Founded in 1901, the LeFrak Organization owns an extensive portfolio of real property concentrated in the New York, Los Angeles, and London metropolitan areas. The company focuses primarily on the residential and office sectors and also owns significant hotel and retail assets.
Recognized as one of the world’s leading building firms, the LeFrak Organization has developed and built a majority of its owned portfolio. The firm continues to maintain internal development and construction management capabilities. The LeFrak Organization has been acclaimed internationally for responsible community development and sensitivity to environmental sustainability. The LeFrak name has become synonymous with excellence in design, construction, engineering and urban planning.
In the 1960’s the LeFrak Organization undertook one of its largest challenges when it developed and built LeFrak City, a community of 5,000 apartments on 42 acres adjacent to Forest Hills, Queens.
In the early 1980’s, the Organization was also the initial developer of the 92-acre Battery Park City, in Manhattan, constructing the first 1,700 luxury apartments, known as Gateway.
Since the late 1980’s, the LeFrak Organization has been developing and building Newport, the largest new waterfront community in the United States. Situated on four hundred acres of land facing Manhattan and New York Harbor from the Jersey City bank of the Hudson River, Newport is just one subway stop away. Newport’s development is consistent with the company’s traditional focus of building and holding for long term ownership high quality residential and office towers as well as associated hotel and retail properties. Newport offers incredible views of Manhattan and a full compliment of on-site amenities. To date more than 14-million square feet has been completed, which houses more than 5,000 families, provides offices for more than 20,000 employees and offers shopping facilities for more than 2 million annual visitors.
Since 2000, the firm has expanded geographically to Los Angeles and London. It has acquired assets including office buildings and development sites in Los Angeles, located in the prestigious Beverly Hills Triangle and in Hollywood on Hollywood Blvd. In addition, the Organization has also acquired assets and established strategic partnerships in London. As the firm’s geography has expanded, it has extended its principles and strategy of quality and luxury to new markets and customers.
In addition to its extensive real property activities, the LeFrak Organization has been a significant energy investor since the 1970’s. The company has originated and drilled a significant number of on-shore oil and gas wells in the continental United States. The firm also sponsors the activities of several geologists to generate new prospects, participates as a working interest owner/partner in prospects originated by peer oil and gas firms, and acquires working interests and minerals interests in producing energy properties. The firm has recently invested in wind energy generation.
Since the 1980’s, the LeFrak Organization has been an active investor in fixed income and equity securities as well as currencies and commodities. Additionally, the firm has provided strategic capital to entrepreneurs and specific strategic private investments, consistent with its principles.
Founded by Harry LeFrak in 1901, the company continued to expand rapidly under the leadership of his only son, Samuel J. LeFrak, who worked at the firm from 1948-2003, and the leadership of his grandson Richard S. LeFrak, who is currently the firm’s Chairman, President and C.E.O. With his two sons Harrison and James LeFrak, Managing Directors, Richard S. LeFrak continues to lead the LeFrak Organization as a privately held company faithful to the principles of integrity, quality and luxury established by his forbearers.