Captain's Quarters, 1990's

In 1906, Isaac Muss migrated to America from Russia via Capetown, South Africa, where he had worked as a general contractor. He settled in Brooklyn with his wife, Annie, and their eleven children and started the development business that bears his name. He was one of the pioneers of tract housing in this country, building hundreds of units a year in the Brownsville and East New York areas of Brooklyn in the path of the expanding subway. Before the Depression, he acquired a 1,000 acre farm in Bayside, Queens, on which he built over 1,500 homes, supervising the job from a horse and buggy. His son Hyman became acquainted with the business while riding horses around the property on visits from school.

After those early years, Hyman Muss strengthened the company's scope and reputation. In 1965, his son Joshua joined the Company, concentrating in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island.

Oceana Condominium and Club, 2001

Today, led by Joshua L. Muss, and with fourth generation members of the family active, Muss Development Company has expanded to become the largest ongoing development company in the Boroughs of New York City by the measure of product built (over 10 million square feet of commercial, residential, industrial and retail) and planned (5 million square feet).

With a highly professional staff handling all aspects of development including initial planning and approvals, construction, marketing, sales, leasing, and management, Muss buildings are owned and operated for the long term. The process enables the economies necessary to compete in the Boroughs of New York City, while assuring an attractive, first-class quality product that will endure.

Fawn Ridge at Woodbrooke, 1980-1990

Representative projects - recently completed or "on the boards":

• Woodbrooke, a 1,200 unit planned residential community, one of the largest built in New York City. Rossville, Staten Island
• Captain's Quarters, a residential waterfront community of 266 upscale units. Prince's Bay, Staten Island
• Prince's Point, 18+ acre residential waterfront community. Prince's Bay, Staten Island
• Brooklyn Renaissance Plaza, a 1.5 million sq. ft. mixed-use office and hotel complex. Downtown Brooklyn
• Oceana, 850 unit, oceanfront residential community. Brighton Beach, Brooklyn
• 7000 Austin Street, a new 100,000 sq. ft. retail complex anchored by a Barnes & Noble Superstore. Forest Hills, Queens
• 14-acre mixed-use parcel, planned for 600,000 sq. ft. retail and 1,200 residential units. Downtown Flushing, Queens
• Flushing Plaza, 30,000 sq. ft. office addition to existing 230,000 sq. ft. building. Downtown Flushing, Queens
• 450-acre resort development. Grossinger's, New York

Brooklyn Renaissance Plaza

Even given the cyclical volatility of the real estate industry, and considering the difficulty of the development process and serious lack of current production, the Muss portfolio of existing and approved product is extremely solid, particularly within the Boroughs of New York City. And, the continuity, diversity, strength and experience of Muss Development enables a unique flexibility to adapt and prosper. The leveraged debt of this private, family-owned company is extraordinarily low; its commercial tenancies are uncommonly strong and situated in prime locations; new housing has regained robust production; and major mixed used developments are about to break ground. The organization is well positioned for continued long-term stability while having established ongoing momentum.