Nathaniel Milner to Develop E-Commerce Platform for Launch of NYC Marketplace
The Howard Hughes Corp. hired industry vet Nathaniel Milner as Vice President of E-Commerce & Logistics to spearhead the development of an e-commerce platform for the relaunch of the historic Tin Building at the Seaport District in Lower Manhattan.
An industry veteran with almost 20 years of executive-level experience in the e-commerce and culinary realm, Milner's customer-centric vision for the on-demand delivery experience combined with the global renown of chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten will further distinguish the 53,000-square-foot marketplace as a unique, new culinary experience.
"The Tin Building is, at its core, a unique centerpiece for the Seaport community and for the broader New York City region," said Saul Scherl, President of the New York Tri-State Region for The Howard Hughes Corp. "With e-commerce and delivery playing an increasingly essential role in today's world, we want to provide visitors to the Tin Building's new marketplace with the best cohesive consumer-focused experience—both from a restaurant and a retail point of view, whether people are ordering online or shopping and dining in person at the Seaport."
Howard Hughes has been recreating the customer experience for today's new normal. At Restaurant Next, which is now available on demand, Giancarlo Fiorarancio, Vice President, IT, shared how how he led the wildly successful effort to create The Greens, a socially distanced rooftop restaurant experience at NYC’s South Street Seaport powered by a completely touchless guest experience, including enhanced bandwidth, unique culinary partnerships, not to mention gorgeous river and skyline vistas.
A Delivery Pioneer
Milner has spent the last two decades pioneering the restaurant delivery space with industry leaders including Whole Foods, Amazon, Grubhub, and Dining In. He brings to his new role at the Tin Building a portfolio highlighted by the development of rapid launch and expansion strategies for on-demand digital food channels supported by customer-centric logistics.
"Customer behavior has radically changed as the pandemic has rapidly accelerated the adoption of online food ordering. Pairing reliable, high-quality customer service and logistics on top of the culinary expertise of Jean-Georges will provide an unmatched experience which will distinguish the Tin Building from anything else in the marketplace today," Milner said.
"We are constantly exploring new ways to provide our customers, residents, tenants, and guests with high-quality, state-of-the-art experiences—and technology is a key piece of the equation," said David R. O'Reilly, CEO. "Fully-connected, amenity-rich environments featuring outstanding dining, shopping, and entertainment options in a walkable urban core are defining elements of the master planned communities and mixed-use small cities throughout our portfolio."
The historic Tin Building is being completely reconstructed by The Howard Hughes Corp. as part of the company's revitalization of the Seaport District, and is expected to reopen in 2021.