FALL
2016
URBAN LAND INSTITUTE URBANPLAN On August 1st, 2016, three MSRED teams made final presentations
design issues; develop a pro forma and three-dimensional model
as part of the ULI’s UrbanPlan university curriculum. UrbanPlan
of their plan; and ultimately present their proposal to a “City
is a realistic, engaging, and academically demanding classroom-
Council” of ULI members that select the winning team. This year’s
based curriculum in which students learn about the fundamental
winning team included Braham Berg, Daniel Feinberg, Nathan
forces that affect development in the United States. This year,
Lipson, Linfeng Lyu, Katherine O’Byron, and Garrick Wier.”
MSRED Adjunct Lecturer Mike Grote incorporated UrbanPlan into his summer SRED 6050: Introduction to Urbanism course.
At strategic times during the exercise, industry professionals participate as facilitators to challenge students to think more
UrbanPlan engages professional volunteers from the local ULI
critically about UrbanPlan issues and the specific responsibilities
District Council in a process that requires students to respond to
of their role. This year’s ULI member facilitators were: Stephen
a fictional request for proposals for the redevelopment of a large
Farnsworth (Walker & Dunlop), Gary McNamara (First Bank and
urban site. Each student team member assumes one of five roles:
Trust), Dwight Norton (independent consultant). Sophie Lambert,
finance director, marketing director, city liaison, neighborhood
Senior Director at ULI in Washington, DC, also participated.
liaison, or site planner. Through these roles, students develop a visceral understanding of the various market and nonmarket forces and stakeholders in the development process. Students must reconcile competing agendas to create a well-designed project
that
meets
market
demands,
provides
economic
returns, and receives public sector and community support. Teams address challenging financial, market, social, political, and
Once the teams’ plans are complete, students present to a group of ULI volunteer “City Council” members. This year’s City Council members were: Chris LeBato (Iberia Bank), Howard Long (Roy Anderson Corp), and Anne Teague Landis (Landis Construction). Betsy del Monte, a national ULI trainer for UrbanPlan based in Dallas, also participated.
FROM THE DIRECTOR The Fall semester is when most prospective students first reach out to inquire about the MSRED program. In discussing the unique focus and benefits of studying real estate development at Tulane University, students are most often interested in the MSRED program’s connection to practice. This connection starts with our fantastic adjunct faculty, continues with our Field Study trips in the Summer and Fall, and includes the partnership structure of the final capstone research projects in the Spring. Three years ago, we also started a paid internship program for interested students in the Fall semester. These positions, called GIGs for short (Graduate Internship, Go!), place students in local industry offices working on a variety of real time projects, gaining experience and building a professional network. Because of the small class sizes, all students benefit when their peers reference their internship experiences to ask a more pointed question or to make a more focused point in class discussion. This current year we have the highest number of GIGs in program history: 12 students are working 15 hours/week in nonprofit (5), government (2), and private sector (5) settings. Projects range from working on a development strategy for vacant land, to developing practical sustainability metrics, to conducting market research for retail development. There is more info on the specific GIGs on page 4 of the newsletter. In addition to the benefits for our current students, this work benefits the local real estate industry and strengthens the connections between the MSRED program and local partners. These supporting relationships are key to both the short term and long term value of the MSRED program and Tulane’s School of Architecture. If you know someone who might like to host an MSRED student next Fall, please let me know or encourage them to contact me directly. Otherwise, I always appreciate hearing suggestions and feedback from alumni, or just catching up on your current work and career. Keep up the good work.
MSRED AT-A-GLANCE “I was part of an interesting class of students that were each impressive in their own right. Everyone was supportive of one another.”
“We were introduced to the biggest players. These introductions have been vital to accelerating my career.”
male
65% 35% female
“Professors with field experience, teaching case studies instead of just theory…”
“I expected a great education, but I didn’t expect the level of exposure to influential people in the industry.”
MSRED STUDENTS 27 average age
25
median age
15%
have graduate degrees prior to Tulane
MSRED ALUMNIS
64%
Alumni were attracted to the program by Tulane’s academic reputation
77%
Alumni were attracted to the program by its focus on sustainability
INCOMING DEGREES
Casius Pealer Director & Professor of Practice cpealer@tulane.edu
CURRENT JOB TITLES
2
3.27
average GPA
INTRODUCING THE MSRED
CLASS OF 2016-2017 James Fox
Scott Branta
Nathan Lipson Amy Breen
Drew Moore
Alden Smith
Anthony Kimble Garrick Wier
Daniel Feinberg Katherine O’Bryon
Brandon Dughman
Philippa Bowers Michael Parsiola
Calla Bardwell is a native of Connecticut and, as a dual-master’s student within the Tulane School of Architecture, she will be joining the MSRED program for her second year of study. Calla is now in her final year at Tulane, and is a candidate to graduate with both a Master of Architecture and a Master of Sustainable Real Estate Development. Braham Berg is a New York native and current Tulane student. He is joining the MSRED program to obtain a dual-Master of Architecture and Sustainable Real Estate Development and is also working towards a minor in Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship. Philippa Bowers graduated with a BA from Howard University and a JD from Tulane University. Since then, she has worked as an Assistant City Attorney for the City of New Orleans and as a Partner for Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP in Baltimore, MD. Phillipa is a New Orleans native. Scott Branta is from Okemos, MI, a small town located just east of Lansing. Scott relocated to New Orleans more than 10 years ago. He graduated from Tulane University in 2009 with a BA in Digital Media Production and Communications. Amy Breen was raised in Austin, TX. In 2016 she graduated from the University of Alabama with a BA in Business Administration with a focus in real estate and finance. Brandon Dughman is originally from Nashville, TN and graduated from the University of San Francisco with a BA in History and a minor in Spanish. Since 2010, he has worked as a project manager for Enterprise Community Partners.
Braham Berg
Jose Mesa Fortin Natawat
Daniel Feinberg graduated from the Tulane University A.B. Freeman School of Business in 2016 with a focus in Management and Marketing. Daniel is originally from Atlanta, GA.
Andrew Moore recently graduated from West Chester University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Geography and Urban Planning. Andrew is originally from Philadelphia, PA.
James Fox is from Atlanta, GA where he attended the University of West Georgia and obtained a BS in Geography. He was first introduced to sustainable real estate development while working at Southface, an environmental non-profit located in Atlanta.
Katherine O’Bryon is originally from Cleveland, OH, but moved to New Orleans in 2012 to work with Make It Right Foundation to build affordable LEED Platinum Homes in the Lower Ninth Ward. Katherine has a BS in Community and International Development, with a minor in Applied Design: Architecture from the University of Vermont.
Buicker “Anthony” Kimble is a Louisiana Native with roots in the City of Morganza. In 2008, he graduated from Stanford University with a BA in Science, Technology, and Society with a focus in Work and Organizations. Since then, Anthony has been running a development company in New Orleans and Baton Rouge.
Michael Parsiola is born and raised in New Orleans, LA. He recently graduated from the Louisiana State University with a BS in Biological Sciences.
Lyu Linfeng is a native of Lanfeng, China and for the past couple of years he has worked for a large commercial real estate firm in Beijing. In 2015, Lyu graduated from the Central University (Beijing) of Finance and Economics with a focus in real estate.
Michael Pizzolatto is a south Louisiana native and, as a part-time student, is joining the MSRED program for his second year of studies. Michael completed a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and Sociology from Millsaps College. He currently works with the Tulane Center for Public Service and has past experience with the Catholic Charities of New Orleans.
Nathan Lipson graduated with a BA in Urban Planning from the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign in 2016. Nathan is originally from Tuscon, AZ.
Alden Smith graduated from Vanderbilt University in 2004 with a BS in Physics and Philosophy. Since graduating, Alden has served with the U.S. Navy. Alden is originally from Sangerville, ME.
Jose Meza-Fortin is originally from the City of Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras. He graduated from CEDAC with a degree in Architecture. His experiences include working in real estate since 2012. His experience includes working on construction and design projects with Banco Atlántida, a local bank in Tegucigalpa.
Garrick Wier is originally from Flemington, NJ, and graduated from the College of Charleston with a BA in Historic Preservation and Community Planning. He also obtained minors in Business Administration and Art History.
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2016-17 MSRED INTERNSHIP PROGRAM For the third straight year, the formal internship program, called “Graduate Internship, Go!” or GIG for short, returns with new partnerships for all interested MSRED students. GIGs are paid positions, approximately 15 hours a week in addition to a full course load. These practical experiences and working relationships will be key in each student’s job search after graduation.
CITY OF NEW ORLEANS – SERVICES & INNOVATION GIG SUPERVISOR: MSRED STUDENT:
Eric Melancon Nathan Lipson
As an intern for the City’s Services & Innovation team, Nathan is working with the City to analyze and propose highest-and-best-use scenarios for several City-owned properties along the newly opened Lafitte Greenway park.
CITY OF NEW ORLEANS – SERVICES & INNOVATION GIG SUPERVISOR: MSRED STUDENT:
Eric Melancon Brandon Dughman
Working with the City’s Services & Innovation team, Brandon is working to collect data and conduct an evaluation of City-owned green space property to determine best-use for redevelopment.
DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT OF NEW ORLEANS GIG SUPERVISOR: MSRED STUDENT:
Leigh Ferguson Amy Breen
Amy’s role with the Downtown Development District is to research examples of other metropolitan economic development organizations’ “Dashboard Economic Benchmarks,” which will be used by the DDD for new publications.
ESKEW+DUMEZ+RIPPLE Jacob Dunn MSRED STUDENT: Katherine O’Bryon GIG SUPERVISOR:
As an intern for Eskew+Dumez+Ripple, Katherine is working to assist EDR with their benchmarking initiatives including maintaining benchmarking
databases, analyzing tenant energy use, conducting comfort surveys, and communicating the firm’s growth in benchmarking.
FELICITY STREET REDEVELOPMENT GIG SUPERVISOR: MSRED STUDENT:
Ella Camburnbeck Garrick Wier
Garrick’s role with Felicity Street Redevelopment is to assess the value of vacant lots owned by FSR and provide proposals for redevelopment. Additionally, Garrick is reviewing past properties to create an overview of trends, total investment, construction costs, and populations served.
GREEN COAST ENTERPRISES GIG SUPERVISOR: MSRED STUDENT:
Gina LaMacchia Michael Parsiola
Working directly with Gina LaMacchia (MSRED Alum), Michael’s role is to assist with real estate entitlements including restoration tax abatements and historic tax credits associated with GCE’s 234 Loyola Avenue and 2606 St. Louis Street projects.
NEW ORLEANS BUSINESS ALLIANCE (NOLABA) GIG SUPERVISOR: MSRED STUDENT:
Katy Dupre James Fox
As an intern for the New Orleans Business Alliance, James is conducting high-priority research projects focused on economic development for the City of New Orleans. Projects include emerging markets, data collection and analysis, construction data visuals, and professional writing.
PROVIDENCE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Rosalind Ross MSRED STUDENT: Alden Smith GIG SUPERVISOR:
Alden’s role with Providence Community Development is to provide critical support for several tasks including; development and building permit approval processes, construction draw preparation, compliance reporting and funding requirements, tracking insurance renewals, preparing final project binders, researching plans for
the organization’s Green Communities requirements, and assisting with construction closing tasks.
TULANE REGIONAL URBAN DESIGN CENTER (TRUDC) GIG SUPERVISOR: MSRED STUDENT:
Grover Mouton Andrew Moore
As an intern for Tulane’s Regional Urban Design Center, Drew’s role is to help TRUDC prepare for, attend, and complete a final report on the upcoming Mayor Institute on City Design, which is a series of sessions designed to bring together regional mayors to find solutions to selected urban design challenges facing their cities.
WALKER & DUNLOP GIG SUPERVISOR: MSRED STUDENT:
Stephen Farnsworth Daniel Feinberg
Working with Stephen Farnsworth, Daniel’s role is to assist the Walker & Dunlop’s New Orleans production team with special projects related to commercial real estate finance and client development.
TRAPOLIN PEER ARCHITECTS GIG SUPERVISOR: MSRED STUDENT:
Paula Peer Braham Berg
Braham’s role with Trapolin Peer is to assist the sustainability team to provide support/design review for each TPA project. Additionally, Braham is helping TPA to perform energy modeling profiles on two test projects.
DOMAIN COMPANIES GIG SUPERVISOR: MSRED STUDENT:
Genevieve Oxford Scott Branta
Working with Domain’s Training and Technology Specialist, Scott is working to complete management tasks associated with Domain’s Louisiana communities. Tasks include employee training tutorials, data survey and compilation, document formatting, and compilation of current residential statistics.
2016 DIRECTED RESEARCH PROJECTS Each year, MSRED students complete significant research projects in the Spring semester. Students select individual projects with professional clients across the country, and these partnerships provide students with practical experience on innovative topics of current interest. The following projects were completed in Spring 2016:
Center for Planning Excellence (CPEX) – Baton Rouge, LA Kim Ferrari, Equitable Transit-Oriented Development as a Strategy for Neighborhood Revitalization
City of Franklin, LA – Franklin, LA Ab Coulon, Planning with the Louisiana Land Use Toolkit: The First Step in Reversing Disinvestment in Franklin and Rural Louisiana
City of New Orleans, LA – New Orleans, LA Ben Samuels, Improving Blight Remediation in Soft Market Communities
Crescent City Community Land Trust (CCCLT) – New Orleans, LA Jenga Mwendo, Collective Community Real Estate Investment
D.C. Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) – Washington, DC Bryan Yim, A Comparative Analysis of Green Building Standards
HRI Properties – New Orleans, LA Brian Morrice, Multifamily Development and Financing During Recessionary Periods
New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA) – New Orleans, LA Natawat Thanomsat, Analysis of Homeowners’ Storm Water Management Intervention in Gentilly, New Orleans
The Reinvestment Fund – Philadelphia, PA Allison Price, Measuring Gentrification
2016 MSRED GRADUATION AWARDS Bryan Yim received the Academic Distinction Award, presented annually to the student with the highest grade point average over the course of the program.
Jenga Mwendo received the Leadership Award, presented annually to a student who has consistently shown leadership throughout the MSRED program by demonstrating his/her ability to support and achieve the overall success of the team and the project. This award is selected by a vote of the graduating class. Allison Price also received the Outstanding Service to the Program Award, presented annually to a student who has consistently strengthened the MSRED program through class performance, extracurricular and volunteer efforts, and support for his/her classmates. This award is selected by a vote of the faculty. Kim Ferrari received a commendation for her Spring 2016 Directed Research project and public presentation.
UPDATES & HIGHLIGHTS This fall, MSRED Faculty, Jacqueline Dadakis, was named as one New Orleans City Business’ “Women of the Year” honorees. The newspaper annually recognizes 50 local women, whose “successes in business and contributions to the community have made them movers and shakers in the region.” As a managing partner of GCE Services, Jackie’s biggest achievement to date was being chosen by the City of New Orleans to be its energy management firm to lower Orleans’ energy and utility bills. In August, MSRED Faculty, Jeff Hebert, was selected by Mayor Mitch Landrieu to be New Orleans’ new Deputy Mayor and Chief Administrative Officer. As the Deputy Mayor and CAO, Jeff’s role is to oversee all city government operations and craft the City’s annual budget. The move was a clear reflection of Jeff’s successful statistic-driven approach at the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority. The Landrieu administration is hoping this approach will allow for greater accountability, better management and increased public trust in government. Will Bradshaw’s (MSRED Faculty) Pythian redevelopment project is getting closer to completion after signing a lease with Frencheeze, a former food truck that will serve as the first food vendor in the Pythian Market. In total, the market will feature 19 vendor stalls. Green Coast Enterprises, ERG Enterprises and Crescent City Community Land Trust are redeveloping the building into a mixeduse property with retail, office space, health care and workforce and market rate housing. 5
On November 1st-2nd, students traveled with MSRED Director, Casius Pealer, to Baton Rouge, LA to attend the Louisiana Smart Growth Summit, hosted by the Center for Planning Excellence (CPEX). This conference is held annually to bring together professionals to discuss various topics related to: transportation, affordable housing, inclusionary zoning, flooding, resiliency, community action, sustainability and climate change. The event was highlighted by a keynote address from Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards. Earlier this year, AJ Brooks (MSRED Faculty) and business partner Keely Williams (MPS Alumna) completed a historic renovation of the Catahoula Hotel in downtown New Orleans. This boutique hotel is comprised of 35 rooms and includes ground floor restaurant space and rooftop bar. The project was funded in part through historic tax credits and funding from global X, a Cleveland-based historic tax equity company. In October, HRI Properties’ Vice President of Development Finance, Richard Allen (MSRED Faculty) announced that HRI was selected as the winning bidder to develop a 21-story hotel and luxury apartment tower in Tampa, FL. HRI President and CEO Tom Leonard said in a statement via New Orleans City Business that, “Tampa is a city that we’ve been looking to enter for some time now and we could not be more excited to begin our first of hopefully many projects here and within the state of Florida,” The project will also be the company’s second managed hotel. Several other MSRED Faculty members made moves this fall. First, Liana Elliott accepted the role of Chief of Staff with City Council Member-at-large, Jason Williams. Second, Joy Willig accepted a new position with Jones Walker, LLP, NYC Affordable Housing Group.
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REAL ESTATE MINOR SUMMER INSTITUTE This past summer, a class of twenty undergraduate students completed the School of Architecture’s Real Estate Summer Minor Institute program. The eight-week, 16-credit program is now in its second year. The five courses are taught by Vic Franckiewicz, Clay Tanner, Heidi Woodard (MSRED Class of ’14), Michael Bosio (MSRED Class of ’14), Kim Vu-Dinh, and Thomas Smith. One of the biggest changes this year was the appointment of MSRED Assistant Director, John Huppi (MSRED Class of ’14) to take over and expand the program. After completing his first semester as director, John says, “the program is proving to be growing at a much faster rate than we originally anticipated. This year’s registration numbers were essentially capped to optimize our student to faculty ratio.” Moving forward, John says he, “expects interest in real estate topics to continue to be strong amongst the undergraduate
population, including students from the School of Architecture and the Freeman School of Business.” Additionally, he “expects many former students to begin taking MSRED elective courses and apply to the MSRED program.” Another big change this year was the number of minor students taking the LEED professional accreditation exam. Students prepare for the exam as part of the Fundamentals of Sustainable Real Estate Development course. This year, however, students were also provided assistance with obtaining additional study materials and paying for the exam fee. John believes the benefits of being able to study and take the LEED exam over one summer, “will encourage many additional students to consider the minor and explore real estate as a field of study.” The next Real Estate Summer Minor Institute will take place in 2017. Registration opens April 1st.
ALUMNI UPDATES 2012 Tyler Antrup, MSRED ’12, is a Senior Stormwater Planner for the City of New Orleans, LA Kasey Liedtke, MSRED ’12, is now Chief Financial Analyst for the Housing Division at Arlington County, VA Samuel Berman, MSRED ’12, is Principal & Founder of Montgomery Berman & Co. in New Orleans, LA Christian Brierre, MSDED ’12, is Development Associate at The Domain Companies in New Orleans, LA Carter Broun, MSRED ’12, is with Millworks Holdings, LLC in Athens, GA. John Eskew, MSRED ’12, is a Project Estimator & Development Associate with The McDonnel Group in Metairie, LA Andrew Mayronne, MSRED ’12, is now Principal at Mayronne Urban Consulting in Asheville, NC Amy Montgomery, MSRED ’12, is now Development Manager at Baron Construction LLC in Nashville, TN John Moore, MSRED ’12, is Construction Project Manager at Soka Gakkai International in Los Angeles, LA Brinda Sen Gupta, MSRED ’12, is now an Innovation Strategist at Booz Allen Hamilton in Washington, DC Tanner Strohschein, MSRED ’12, is now a Principal of MGMT+ LLC in Baton Rouge, LA
2013 Jasmond Anderson, MSRED ’13, is now Facilities Design Specialist/Facilities Manager at Dallas County Community College District in Dallas, TX Aubrey Chamberlain, MSRED ’13, is now Senior Consultant at Huron Consulting Group in New York, NY
Katie Frattaroli, MSRED ’13, is now Acquisitions Manager at National Trust Community Investment Corporation in New Orleans, LA Regina LaMacchia, MSRED ’13, is Development Manager at Green Coast Enterprises in New Orleans, LA Dominic Ozanne, MSRED ’13, is now Senior Consultant of Real Estate Development for Plante Moran in Chicago, IL Danielle Vachon, MSRED ’13, was promoted to Development Project Manager at Boulder Housing Partners in Boulder, CO
2014 Nate Ardente, MSRED ’14, is an Analyst at Redgate Capital Partners in Boston, MA Michael Bosio, MSRED ’14, is a Co-Founder of MK RED in New Orleans, LA Eric Chown, MSRED ’14, is a Principal of Community Rehab Investors LLC and recently obtained his Realtors© license in the State of Louisiana
Hunter Monsour, MSRED ’14, was promoted to Development Project Manager at Alexander and Baldwin in Honolulu, HI
2015 Rebeckah Blossman, MSRED ’15, is now Project Coordinator at Burk Property Investments LLC in New Orleans, LA Morgan Colburn, MSRED ’15, is now Development Assistant at Stirling Properties in New Orleans, LA Thomas Dacey, MSRED ’15, is now Assistant Project Manager at Cleveland Construction Inc. in Cleveland, OH Kyle Gilmore, MSRED ’15, is a Project Manager at New Orleans Redevelopment Authority in New Orleans, LA Ryan Herringshaw, MSRED ’15, is Project Manager at Harmony Neighborhood Development in New Orleans, LA Tanya Jimenez, MSRED ’15, is now Operations Specialist at Aloha Capital Partners LLC in Boulder, CO
Jeff Grossman, MSRED ’14, is Project Manager at Project Management Advisors, Inc. in San Diego, CA
Victoria Menchaca, MSRED ’15, is now Architectural Intern at CooverClark & Associates in Denver, CO
John Huppi, MSRED ’14, is a Principal of Community Rehab Investors LLC and is now Director of Real Estate Summer Minor Institute program at Tulane University
Elizabeth Smyth, MSRED ’15, is now Development Analyst at Landmark Properties in Athens, GA
Rebecca Margolis, MSRED ’14, is an Owner at Okra Foods in New Orleans, LA Logan Rutledge, MSRED ’14, recently opened Deco Restaurant + Bar in downtown New Albany, MS Ascanio Serena di Lapigio, MSRED ’14, is an Associate at Abinger Capital in New York, NY Alex Whatley, MSRED ’14, is Assistant Project Manager at Providence Community Housing in New Orleans, LA Christen Tanner, MSRED ’14, is a Realtor at Coldwell Banker TEC in New Orleans, LA
2016 Kim Ferrari, MSRED ’16, is now Appraisal Reviewer/Credit Analyst for First NBC Bank in New Orleans, LA Jenga Mwendo, MSRED ’16, is now Deputy Director at Crescent City Community Land Trust in New Orleans, LA Ab Coulon, MSRED ’16, is now a Loan Review Analyst for First NBC Bank in New Orleans, LA Natawat Thanomsat, MSRED ’16, is now with Vuttichart Company Limited in Chonburi, Thailand
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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT ELIZABETH SMYTH CLASS OF 2015 D E V E LO P M E N T A N A LYS T LANDMARK PROPERTIES AT H E N S , G A
Why did you join MSRED? I knew that I wanted a career in real estate development but I was initially drawn to the sustainability aspect of the program. I wanted to learn more about environmental sustainability but came away with a much broader definition of sustainability that merged my interests in community and the environment while providing tools for success in the larger sphere of real estate development. New Orleans has always been a fascinating place to me but I thought the city’s redevelopment created an especially exciting environment to see the principles we learned about in the classroom put into play. What did you like about the program? I enjoyed the small size of the program. The program’s size allowed us greater interaction with our professors as well as the opportunity to engage in deeper discussions with our peers inside and outside the classroom. My classmates came from a variety of backgrounds which added a range of perspectives to our conversations and overall classroom experience which might have been absent in more traditional programs. Describe your career path after MSRED. After graduation from MSRED, I moved to Athens, Georgia to work for Landmark Properties as a development analyst. Landmark develops luxury student housing in markets with top tier universities across the United States. They have two product lines. The first is The Standard which is infill development and the second is The Retreat which is a cottage style project.
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Describe your current role. I currently manage the predevelopment process for both cottage and infill projects in twelve markets. Although these projects are scattered across the US, I am primarily focused on Florida and the east coast. Most recently, I was involved in closing The Retreat at Harrisonburg, a cottage project at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Other projects on the horizon include a second cottage project in Greenville, NC as well as two infill projects in Tampa, Florida and Tucson, Arizona. What trends are you noticing in the real estate development industry? Student housing is a relatively new sector of real estate development. It has become more widely recognized in the last five years by traditional debt and equity sources. Unlike the traditional apartment market which seems to be reaching its peak in some cities, student housing continues to be on the rise as enrollment at top tier universities grows nationwide. However, the industry will see some decline as the number of high school graduates enrolling in college drops between 2019 and 2020. The industry should see an uptick as enrollment picks up from 2021 forward.
“ I WA N T E D TO L E A R N M O R E A B O U T E N V I R O N M E N TA L S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y B U T C A M E AWAY W I T H A M U C H B R OA D E R D E F I N I T I O N O F S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y T H AT M E R G E D MY INTERESTS IN COMMUNITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT WHILE P R OV I D I N G TO O L S F O R S U C C E S S IN THE LARGER SPHERE OF REAL E S TAT E D E V E LO P M E N T.”
“ I L I K E D T H AT T H E M S R E D P R O G R A M B R O U G H T I N R E A L L I F E P R AC T I T I O N E R S TO T E AC H C L A S S E S . I T WA S I N T E R E S T I N G TO H E A R T H E I R I N S I G H T S A N D TO L E A R N A B O U T T H E S U C C E S S E S A N D FA I L U R E S O F T H E I R AC T U A L R E A L E S TAT E P R OJ E C T S .”
the program focused on the full life cycle of real estate projects. Traditional programs only focus on development and very little on long-term operations, which seems like a missed opportunity. This holistic approach was invaluable to me and has been very important in my career so far.
providing gap financing for multi-family affordability housing projects. One of my major tasks is finding creative ways to finance projects to meet the overall housing needs of the county. I also support the operations team, assisting with asset management of active county loans.
Why did you join MSRED?
Describe your career path after MSRED.
I’ve always been interested in the built environment and real estate development. While growing up, I assisted my dad with several rental properties he owned and managed, which really solidified my interest in real estate. After returning from Peace Corps in 2010, I was looking for a master’s program that took a comprehensive approach to its curriculum, bringing together finance, community planning, and environment sustainable. At the time, the MSRED was the only program taking this unique approach to real estate development. It also helped that the program was located in New OrIeans, a city where I’ve always been interested in living. So, it was an easy choice for me.
My career path is slightly different. After graduating from MSRED, I moved to Washington, DC with my wife, where she had accepted a job in international development. I ended up being hired by the same company – JSI - where I worked in finance and operations, managing big government contracts. The finance skills I gained from MSRED were incredibly important in the job I acquired. I moved on from this position to be a sustainability project manager for Paladino and Company Inc. At Paladino, I worked on large projects such as the Pacific Park project in Brooklyn, NY, handling LEED requirements and other sustainable programs. I then moved on from that position to accept a position with Arlington County working for their Housing Division.
What trends are you noticing in the real estate development industry?
KASEY LIEDTKE CLASS OF 2012 C H I E F F I N A N C I A L A N A LYS T HOUSING DIVISION A R L I N G TO N CO U N T Y, VA
What did you like about the program? I liked that the MSRED program brought in real life practitioners to teach classes. It was interesting to hear their insights and to learn about the successes and failures of their actual real estate projects. I also liked that
In the DC metro area, affordable housing includes traditional middle-class groups like public safety employees, teachers, and civil servants. This coupled with the rising housing costs and the unknown policies from the new administration, affordable housing needs will likely grow. If economic stagnation occurs not only will commercial and market rate residential development be affected, but financial mechanisms that support affordable housing cross the nation will be devastated. Alternative approaches to financing and maintaining properties will need to be tapped, such as Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE).
Describe your current role. I am the Chief Financial Analyst for the Housing Division at Arlington County. The Housing Division works on affordable housing projects within the county by
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NEW FACULTY ROBIN KEEGAN Adjunct Lecturer, “SRED 6310 Sustainable Design & Planning” Robin Keegan is a sought after expert in disaster recovery, pre-disaster planning and mitigation, economic development, housing, resilience and community building. In the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Robin returned home to New Orleans from New York City to serve in multiple roles at the Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA) including Executive Director. Most recently, Robin was the Director of Community Planning and Resilience at GCR, Inc., a New Orleans-based professional and technology services firm. Robin holds a Masters of Urban Planning degree from Columbia University and a BA from Macalester College.
RICHARD ALLEN Adjunct Lecturer, “SRED 6420 Real Estate Finance” Richard Allen is the Vice President of Development Finance at HRI Properties, where he has worked since 2007. In this role, Richard manages all development and financial aspects of large-scale real estate development projects from site control through completion of construction and project stabilization. Richard is also an Adjunct Lecturer at Tulane University, teaching an MBA Level Course, Finance 7310-21 Cases in Real Estate, in the Spring semester in 2012, 2013 and 2014. He has a Master of Finance and a B.S.M. in Finance, both from Tulane University’s A.B. Freeman School of Business.
AJ BROOKS Adjunct Lecturer, “SRED 6040 Introduction to Real Estate Finance and Economics” AJ Brooks is co-founder and CEO of Ley Line Development, a privatelyowned real estate development company based in New Orleans, Louisiana. With a focus on urban infill and historic rehabilitation projects, AJ specializes in incentive-based development and is responsible for placing over $30 million in real estate assets in service over the course of his career. Prior to his work at Ley Line, AJ worked as an Asset Manager at Gibbs Development where he actively managed a large portfolio of multifamily and office real estate assets.
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2016 SUMMER FIELD STUDY At the end of each Summer semester, the newest class of MSRED students travel to other cities to tour innovative projects, meet with developers and public officials, and generally study the interaction of key real estate issues in a real world setting. This year’s Summer Field Study took place in August and included Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia, PA. This year, many local groups met with the students, and a cocktail reception was hosted in Washington, D.C. by the Law Firm of Ballard Spahr. The reception was a chance to engage with alumna and friends of the program in Washington, D.C. The full list of participant companies and organizations for the summer field study are listed on the following page.
WASHINGTON, DC
PHILADELPHIA, PA
• Mt. Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District
• HRI Properties
• DC Department of Transportation
• Philadelphia’s Center for Architecture
• DC Department of Energy
• The Reinvestment Fund (TRF)
• Dantes Partners
• The Food Trust
• American Society of Landscape Architects
• Sullivan Progress Plaza Shopping Center
• U.S. General Services Administration
• Philadelphia Housing Authority
• Pew Charitable Trusts
• Paseo Verde Apartments
• U.S. Green Building Council
• Village of Arts & Humanities
• National League of Cities • Enterprise Community Partners
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architecture.tulane.edu/msred Tulane School of Architecture Richardson Memorial Hall 6823 St. Charles Avenue New Orleans, LA 70118-5698 504.865.5389 • cpealer@tulane.edu