Bisnow’s Bay Area Modular Construction Check-In

Michael E. Johnson is President and Chief Executive Officer of UrbanCore Development, LLC which he founded in 2012 to focus on public-private, mixed-income residential development projects. Prior to establishing UrbanCore, Mr. Johnson was the President of Em Johnson Interest, Inc., a real estate development company based in San Francisco for 20 years. Over the combined last 25 years, his companies have been one of the largest African American businesses in the Bay Area. This is as a result of recent completion or current undertaking of over $800 million in project development activity, representing over 3,000 housing units and several mixed-use projects. He has served as the Managing Partner of award winning redevelopment projects such as the Fillmore Heritage Center, an $85 million mixed-use project in San Francisco; the $32 million Easter Hill HOPE VI project in Richmond, California; and the $45 million Mary Helen Roger Senior Center in San Francisco. Mr. Johnson has recently completed projects in Sacramento, San Francisco and San Diego. This includes the completion of the $40 million Cannery Place 180-unit Affordable Housing project in Sacramento, the $35 million Warren-Eviva both in Sacramento (118 units), and the $50 million Eviva-Mission Bay project in San Francisco (129 units). UrbanCore also is currently completing construction on the largest modular housing project in Oakland, the $56 million, 110-unit Coliseum Connections apartment project scheduled to begin occupancy in March 2019, and is in the final pre-construction phase of the LakeHouse Commons - mixed income $250 million apartment project near Lake Merritt, and in Oakland which is schedule to break ground in the 3rd quarter of 2019. Mr. Johnson previously was a co-Managing Partner of the $102 million North Beach Place redevelopment project completed 2004, which has received numerous awards. Mr. Johnson has two degrees - a Bachelor of Science in Architecture and Urban Planning in 1976, and a Master of Architecture with a concentration in Real Estate Development in 1979, from the University of Maryland and the Georgia Institute of Technology respectively. While at the Maryland, Michael was a student-athlete as a member of the track & field team, and was an Atlantic Coast Conference Champion in 1974. Mr. Johnson is currently a Member of the University of Maryland’s Board of Trustees and also serves on the Oakland Zoo Planning Advisory Committee, along with serving on the Board of the national non-profit Neighborhood Development Collaborative. He has also served on the Board of Trustees for the St. Paul’s Episcopal School in Oakland, on the Planning Commission, YMCA and Library Boards while in Atlanta, and the Board of Glide Memorial Church’s Housing Corporation in San Francisco. Mr. Johnson also lectures regularly at the University of Maryland’s Colvin Institute of Real Estate Development.

Christopher Schmidt has been working in the construction industry since the early 1990’s when he started his career as an architect with Harley Ellis Devereaux. His experience with modular construction began in 2011 at NORR, where he successfully grew the new modular construction division. He served as regional business development manager at Guerdon Modular Buildings in Northern California. As Senior Project Executive for Z Modular, Chris plays a key role in his ability to deliver and manage innovative, responsive, value-driven, and client-centric programs in the development and modular industry. Schmidt holds a Bachelor of Science degree in architecture from Lawrence Technological University.

Justin Stewart is the CEO and Owner of 8-time National Excellence in Construction Award winning Synergy, Inc, and industry disrupting Synergy Modular. Synergy has built over 10,000 units and countless commercial projects as a GC over the last three decades in the Pacific Northwest. In 2017, in response to a demand for predictability, Justin founded Synergy Modular, building projects at a fixed cost, in 30-50% less time.

Having been educated as architect and engineer, Greg Otto has been focused strategically upon collaborative working within the “gap” between architecture and engineering and the potential for innovation that such working brings. Not afraid to pioneer, he has been responsible for a broad range of innovations within the work of the firms he has worked, improving design and engineering workflows via digitization; creating and supporting the necessary collaborative environment to advance and expand multi-disciplinary thinking; and challenging traditional practice with new and innovative delivery models. He brings a wealth of specialist knowledge in highly sustainable, low energy buildings, structural engineering and building facades and has a proven track record working with some of the most renowned artists, designers and architects to deliver truly remarkable projects. He joined Clark Pacific in 2020 to provide leadership in an ongoing effort to develop a suite of prefabricated building solutions, and grow, advance Clark Pacific to a total building solutions provider.