Barbara Koz Paley has been a principle in the real estate community for over 35 years. 

Her first purchase was 142 Greene Street to relocate Kozmopolitan Gallery, her existing art gallery. It was a classic cast-iron building with 18 foot ceilings. Robert Stern, a then-unknown architect, was hired to design the new Kozmopolitan space.

Barbara then began purchasing properties in Connecticut, including a commercial building on Route 1 in Westport and 116-acre parcel in Woodbury. 

Subsequently, Barbara purchased 444 West Street from Bill Zeckendorf, Jr.  There was a mafia tenant who was not paying the rent, the mortgage was in arrears and the Westside Highway had fallen down, but the neighborhood was turning up.

Her next acquisition was 803 Lexington Avenue.  Barbara convinced the neighboring owners to let her wrap all three buildings "Cartier-style", in an eight foot red bow for the holidays.  The attention enabled her to re-tenant the building with stylish stores and storefronts.

Barbara helped to create Realty Advisory Services, a real estate and advisory fund designed to purchase value-added commercial properties. Founding partners included pension funds, banks, and corporate and real estate professionals.

In 2005, Barbara co-founded Atlantic Assets Group to invest in Brooklyn assets.  Her partners are Judy Kessler and Gentry Hoit.

ATLANTIC GARDENS
Atlantic Gardens consists of eight 3-story, blighted 19th-century buildings with ground floor retail, apartments above, overlooking a 6,000 foot garden.  It was a redevelopment/retail opportunity that included transit-oriented development and urban infill.   AAG used art and culture Pop-Ups to build community and achieve higher rents and destination.  The architectural firm of Taylor and Miller helped to create this transformation.

KINGSTON COURT
Kingston Court, an 80-year old apartment building with 42 units, was built when residential living in Brooklyn was grand.  AAG upgraded the building's mechanicals to the highest environmental standards and more than doubled the rent roll.  Again, art was used as a catalyst to attract creative professionals.

In 1982, Barbara Koz Paley joined the Urban Land Instititute, a non-profit organization with nearly 30,000 members worldwide that provides leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating thriving communities. 

The following year, she was appointed to Urban Development Mixed Use Council (UDMUC) and to the Membership Committee, where she served for eight years.  As part of the Membership Committee, she chaired a Taskforce that resulted in the first Public Official Advisors program.

As an outgrowth of the Taskforce, she was appointed to the Program Committee with a charge to create more diversity on panels and with programming.

Over the ensuing years, Barbara served on UDMUC, the Commercial Retail Development Council, the Inner City Council and now on Small Scale Development Council.

In 1987, she worked to create the foundations for the New York District Council which today serves nearly 3,000 ULI members in the region.  Currently, Barbara is the Sponsorship Chair and on the Management Committee.

The Real Estate Academic Initiative at Harvard University (REAI) is an interfaculty, interdisciplinary program focused on real estate research and education across the University.  Barbara was a member of the founding group.  She has been a member of the Program Committee since its inception and was the Program Chair in both 2004 and 2005 for the Fall Conference.  She currently sits on the Executive Committee of the Alumni Advisory Board.