The Future of Seattle's Waterfront

As the founder and CEO of Urban Visions, Greg governs the strategy, direction, and value creation for the firm’s development portfolio. A fifth-generation Seattleite, Greg has over 30 years of industry experience and has formed more than 30 ventures with value in excess of $1.5 Billion. Notable past projects include Millennium Tower, 4th & Madison, 5th & Madison, 901 5th Avenue, and the Reedo Building. Current projects under design and construction include 200 Occidental, Second and Pike, Stadium East, and 888 2nd Ave. Prior to forming Urban Visions, Smith was a Principal of his father’s real estate property management firm, Martin Smith Inc., and the Founder/President of MSI’s development subsidiary, Martin Smith Development Corporation. A respected leader and frequent speaker in the community, Greg is embedded in the fabric of Seattle real estate. He is known for his strong engagement with key stakeholders as well as leadership roles in shaping land use and development patterns throughout key neighborhoods in Seattle. Greg currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Pacific North West chapter of the World Presidents Organization (Chapter Chair), and the University of Washington Foundation.

Over the past six decades, Martin Selig has turned his two person company into a billion dollar enterprise. He’s built his business (and much of the city) from the ground up, and he’s not stopping anytime soon. So what’s his secret to doing business? Martin won’t tell, but some might say it’s the structure of his company: everything comes back to him. Where some developers have boards, partners, and commissions, Martin and Martin alone is at the helm of his ship. This enables him to make quick decisions and never keep people waiting. His advice to any aspiring entrepreneurs? Do it how he did: Jump in the deep and and see if you can swim. While most people are either creative types or number gurus, Martin is an anomaly: he’s a creative spirit with billionaire business sense. His door is always open, and if his team needs anything, they need only enter his corner office with glass walls and a bird’s eye view of the city he’s built. Compared to other commercial real estate companies, he adds, his team has a lot more fun. Martin’s favorite project is always his current project, and he’s happiest when there’s a hole in the ground, on its way to becoming the next addition to Seattle’s skyline. He’s also an artist and art connoisseur. He’s made many contributions to Seattle’s art scene, from the giant popsicle statue outside his property on 4th and Blanchard, to “Adam” by Fernando Botero outside the old Federal Reserve Building, to the John Henry “Songbird” Sculpture at 5th and Yesler, to the Barbara Hepworth “Three Obliques” at 645 Elliott, and the list goes on. Martin got into the real estate business in 1958 because “he didn’t trust the stock market.” His team likens him to The Wizard of Oz and Walt Disney: someone with unparalleled imagination who’s unafraid to think outside the box. If he has a goal, he won’t stop until he’s achieved it. They say the reason for the company’s success is easy: it’s Martin. There’s only one Martin Selig. Though Martin has called the Emerald City home for his entire life, he wasn’t born here: he and his family escaped Nazi Germany in 1940 by sneaking onto the Trans Siberian Railroad. They travelled through Europe and Asia by train, then boarded a boat bound for San Francisco from Japan. When their ship entered Elliott Bay the mountains were out and the sun was shining, so on a whim, his family ended their journey in Seattle. This place is Martin’s home, and he’s been here ever since. In his spare time, he enjoys riding motorcycles, skiing, and painting.

In his real estate practice, Matt represents local and national developers, builders and lenders in all aspects of acquisition, development, financing, construction, leasing, and disposition for single and multi-family residential, mixed-use, office, and retail projects—with a focus on creative, cost-efficient results. He creates private equity and debt funds for private regional lenders and other real estate-related companies, and assists them on completing a range of financing transactions. Matt’s work often involves large, complex projects such as assisting Chris Hansen and his affiliates in the assessment, procurement and financing of a property portfolio for development and construction of a new multi-modal use sports arena complex in the SODO district of Seattle, and representing King County in its coordinated sale and ongoing operation of real estate for the expansion of the Washington State Convention Center. As CH&’s Managing Partner, Matt leads the firm’s business success, and has successfully developed and implemented the firm’s strategic plan. He is responsible for the day-to-day management of the firm, including supervision and oversight of the firm’s administrative, financial, technological, and business development functions. Matt cares deeply about Seattle and the Puget Sound region. Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels appointed Matt to serve on the Council for Pike Place Market Preservation & Development Authority (PDA), a public corporation chartered by the City of Seattle in 1973 which owns, operates, and manages the properties in the nine-acre Pike Place Market Historic District. Matt is now the chair of the PDA Council.

Robert W. Davidson (Bob) became the President and CEO of the newly nonprofit Seattle Aquarium on July 1, 2010, after serving as CEO of the Seattle Aquarium Society since 2002. Davidson guided a repositioning of the Aquarium Society leading to the successful Aquarium Operations and Management Agreement with the City in 2009. A key component was the $41.5 million public/private New Currents Aquarium expansion in 2007, which has increased attendance and made Seattle the country’s ninth largest aquarium. Davidson was a leader in the earlier $40 million project to revitalize Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo as co-initiator of Mayor Royer’s Zoo Commission, Zoological Society board president and later as its Executive Director and CEO. These efforts paved the way for the Zoo’s transition to nonprofit management in 2002. Davidson holds an EMBA from the University of Washington and an AB from Harvard College, has served in senior government positions at the federal and state levels, and has held executive positions in manufacturing and private investment management. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Central Waterfront Partnerships Committee, and co-chair of its stewardship and operations subcommittee.

Mary Bacarella serves as the Executive Director of the Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority (PDA). She joined the Market in January 2018. In her role at Pike Place Market, Bacarella is responsible for the overall operations including marketing, facilities management, and the preservation and development of the 110-year-old public market and 9-acre Market Historic District. Bacarella’s previous experience at key Seattle landmarks, including the executive level positions at the Space Needle LLC, Chihuly Garden and Glass, and Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF), give her unique insight into the complex public agency of the Pike Place Market PDA.

Mark Reddington FAIA, a partner at LMN Architects, is widely recognized for his leadership in integrative design of civic places that are highly functional and contextually engaging. His designs have won more than 140 international, national, regional, and local design awards for civic places such as civic centers, performing arts centers, convention centers, and campus projects across the country and in Canada which have established the firm as a national leader in public building design. He has been involved with the new Seattle waterfront for more than a decade and served as co-chair of Seattle’s Design Oversight Committee for Waterfront Seattle. He has led the design of many prominent projects in Seattle including Benaroya Hall, McCaw Hall, Foster School of Business at the University of Washington, Paul G. Allen Center for Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington, Sound Transit University of Washington Station at Montlake, the Washington State Convention Center Expansion as well as the Vancouver Convention Centre West on the Vancouver waterfront. He is currently leading the design of the Seattle Aquarium new Ocean Pavilion on Seattle’s waterfront.