REPRESENTATIVE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
(Selected from lifetime project experience of Principals)

URBAN MIXED-USE, HIGH DENSITY PROJECT

High density urban in-fill project (location is not public).

WOODLAKE SQUARE RE-DEVELOPMENT

1970's SHOPPING CENTER into MODERN HORIZONTAL MIXED-USE

• Negotiated Randalls (Safeway) Store Lease and Fuel Station Lease.

• Converted store lease to a ground lease which improved the financial returns and reduced required capital.

• Transformed the layout of the shopping center by:

  •  Demolition of the Randalls (Safeway) store and construction of a new larger store 100’ north to improve the visibility of the other buildings.

  • Demolition of outbuildings E, F and G and replacing them with a new multifamily project.

  • Demolition of Building A and replacing it with a much less obtrusive fuel station.

  • Construction of new Retail A and Retail B.

  • Demolition of Pad A and Pad B buildings and construction of a new restaurant building that was leased to a highly successful operator.

  • Refurbishment Buildings B, C and D.  

  • New modern canopy with wide sidewalks.

•  Modified restrictions in Randalls lease to allow vertical redevelopment of the area east of the pedestrian/vehicular corridor, including Walgreens.

• Sourced the equity financing (both USAA and AEW, new relationships for the owner, issued term sheets).

• Created  project vision plan that transformed a poorly laid out, obsolete property into a modern urban horizontal mixed-use center.

• Assembled and managed the development team of internal and external professionals including architects and engineers to transcribe project vision into plans and specs and develop the project.

• Sold the residential pad to Wood Partners, who built a 258 unit Class A multi-family project and a plaza interconnecting the residential project to the shopping center. In structuring the Wood deal, I imposed pedestrian integration requirements and architectural approval. 

• Complete budgetary responsibility including overseeing and administrating the debt and equity fundings.

• Created guidelines for revisions to Restrictions for Woodlake subdivision (312 acres, 4.2m sf of improvements) and successfully drove the process to amend and modernize the restrictions and substantially reduce the scope of restrictions that apply to Woodlake Square.

RE-DEVELOPMENT of URBAN SHOPPING CENTER into HIGH DENSITY MIXED-USE 

• Created  project vision and master plan including the pedestrian realm as part of the transformation of this low density retail project into a high density mixed use project incorporating a full service hotel, residential, and retail components.

• ​Developed relationships with senior real estate executives for major hotel flags.

• Identified the W Hotel as the target flag. Attracted co-developers with extensive hotel and high rise residential experience. As a team we negotiated a letter of intent with Starwood for the W Hotel.

• Identified resources necessary for the development team.

• Obtained preliminary approvals from TxDoT, Harris County and the City of Houston to acquire an unused portion of the ROW to accommodate the hotel component of the project. Researched the facts and law to support our position and facilitate the acquisition. 

CONVERSION OF 1960's OFFICE BUILDING INTO MIXED-USE WITH RUTH'S CHRIS STEAKHOUSE AND ALOFT HOTEL

ALOFT HOTEL:

• Shared construction management role with owner's 

       partner.

• Assumed administration of the GC contract, including

       negotiating and approving change orders.

• Full responsibility for loan draw process and lender approval.

• Represented owner in Starwood’s opening certification process.

• Asset manager for operating hotel, including budgeting and overseeing hotel management company.

• Played a significant role in the sale of the Aloft Hotel from pricing to marketing to closing deal. Also conceived and implemented the plan and process to separate the Aloft Hotel from the office building including negotiating the implementation documents with the buyer of the hotel.

• Negotiated parking rights in garage beneath the hotel, including right to connect office building to hotel garage.

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RUTH'S CHRIS STEAKHOUSE:

• Identified Ruth’s Chris as an ideal candidate for the former Prosperity Bank premises, structured the lease deal and negotiated the lease document. The result was to provide the property with a Class A image tenant and Ruth’s Chris with an outstanding location.

• Conceived the physical premises and the re-construction necessary to expand the footprint to accommodate Ruth's Chris.

• Modifications required demolition of stucco exterior walls and installation of window wall system for the perimeter of the dining area. 

• Worked with Ruth’s Chris executive management and the design team on the premises and the necessary modification of the exterior to accommodate Ruth’s Chris and capitalize on benefits of this tenant.

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OFFICE BUILDING REDEVELOPMENT:

• Created  project vision plan that transformed a Class B- office building into boutique office project commanding rents $5 higher than pre-development (opportunities exist to push rents another $2).

• Re-constucted an abandoned tunnel between the office building and the garage underneath the Aloft Hotel.

• Constructed a circular drive with fountain that included curved ramping and removal of stairs up to the office building.

• Assembled and managed the development team of internal and external professionals including architects and engineers to transcribe project vision into plans and specs and develop the project.

• Coordinated with Ruth’s Chris executives and architect on its design.

• Through a study of the plans of the existing building, developed approaches to construction and design issues that significantly reduced costs and allowed me to educate the architects and engineers on solutions. 

• Complete budgetary responsibility including overseeing and administering the debt and equity fundings.

• Since as part of the sale of the Aloft, I had earlier negotiated the right to reconnect a tunnel, I was able to provide concept design for the tunnel to the architects and engineers.