Bruce Sinder, 55, SoHo Realty Broker

Bruce Sinder, who died March 13 at 55, was a real estate agent who was among the leaders in revitalizing real estate in TriBeCa, SoHo, and other downtown neighborhoods.

An aspiring guitar and piano player, Sinder moved to TriBeCa in the early 1970s, when there was little in the neighborhood but abandoned loft space. He soon turned to real estate to make a living, and helped to bring Dean & Deluca to the corner of Broadway and Prince Street in 1987.

His Sinvin Realty, LLC, worked with a number of high visibility clients, including Helmut Lang, Adidas, and Balthazar Restaurant. "Bruce was one of the driving forces of downtown real estate," restaurateur Drew Nierporent said in a statement. "He is one of the reasons why the neighborhoods of TriBeCa and SoHo are so rich."

Born September 9, 1952, in the Bronx and raised in Plainview, Long Island, Sinder's first experience of entrepreneurship was selling "Juice by Bruce" that he squeezed at his father's luncheonette. Later, he studied at the Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Sinder helped originate the practice of making clients pay for their own ads up front, then deducted the cost from his own fee at sale, which he said helped attract sellers with realistic expectations.

In the Meatpacking District, Sinder helped attract restaurants and stores including Soho House and Theory.

He his own hand at development when he opened a Reade Street restaurant called Bon Temps Rouler during the 1980s Cajun craze. After a later remake the place became Spaghetti Western, still managed by Sinder's brother, Robert.

Stricken several years ago with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Sinder was confined to a wheelchair. He retired in January.

He is survived by his wife, Stacie, sons Jackson and Reuben, and his mother, Marilyn.