institutional capital providers to develop affordable and mixed-income housing projects. Its pipeline includes projects in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Sunset Park, and East New York, totaling approximately 3,000 housing units with a mix of permanently affordable, workforce, and market-rate residences.

Product overview

Ailanthus is an affordable and mixed-income housing development company operating in New York City, with a portfolio of residential housing projects. The company develops housing projects across Brooklyn neighborhoods, including Bedford-Stuyvesant, Sunset Park, and East New York. Their current pipeline totals approximately 3,000 units across multiple developments. The company offers a portfolio of named housing projects including Atlantic BK (456 units, 30% affordable), One Sunset (187 units, 25% affordable), Herkimer-Williams Phase 1 (245 units, 100% affordable), and Herkimer-Williams Phase 2 (354 units, 100% affordable). These projects are delivered through public-private development partnerships, combining market-rate and affordable housing components.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Atlantic BK A 456-unit, 474,000 SF mixed-income housing development at 1057 Atlantic Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, including 137 permanently affordable homes (30% of units), one-, two-, and three-bedroom residences, and ground-floor retail space, delivered through a public-private partnership with Douglaston Development, BEB Capital, Levine Builders, Wells Fargo, and Ares Capital.
• One Sunset A 187-unit, 193,000 SF mixed-income housing development at 201 25th Street in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, including 48 permanently affordable homes at an average of 50% AMI, plus New York City's first indoor bike storage hub delivered in partnership with Oonee.
• Herkimer-Williams: Phase 1 A 245-unit, 186,000 SF 100% affordable housing development at 45 Van Sinderen Avenue in East New York, Brooklyn, including a Green Economy Institute and new publicly accessible open space.
• Herkimer-Williams: Phase 2 A 354-unit, 250,000 SF 100% affordable housing development at 2488 Fulton Street in East New York, Brooklyn, expanding the firm's Broadway Junction affordable housing pipeline to nearly 1,000 units.

Quantifiable outcome

• Expanded affordable housing supply by more than 50% since 2014 in Bedford-Stuyvesant through Atlantic BK project
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Douglaston DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopment collaborator on Atlantic BK project at 1057 Atlantic Avenue, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. 456-unit mixed-income development.
• Levine BuilderscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGeneral contractor for Atlantic BK project. Executed construction of the 474,000 SF development.
• dencityworks | architecturecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitecture firm for Atlantic BK project.
• SK DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopment collaborator on One Sunset project at 201 25th Street, Sunset Park, Brooklyn. 187-unit mixed-income development.
• CMAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopment partner on One Sunset project.
• OoneeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMicromobility company partnership to deliver New York City's first indoor bike storage hub at the One Sunset development.
• Fifth Avenue CommitteeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization partner that worked with Ailanthus on the One Sunset rezoning process.
• GothamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopment partner on Herkimer-Williams Phase 1 project at 45 Van Sinderen Ave, East New York. 245-unit 100% affordable housing development.
• Monadnock ConstructioncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConstruction partner for Herkimer-Williams Phase 1 development.
• HandelcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitecture/design partner for Herkimer-Williams Phase 1.
• WXYcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitecture/urban planning firm for Herkimer-Williams Phase 1.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Douglaston Development: NYC residential developer and current Ailanthus co-development partner on Atlantic BK. Operates across the same Brooklyn and NYC neighborhoods with mixed-income, market-rate, and condo projects of comparable scale.
• Two Trees Management: Brooklyn-based residential developer known for large, mixed-income waterfront and neighborhood-scale projects (e.g., Domino, Industry City). Directly comparable geography and scale of master-planned Brooklyn developments.
• SK Development: NYC residential developer and current Ailanthus co-development partner on One Sunset in Sunset Park. Directly comparable project profile (mid-rise mixed-income multifamily in outer-borough NYC).
• BRP Companies: NYC affordable and mixed-income multifamily developer active across Brooklyn and the Bronx. Directly comparable product type, target renter segments, and reliance on NYC HPD/HDC financing programs.
• Phipps Houses: Non-profit NYC affordable and supportive housing developer with a deep Brooklyn portfolio. Closely comparable operating model focused on low- and moderate-income renters and the same NYC housing-agency ecosystem.
• Jonathan Rose Companies: Mission-driven multifamily developer of affordable, mixed-income, and market-rate housing in NYC and other urban markets. Closely comparable product mix and emphasis on public-private partnerships.
• Gotham: NYC affordable and supportive housing developer partnering with Ailanthus on Herkimer-Williams Phase 1. Operates in the same 100% affordable, deeply subsidized end of the NYC market.
• L+M Development Partners: NYC-focused affordable and mixed-income housing developer with a deep public-private partnership track record and portfolio across the five boroughs. Directly comparable mission, customer base (low- and moderate-income residents), and reliance on city and state subsidy programs.

Broad incumbents

• Taconic Investment Partners: Larger, established NYC real estate investor and developer active across residential, office, and mixed-use. Broader portfolio than Ailanthus but comparable Brooklyn/NYC operating footprint and institutional capital relationships.
• Related Companies: National, large-scale developer of mixed-income, affordable, and market-rate housing including major NYC projects (e.g., Hudson Yards, Related Affordable). Operates as a broad incumbent in the same urban housing space.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ailanthusbk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ailanthus