Robert Sonnenblick Speaker at 2nd Annual Crowdfunding Forum for Real Estate Sept 16-17 2015 Santa Monica, CA
BOB SONNENBLICK
Chairman
Sonnenblick Development, LLC
Mr. Robert Sonnenblick, Principal of Sonnenblick Development, LLC, is a graduate of the Wharton School of Finance of the University of Pennsylvania with more than 30 years of experience in various aspects of real estate development and real estate finance. From 1981 to 1991 Mr. Sonnenblick was the driving force and power behind Sonnenblick-Goldman Corporation of California. Mr. Sonnenblick completed over $1.5 Billion of commercial real estate transactions on the West Coast, and as a result is regarded as one of the West Coast’s leaders in the field of commercial real estate finance. Among the more notable projects for which Mr. Sonnenblick personally structured the financing for are The Beaudry Center, Los Angeles, California ($197 million), the Ritz Carlton Hotel, Pasadena, California ($97 million), One Waterfront Plaza, Honolulu, Hawaii ($100 million), and the Los Angeles World Trade Center, Los Angeles, California ($55 million).
In 1991 Mr. Sonnenblick was appointed Director of Development for the New Jersey and L.A. MetroMalls, with the responsibility for oversight and direction of the design, financing, and leasing programs for two proposed $250 million enclosed regional malls totaling 1.2 million square feet each. Mr. Sonnenblick personally oversaw more than 1 million square feet of leases in connection with this position as well as arranging the necessary debt and equity financing. The New Jersey project opened to one of the strongest starts in the history of the United States mall industry. It is now re-named Jersey Gardens Outlet Mall.
In addition, Mr. Sonnenblick was an original development partner of the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel. This 360-room, $90 million hotel was sold for $125 million.
Prior to forming Sonnenblick Development LLC, Mr. Sonnenblick was the senior partner in a Los Angeles-based real estate development firm (Sonnenblick Del Rio Development) which specialized in P-3 public-private partnerships, specifically the development of four government leased office buildings across the Los Angeles basin. During his tenure there as Chairman, Mr. Sonnenblick successfully developed nearly 1 million square feet of government-leased buildings, occupied by such tenants as U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services, The Small Business Administration (SBA), the LA County Mental Health Dept, The Social Security Administration, and Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services.
Mr. Sonnenblick is a frequent speaker and panelist at various real estate-related functions, such as those hosted by Deloitte Touche, ICSC, Value Retail News, Bloomberg News, Crittenden Conference Co., USC Real Estate, UCLA Real Estate, IMN Real Estate Conferences, Bisnow Media, Opal Conference Group, iGlobal Forum, and the Institute for International Research. Mr. Sonnenblick is a published author on subjects ranging from commercial architecture to general real estate market conditions. In addition to Mr. Sonnenblick’s expertise in development, finance, and joint ventures, Mr. Sonnenblick has also been certified as an expert witness in the areas of real estate bankruptcy/foreclosure and finance. Mr. Sonnenblick is a qualified expert witness on the topic of Commercial Real Estate Interest Rates and Finance for the United States Federal Court System in numerous different jurisdictions across the State of Calif, Nevada, and Arizona.
