Burton Farbman, Founder of Farbman Group in Southfield, Passes Away

Burton Farbman, founder, and past CEO and chairman of the Farbman Group, a full-service real estate firm in Southfield, passed away on July 1. A resident of Franklin, Farbman was 80 years old.
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Burton Farbman
Burton Farbman, founder of Farbman Group, passed away July 1 at the age of 80. // Photo courtesy of Farbman Group

Burton Farbman, founder, and past CEO and chairman of the Farbman Group, a full-service real estate firm in Southfield, passed away on July 1. A resident of Franklin, Farbman was 80 years old.

A self-made man whose father died when he was 11 years old, and who started out with no money and was self-taught, Farbman founded Farbman Group in 1976, and subsequently, Huntington Construction in Southfield.

Now established throughout the Midwest, Farbman Group employs more than 200 people and manages more than 30 million square feet of office, retail, multi-family, senior housing, and industrial real estate.

With divisions including property management, asset management, investment sales, construction, development, medical real estate, and more, Farbman Group has built partnerships with clients, tenants, owners, and investors.

During his tenure, Farbman led his company in multiple projects, including a $30 million restoration of the Old Wayne County Building in downtown Detroit with several public/private partners. The building, today owned by a New York investment group, was recognized with a prestigious ULI award.

Farbman also developed the new Detroit Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Agency in downtown Detroit, and performed master planning work for Wayne County that helped fuel the growth of the Northville and Novi communities.

In addition, he helped develop and implement the land acquisition strategies for Comerica Park and Ford Field, as well as for the Detroit Metro Airport expansion. He also developed the Social Security Administration Building in Royal Oak, several primary care satellite facilities for the Detroit Medical Center throughout metropolitan Detroit, the CBD YMCA, and is responsible for building millions of square feet of the Troy Research and Development market.

In the early 1980s, Farbman developed the third Riverfront Towers luxury apartment building in downtown Detroit. To garner attention to the project, he had Detroit Tigers star Cecil Fielder hit baseballs off the roof to a target on the Detroit River.

On the philanthropic front, Farman served as the Commissioner of the Detroit Zoo in Royal Oak for more than 20 years, donating millions of dollars to an institution that became not just a state highlight, but a national one.

He was the first Jewish chairman of the Southeast Michigan Branch of the YMCA, and he served as president of The Detroit Club and Franklin Hills Country Club. He was appointed by Mayor Mike Duggan to a position as Detroit Drug Czar and has served on the board of Detroit Economic Growth Corp.; Thorn Apple Valley; Economic Club of Detroit; and Detroit Legal News.

He is a past chairman of the Detroit Chapter of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO), a member of the World Presidents Organization, and a steering committee member of the Urban Land Institute’s Detroit Regional District Council.

In keeping with his commitment to serve and give back to the community, Farbman has given regularly to a wide range of charitable causes, including the Karmanos Cancer Center and the Jewish Federation. He is a founding patron of Beyond Basics, a nonprofit literacy organization in Detroit, and has been a board member of the Special Olympics of Southwest Florida.

Farbman also taught classes at the University of Detroit Mercy, and taught photography in the classrooms of Herman Elementary and Charles C. Rogers Academy. His hobbies included fishing, farming, horseback riding, and photography.

Today Farbman Group is overseen by Farbman’s two sons, David and Andy, along with Andy Gutman, who serves as president.

Family members include: Beloved husband of 56 years of Suzy Farbman. Father of David (Nadine) Farbman and Andrew (Amy) Farbman. Grandfather of Hunter, River, Fischer, Beau, Alexis, Camryn, and Lindsay Farbman. Brother of Anita Marcus and the late Lenore Shapiro. Dear brother-in-law of Anne Smith Towbes, the late Robert Nathaniel Smith, the late Eugene Michael Towbes, and the late Martin Mendelson. Devoted son of the late Dr. Simon and the late Edith Farbman. Also survived by his special cousin, Judie Koploy, and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

For more information, including memorial donations, visit here.