B2K Development Chairman Honored by Association for a Better Long Island, Inc.
Jan Burman Receives Lifetime Achievement Award
The Association for a Better Long Island, Inc. (ABLI), a respected thought leader and advocate for responsible economic growth for Long Island and its future, has awarded B2K Development Chairman Jan Burman with its coveted Lifetime Achievement Award.
The 27th Annual Long Island Real Estate Dinner, hosted by ABLI and the Commercial Industrial Brokers Society of Long Island (CIBS) took place on Tuesday, June 11th at The Heritage Club at Bethpage State Park. The much-anticipated annual Real Estate Dinner celebrated the past year of major real estate investments and development throughout Nassau and Suffolk Counties.
Accepting the Lifetime Achievement award, Jan Burman, Past President of ABLI, addressed the leading and largest developers, brokers, financiers, legal experts, elected officials, and other influential individuals whoa re part of the real estate community. He spoke of his more than 45 years of real estate investment and development experience, stemming from humble beginnings.
“Born and raised in Syracuse, my father owned a small ladies clothing store. Growing up, I started working in his store when I was ten years old, arriving after school, on weekends and summers. It was expected that I would go into business with him… While I will always be grateful to my Dad for instilling within me a tireless work ethic – running a ladies clothing store was not my career vision.”
Burman studied accounting at Syracuse University before returning for an MBA and becoming a CPA. His career in real estate began in 1978, when working for the tax department of the accounting firm Touche Ross, where Burman was known as The Undertaker. “Our business was to buy old, underutilized industrial buildings and then subdivide them into multi-tenanted buildings. Our portfolio grew to almost five million square feet stretching from Eastern Queens to Yaphank.”
A significant turning point for Burman was when his career shifted from an industrial focus to building homes. “My first housing project was 440 units in East Meadow. It was very successful, so I made an offer to buy an adjacent property. That night, I received a call from Steven Krieger. He said he was working with someone named Sydney Engel and they wanted to meet with me to consider a joint venture.”
Burman continued, “On that property, we built a 280-bed SNF, an adjacent condominium and three additional acres. That three-acre site became the location of the first of our assisted living communities, The Bristal at East Meadow. It filled so quickly, we build another in Westbury, a third in North Hills, and within six years opened five communities of The Bristal on Long Island.”
The Bristal Assisted Living communities would expand over time into Westchester, New Jersey, and Manhattan, and there are currently 26 independent living, assisted living, and memory care communities throughout New York and New Jersey.
B2K Development, under Burman’s leadership, has over ten million square feet in its diversified portfolio, consisting of residential, commercial, senior living, and healthcare properties.
“All of this would not be possible without a number of extraordinary people in my life. My beautiful wife and number one cheerleader, Renee, my partners Steven Krieger, David Burman, Jonathan Weiss, and the thousands of B2K Development and Ultimate Care employees that work so hard every day. This award would not be possible without them… On behalf of my family, my partners, and my colleagues, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for this extraordinary honor.”