NewMark Merrill COMPANIES
Allen Ginsborg Memoriam
NewMark Merrill Companies, Inc. Announces the Passing of
Woodland Hills, CA. (July 14th, 2020) – NewMark Merrill Companies, Inc. announced that Allen Ginsborg, Chairman & Cofounder of NewMark Merrill Mountain States Division, has passed away at the age of 59. Allen is survived by his wife Jeanne, sons Josh, Jake, Joey and daughter, Jackie.
Sandy Sigal, Chief Executive Officer, Danaria McCoy, Vice President of Operations & Marketing, NewMark Merrill Mountain States, and the entire NewMark Merrill Team issued the following statement:
It is with heartbreak and sadness that we share the passing of our principal and cofounder, Allen Ginsborg. As many in our community experienced directly, Allen was kind, generous, a pioneering shopping center developer, a wise teacher and most definitively a man who loved his friends and beautiful family with a steadfast dedication that inspired us all.
Sigal shared, “Allen was much more than a friend or businessman. He was a force of nature, a solid rock who wanted to be judged on how he lived his life and on his impact to the community. Over 33 years ago I met him and he immediately became one of my closest friends. We went through triumph and tragedy together and I watched and learned from how he treated each. His faith in me gave me more faith in myself, and I, like so many others, depended on his wise words and gentle encouragement. When I walked into a room as a young real estate entrepreneur who was still finding my way, saying I knew Allen Ginsborg and I was associated with him gave me much more credibility then I deserved, but was a tribute to what he meant to everyone who knew him. Allen was the one who convinced me I could start my own business, he was the one who introduced me to my partner Brad Pearl, and along with Jim Patton we started NewMark Merrill Companies. He gave many the confidence to do things they themselves didn’t believe they could do.”
In April 2008, Ginsborg and Sigal founded NewMark Merrill Mountain States to develop and acquire shopping centers in Colorado. Since that time the Company acquired, developed and managed more than two million square feet of retail space throughout the state. One of his proudest achievements was the acquisition of the Twin Peaks Mall, which was redeveloped into the Village at the Peaks, an over $100 million redevelopment which created an innovative gathering spot for the community of Longmont and the surrounding Northern Colorado area. While the idea of a brand new company in Colorado building a brand new 500,000 square foot shopping center in a difficult retail climate seemed crazy to many (Sigal included), Ginsborg’s can-do attitude, relentless outreach to the community, personal relationships and credibility, and authenticity of wanting to create something special for our tenants and shoppers came through. In the end, he made it happen!
Throughout his career, Ginsborg completed more than 1,000 shopping-center leases valued at more than $1 billion, over 50 shopping-center investment sales and more than 100 land transactions. His career included being a leading retail broker at CB Commercial, including founding their tenant advisory services group, and the founding of Pacific Retail Partners with his very close friends Joe Meyer and Mike Jensen. Under his leadership, the company developed or leased more than 15 million feet of shopping center space in California and Colorado. From 1993 to 2003, he represented The Home Depot in its Colorado expansion, assisting the company with the establishment of more than 30 new locations. He also ran the national retail development group for Catellus Development, the largest private landowner in California at the time. Ginsborg was a frequent speaker at the Everitt Real Estate Center at Colorado State University, where he served on the board. In 2012, Allen was selected CSU’s Real Estate Entrepreneur of the Year. He was also a member and frequent speaker at International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) events.
Ginsborg recruited, mentored and was surrounded an amazing team including Danaria McCoy, Ross Carpenter, Renatta Banning, Alex Staneski and Katie Miller.
“This group along with the rest of the team remain committed to carrying on and building on Allen’s legacy,” said Sigal. “These amazing individuals join a long list of people who owe their careers and perspectives to the support and mentoring of Allen. In the last few days, we are grateful to have been surrounded by loving messages from those who had connected with Allen in work and in friendship, and sharing what Allen meant to them.”
There are few people who are as passionate as Allen about giving back to others. From his dedication to the “I Have a Dream Foundation” to volunteering in India to support entrepreneurs, Allen’s strong faith led him to live a life of service. He exemplified integrity, intelligence and the importance of relationships. Allen had taken a sabbatical at the end of last year to tour the world with his incredible wife Jeanne and his daughter Jackie to visit those around the world whom he had supported throughout the years – from an orphanage in India to a Sherpa he met while climbing the Himalayas to religious groups in Europe.
“While for us the world will never be the same without Allen in it, we take comfort in knowing our lives are infinitely better for having had him in it,” said Sigal. “Our prayers and love go out to his amazing family who Allen was so proud of and carry on his legacy and good deeds – Jeanne, Josh, Jake, Joey and Jackie. While Heaven’s gain is our loss, we know Allen is looking down with great pride on the family he created as well as all those he touched, and we are committed to continuing to make him proud.”
In loving memory, please support and make donations to the following charities in honor of Allen Ginsborg:
Project Healing Waters – www.Projecthealingwaters.org
Forerunner Mentoring – www.forerunnermentoring.com
Timberline Lodge – www.timberlinelodge.org