Dealmaker of the Year: Michael Markman, president, BET Investments Inc.

Michael Markman of BET Investments.

Jeff fusco for philadelphia business journal

By Natalie Kostelni  – Reporter, Philadelphia Business Journal

Mar 12, 2020

In partnership with Bruce E. Toll, Michael Markman formed BET Investments Inc. in 1998. In that time and under Markman’s leadership, BET has grown to own 4,000 apartments and seven million square feet of retail and office space over 70 properties in a portfolio that is valued at $1.5 billion. It employs 200 people.

The diversified real estate company has embraced taking on large, complex projects that are leaving a mark on the region and setting a new standard for mixed-use development. For example, BET is developing the Promenade at Upper Dublin, which will have 402 apartments and 140,000 square feet of retail space and has helped spur additional investment and development in the Horsham area.

BET bought and redeveloped the Granite Run Mall, which was considered a dead retail property, into the Promenade at Granite Run that at buildout will have 400 apartments, of which 192 have been constructed, and 840,000 square feet of retail space. The project serves as a blueprint for other developers who have dying malls and want to revive them.

In Media, BET built a new apartment complex on a property that had been an old car dealership and transformed it into West End Flats with 162 apartments that quickly leased up and helped redefine a part of the Delaware County community. In Abington, the company is redeveloping a former YMCA into space for Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

When not working on a new development, Markman has held several volunteer positions. He served two years as the chairman of Jewish Federation Real Estate Executive Committee and is on the board of Ursinus College, where he directs its real estate planning. He also served as an Abington Township Commissioner and member of its planning commission. Markman is currently a member of the Upper Dublin Municipal Authority for the Fort Washington Office Park.

Read the full article Philadelphia Business Journal here.

We are very happy to see the Promenade at Granite Run being recognized as a Chain Store Age Breakout Retail Center! Chain Store Age will be highlighting the Promenade at Granite Run and 7 other retail centers in the magazine’s March-April Edition.

Check out more info here!

BET Investments Chairman, Bruce Toll was recognized this week by the Philadelphia Inquirer as a 2019 Industry Icon.

The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Business Hall of Fame recognizes local business leaders whose contributions truly make a difference in the Philadelphia area.

Read Bruce’s article here.

We are proud to announce that BET took home 12 awards at the PAA East Best of Living Awards Gala last Thursday!

Congratulations and thank you to all of our teams who work hard every day to build better lifestyles!

Dreshertowne – Platinum, Leasing and Marketing Excellence & Platinum, Overall Community Excellence

Dublin Terrace – Silver, Leasing and Marketing Excellence

Charleston Greene – Platinum, Overall Community Excellence

Huntingdon Woods – Platinum, Overall Community Excellence

Lincoln Woods – Platinum, Maintenance & Gold-Leasing & Marketing Excellence

Newtown Place – Silver, Overall Community Excellence

West Chester – Gold, Maintenance

West End Flats – Gold, Maintenance

Wynmere Chase – Platinum, Leasing & Marketing Excellence & Silver, Overall Community Excellence

Learn more about PAA East’s Best of Living Awards at Paa-East.com

We are very pleased to announce that our corporate office, the Montgomery Corporate Center has been awarded a TOBY in the 100,000-249,000 SF category! It’s a great honor to be a part of, and winner of The Outstanding Building of the Year awards. We are humbled and proud of our team at BET!

Learn more about the BOMA TOBY Awards at bomaphila.com.

The Southeast Pennsylvania Workforce Planning Region predicts the biggest buildup of suburban jobs will be in construction: a 16.2% increase within the next 5 years. You can already see it taking shape at enormous work sites such as the project at PA-63 and Dreshertown Road in Upper Dublin, where several cranes and a buzz of activity fill the air.

Read the full story here

View the video:

Credit:Story by 6 abc

Tuesday, September 3, 2019 6:41PM

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) announced plans to open a new 37,000-square-foot Specialty Care & Urgent Care Center in Abington, PA. This is the latest expansion in the CHOP Care Network, which today includes more than 50 primary care offices, specialty care and surgical centers, urgent care centers, and community hospital alliances throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. <read more> 

Bruce E. Toll sat down with 6 ABC news to discuss his secret to staying young and active.

“Two years ago, at age 73, Toll stepped down from Toll Brothers, only to take on a new challenge with the creation of BET Investments.

“I invest in new businesses, probably one new business every year,” he said.

His prescription for health and happiness?

“Be ambitious and keep building. Keep working. You can’t slowdown, in my opinion. That’s what keeps you young,” he said.”

To read more, please visit here.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Michael P. Markman, President
(215) 938-7115
mmarkman@betinvestments.com

BET INVESTMENTS, INC. (A Bruce E. Toll Company) NEARS COMPLETION OF A 200,000 SQUARE FOOT GROCERY ANCHORED, BEST IN CLASS SHOPPING CENTER IN NORTH GREENBUSH, NEW YORK

BET Investments, Inc., a Bruce E. Toll Company based in Dresher, Pennsylvania, is developing Van Rensselaer Square, a 200,000 square foot shopping center located off Interstate 90 at the intersection of Route 4 and Route 43 in North Greenbush, New York. ShopRite, Home Goods, Chili’s and CapCom Federal Credit Union are open for business. Leases have also been signed with Michaels, TJ Maxx, Five Below, Melissa’s Beauty Bar, Realty USA and Hanzo Sushi and Hibachi. There are additional national and local tenant leases being negotiated to bring the occupancy to 95% upon completion in September of this year. “The completion of this shopping center is the culmination of many years of work to create this best in class property,” said Michael Markman, President of BET Investments.

The property is being leased by Tracy Lauer of Widewaters and is being financed by Key Bank.

BET Investments is a fully integrated real estate development, leasing and management company that was founded by Bruce E. Toll and Michael Markman. BET and its affiliates own more than seven million square feet of mixed-use and retail projects, one million square feet of office properties and over 4,000 apartment units in 12 states. For more information contact Michael P. Markman, President of BET Investments, Inc. at (215) 938-7115 or mmarkman@betinvestments.com.

BET Investments is pleased to have our Granite Run revitalization project recognized nationally with this great article on the fate of Malls in America done by CBS News. Click on the screenshot below to be redirected to the CBS website, or simply click the article link http://www.cbsnews.com/live/video/malls-transform-to-adapt-to-online-shopping/

BET Investments has taken the site of the former Granite Run Mall and transformed it into what is soon to be the Promenade at Granite Run. The new 820,000 square foot site will feature 400 apartments along with various retailers and offices. Among those are Frank’s Theatres CineBowl & Grille and a Chidlren’s Hospital of Philadelphia pediatric office.

In addition to the great retailers, the Promenade will also boast many other amenities  for not only the residents but the surrounding community as well.

To view the article from the Philadelphia Inquirer, click here

The infamous  Steve Wescott, the man who is making an incredible 3,800 mile hike from Seattle to Times Square New York with his goat named Miles walked right through Media PA the other day, and right by the future site of the West End Flats. Wescott is walking to raise money to build an orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya and has already raised over $200,000. Good Luck Steve! We hope you and Miles get to New York soon.

For more information on Steve Wescott and Miles please visit http://www.needle2square.com/

or you can track the journey on their Instagram

For more information on our fantastic West End Flats project, please check out our video here