Houston Mixed-Use Spotlight

Strategic Placemaking, Design And Streetscape Activation

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  Austin Alvis

  Austin Alvis is the President of NewQuest Properties, responsible for leading strategic initiatives and day-to-day management of NewQuest’s development, construction, and asset management activities. Austin joined NewQuest in 2015 and was previously Vice President of Brokerage and a Development Partner with NewQuest, where he was responsible for procurement and oversight of development projects in the Texas market. Prior to NewQuest, Austin began his career at BOK Financial (Bank of Texas), underwriting commercial lending relationships in Houston. Austin is an active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), Advisory Board of the Houston Region Business Coalition (HRBC), and the Board of Directors of the Fort Bend Economic Development Council. Austin earned a B.A. in Economics from Southwestern University and an M.B.A. from Rice University.

  NewQuest Properties

  President

  Austin Alvis

  President

  NewQuest Properties

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  Tom Paterson

  Tom joined Rebees as a Managing Partner in 2023. Prior to joining Rebees, Tom spent 15 years at Lionstone Investments where he served as the Chief Operating Officer and Head of Portfolio Management. Through these roles he was responsible for managing key investor relationships, overseeing the firm’s ~$10B investment portfolio, and served as a voting member of the firm’s Investment Committee. Prior to Lionstone, Tom spent four years at PricewaterhouseCoopers between two stints at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas; the first where he earned his BBA in Finance, and the latter where he received his MBA with specializations in Real Estate Finance and Private Equity.

  Rebees

  Managing Partner

  Tom Paterson

  Managing Partner

  Rebees

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  Arsean Maqami

  Arsean Maqami serves as President of DC Partners, where he holds a pivotal role in managing and directing all facets of the organization. With a wealth of experience in mixed-use properties, adaptive reuse, multi-family developments, and tenant fit-outs, Arsean is a seasoned executive with a comprehensive understanding of the real estate industry. Education Bachelors of Arts, Swarthmore College Masters of Business Administration, Columbia University Summary Before assuming his current role at DC Partners, Arsean co-founded DB Partners, a real estate development and construction management firm, with Blake Berg. As leaders of DB Partners they successfully orchestrated the development and construction of over two million square feet of mixed-use projects across prominent locations in New York, California, Texas, Florida, Connecticut, Indiana, and Washington DC. Arsean’s professional journey also includes significant tenures at Seritage Growth Properties, where he held the position of Vice President of Development and Construction, and at WeWork, where he served as a Senior Director of Development and Construction. In these roles, he demonstrated his proficiency in capital planning, real estate underwriting, and operational excellence throughout the entire development lifecycle. Arsean Maqami holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Swarthmore College and a Master of Business Administration from Columbia University. His academic background, combined with his extensive industry experience, positions him as a distinguished leader in the real estate sector.

  DC Partners

  Co-President

  Arsean Maqami

  Co-President

  DC Partners

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  Daniel Ron

  Daniel and his brother started Scarlet in 2020. Together they purchase, develop and manage more than $125M of assets, including land, retail, industrial and creative office in Houston and Dallas. Prior to Scarlet, Daniel worked at Starwood Capital in their San Francisco office. He led and assisted more than $1.3B of development and redevelopments while there.

  Scarlet Capital

  Co-Founder And Managing Partner

  Daniel Ron

  Co-Founder And Managing Partner

  Scarlet Capital

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  Jessica Huble

  Jessica Huble is the Assistant Director of the Department of Redevelopment at the City of Sugar Land. Jessica is responsible for strategizing and implementing community development projects from conception to completion related to long-term development opportunities, commercial redevelopment, and public/private partnerships from an economic development perspective. Jessica aid’s in the City’s community and economic development efforts by leveraging established relationships with private sector partners for the advancement of future opportunity sites. Additionally, Jessica manages the Sugar Land 4B Corporation, the City’s Tax Increment Reinvestment Zones and Imperial Redevelopment District. Jessica has been with the City of Sugar Land for eight years and resides in Katy with her husband and daughter.

  City of Sugar Land

  Assistant Director of the Department of Redevelopment

  Jessica Huble

  Assistant Director of the Department of Redevelopment

  City of Sugar Land

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  Marc el-Khouri

  Marc’s career is a narrative of cultural depth, business acumen, and profound engagement with the built environment. Raised in Germany and Lebanon by a family steeped in architectural tradition, his natural affinity for the field has driven him to lead projects on four continents as a designer, developer, and workplace strategist. Embracing Picasso’s philosophy of mastering and then artistically bending the rules, Marc has excelled in pioneering new strategies for real estate development, architecture, and urban design. His portfolio, ranging from office buildings to hotels to medical cities, showcases a profound ability to unite functionality, strategy, and aesthetic elegance. Marc acts as Managing Principal and Practice Leader of the Corporate & Commercial Practice of Perkins&Will’s Houston studio. His previous roles include Director of Workplace Strategy at Boxer Property Management, Chief Development Officer of Avana Capital/Amena Hotels, and multiple Partnership and Senior positions at HOK, ME-K, and Kirksey. Marc received a Master of Architecture in Urban Design from Harvard University, and Bachelors of Architecture and Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design.

  Perkins&Will

  Practice Leader, Associate Principal

  Marc el-Khouri

  Practice Leader, Associate Principal

  Perkins&Will

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  Alex White

  Alex delivers a dynamically versed perspective in commercial real estate having experience at both an international law firm and a commercial real estate development company. For 11 years, he served clients in acquisitions, dispositions, ground-up development, landlord/tenant representation, and financing on behalf of Andrews Kurth LLP. During his career at AK, Alex developed a strong relationship with PinPoint Commercial, a real estate development company in Houston, and was later hired to serve as General Counsel. Alex's role at PinPoint allowed him to learn a greater appreciation for the business side of real estate development. He takes pride in helping clients solve problems from a practical perspective, weighing both legal and business interests. Alex received his J.D., cume laude, from Tulane University Law School in New Orleans, Louisiana, and his B.S., magna cume laude, in Finance from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois. Alex and his family are members of Chapelwood United Methodist Church and the Houston Racquet Club, where he served as President of the Board in 2020.

  Wilson Cribbs + Goren

  Shareholder

  Moderator

  Alex White

  Shareholder

  Wilson Cribbs + Goren

Tenant Retention Strategies

Features, Amenities, And Elements Driving Houston Leases Across Retail, Multifamily And Office

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  Kenneth Katz

  Kenneth is responsible for leading the real estate investment and development practice of Baker Katz, driving strategic property investments, ground-up development and redevelopments. Since the creation of the firm in 2004, Kenneth and his team have acquired or developed approximately 90 commercial real estate projects ranging in size from 3,000 square feet to 850,000 square feet. Baker Katz-owned properties have consistently attracted and retained hundreds of quality retailers and restaurants in virtually every category, including Marshalls, Hobby Lobby, 5 Below, Burlington, Party City, 24 Hr Fitness, Starbucks, AT&T, Verizon, Bank of America, and CVS Pharmacy. In addition to his development work, Kenneth leverages his 20 years of tenant representation experience on behalf of a wide variety of regional and national clients. His knowledge of the Houston market has been critical to site selection and expansion strategies for several prominent retailers, including HEB, Starbucks Coffee and Best Buy. Prior to co-founding Baker Katz, Kenneth was a principal at Wulfe & Co. He earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Washington University with dual degrees in finance and management. Kenneth holds the Certified Commercial Investment Institute designation. Kenneth serves on the Board of Trustees of The Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center, where he is a member of the Executive Committee. He is also a founding board member and advisory board member of KIPP Academy. Kenneth is a past board member of the Emery Weiner School, Episcopal High School and the Houston AIPAC Council. When Kenneth isn’t working, he enjoys biking, tennis, and spending time with his wife, Dana, and three children, David, Carly and Annie.

  Baker Katz

  Founder & Principal

  Kenneth Katz

  Founder & Principal

  Baker Katz

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  Nirav Shah

  Principal

  Tenant Managers

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  Lilly Golden

  A highly respected commercial real estate broker in the Houston market, Lilly Golden has been working in the industry for 25 years. She has represented retailers such as HEB, Sun & Ski, Guitar Center, Sur La Table, David’s Bridal, 99 Cents Only, Aaron Rents, and Houston’s Restaurants, leased properties for landlords such as CBL, Crescent, Freeway Properties and Tanglewood Corporation, represented investors such as Mischer Investments, Provident and Lovett Homes and completed build to suits for both Aaron Rents and Dollar Tree. Lilly has earned the “Heavy Hitters Award” from the Houston Business Journal and the “Costar Broker of the Year Award” in 2012, 2013 and 2015. She is a CCIM, a board member of The Site Source National Retail Broker Network, the Houston chairperson for the International Council of Shopping Centers and a member of Commercial Real Estate Women. Lilly started her career as a Systems Engineer at IBM in Chicago, she joined Jones Lang LaSalle 5 years later and worked as both an office and retail broker before moving to Houston in 1993. After working for Trammel Crow, Wulfe & Co and Moody Rambin, Lilly formed Evergreen Commercial Realty in 2005.

  Evergreen Commercial Realty

  President

  Lilly Golden

  President

  Evergreen Commercial Realty

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  Vivek Sinha

  Vivek Sinha is a Partner at Banyan, a privately held real estate investment firm specializing in upscale retail development across major Texas markets. Vivek leads Banyan's new developments and strategic initiatives, focusing on curating high-end retail destinations within master planned communities (MPCs) across the state. Most recently, prior to Banyan, he was a management consultant at Boston Consulting Group, advising Fortune 500 corporations and retailers on growth strategy and operational excellence.

  Banyan

  Partner

  Vivek Sinha

  Partner

  Banyan

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  Dan Hakker

  Dan Hakker is the Senior Vice president of Hotwire Communications’ Enterprise division, where he leads strategic business development initiatives and customer relationships across the enterprise sector. Dan’s extensive experience in providing technology solutions plays a pivotal role in expanding the company’s presence in commercial markets, delivering cutting-edge, high-performance connectivity solutions tailored to meet the needs of businesses, municipalities, and large-scale enterprises. His leadership and industry expertise drive innovative approaches to ensure clients receive best-in-class service and scalable solutions that support their evolving needs.

  Hotwire Communications

  Senior VP of Enterprise Division

  Dan Hakker

  Senior VP of Enterprise Division

  Hotwire Communications

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  Christine Peach

  Christine Peach is the Director of Environmental Services – South Texas for UES. Ms. Peach is a registered Professional Geologist in both Texas and Louisiana, with over 20 years of experience as an environmental consultant. Ms. Peach is a resident of Houston, Texas but is originally from Ontario, Canada. She obtained her Honors Bachelor of Science degree in Earth Science from Brock University, in Ontario, Canada and Master’s Degree in Earth Science and Hydrology from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. She is currently the Program Manager for two major State Lead contracts for TCEQ and manages the daily operations of UES’s South Texas environmental offices. Ms. Peach experience in the environmental arena is extensive. She provides technical assistance to clients and facilities engaged in soil and groundwater contamination investigations. She provides remediation strategies and oversight for multi-faceted projects; she manages a team of field scientists, subcontractors and works within operational scopes and budgets to successfully remediate and close the most complex project sites. Currently Ms. Peach handles multiple projects in varying stages of remediation and manages a team of over 30 employees at the Houston office. When she is not in the office or working on environmental projects, Ms. Peach spends time with her husband and two boys who are both involved in extracurricular activities at the local Junior and Senior High Schools. Ms. Peach is an active leader and merit badge counselor with Scouting America and volunteers with the high school band throughout their football and competition seasons. Ms. Peach enjoys spending time with her family and traveling.

  UES

  Director of Environmental Services – South Texas

  Moderator

  Christine Peach

  Director of Environmental Services – South Texas

  UES

Houston Market Insights And Strategies

Market Dynamics, Expansion, and Strategic Growth Planning

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  Christine Mastandrea

  Christine Mastandrea is Chief Operating Officer of Whitestone Real Estate Investment Trust. Ms. Mastandrea is responsible for managing our operational performance and strategic direction. She has been a key leader on many of Whitestone’s highest priority projects, including our IPO in 2010. She is an adjunct professor at the Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University and earned her MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

  Whitestone REIT

  President, COO

  Christine Mastandrea

  President, COO

  Whitestone REIT

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  Gabe Lerner

  Gabe Lerner is a seasoned commercial real estate and investment management leader with over a decade of experience spanning mixed-use, office, retail, and large-scale land acquisitions. Currently, he serves as Executive Vice President at Lincoln Property Company in Houston, where he focuses on expanding Lincoln’s service businesses, as well as its development and investment portfolios in the market. Additionally, his priority is to grow Lincoln’s mixed-use development business. Originally from Houston, Gabe has led real estate acquisition, development, and financing initiatives in markets across the globe and nationally, with a particular focus on the energy and real estate sectors. His comprehensive expertise encompasses Acquisition and Divestiture Management, Legal Due Diligence, and Asset Evaluation. Prior to joining Lincoln, Gabe held the position of Managing Director at Allied Orion Group. He was responsible for the acquisition, development, and alternative investment opportunities, concentrating on multifamily properties across the Sun Belt states. His strategic vision and leadership played a crucial role in expanding the company’s portfolio and driving its growth. Gabe’s career also includes a tenure as Managing Director for one of China’s largest private real estate developers, ZTC Investments. In this capacity, he spearheaded investments, oversight, and management of projects outside mainland China, with a portfolio that included ventures in North America, Europe, Japan, and other global locales. Gabe started his career working as an attorney in Houston, Texas.

  Lincoln Property Company

  EVP

  Gabe Lerner

  EVP

  Lincoln Property Company

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  Kevin Freels

  Kevin joined Midway and subsequently Parkway in 2021 as a Managing Director of the Investments Team, responsible for new acquisitions and equity relations across Sunbelt states. Prior to Midway/Parkway, Kevin was with HFF’s Houston office and subsequently relocated to Seattle to help establish and grow the outpost’s commercial investment advisory platform in 2016. Kevin spent 5 years as a Director in the Seattle office of HFF Capital Markets specializing in institutional-grade assets and developments across the West Coast, with a particular focus on the Pacific Northwest. Over his career, he’s contributed to the sale, recapitalization (mezzanine and joint venture equity placement) and financing (permanent, bridge, construction debt placement) of mixed-use, office, retail, multi-housing, industrial and hospitality assets totaling in excess of $4 billion dollars. Most recently, he has been very focused in the office/mixed-use investment space—in 2021, he led the acquisitions of Conoco’s former headquarters in West Houston (now Watermark) which will be converted into 1.5m sf mixed-use district. In 2023, he led an all cash acquisition of CityWest Place (West Houston) and Post Oak (Uptown Houston) totaling 3.5m sf of office, which will also be adding mixed-use components over next 5 years including retail, hotel, and multi-family.

  Midway

  EVP

  Kevin Freels

  EVP

  Midway

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  Katy Gragg

  Senior Vice President

  Transwestern

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  Swapnil Agarwal

  Swapnil Agarwal was born in Agra, India on May 25th, 1981. As a teenager, he and his parents moved to Houston, Texas, where he began his sophomore year at Alief Hastings Public High School. Swapnil briefly attended Houston Baptist University before moving to the University of Texas at Austin. He graduated in 2003 with a degree in Business Administration. Swapnil began a 2-year Investment Banking Analyst program at Simmons & Company International. From 2005-2006, Swapnil worked as a Business Development Manager at El Paso Energy before moving to Hong Kong to work at Forum Partners, a private equity firm. Swapnil created Nitya Capital in 2013. Nitya Capital, a privately-held international real estate investment firm, owns and manages over $3 billion in real estate assets across the United States. The company, which employs 500 professionals, has grown to include over $1.5 billion in total assets, according to a June 2019 report of Business Journal. In 2014, Swapnil founded KPM Property Management, a multifamily management company focused on providing management services to apartment communities across the country. In 2018, KPM Property Management was ranked the fastest-growing private company in Houston by Inc. 5000 and was featured in Houston Business Journal’s Middle Market Awards in 2021. An active member in providing goodwill across communities, Swapnil founded the Karya Kares Organization. The Karya Kares organization is responsible for providing various community charity services, including back-to-school donation events, scholarship donations, swimming safety education, veteran assistance, educational support, etc. Swapnil is a frequent media guest and has been interviewed by the NY Times, Forbes, GlobeSt., Houston Chronicle, Houston Business Journal, ABC13, Insights Success Magazine, and NPR.

  Nitya Capital

  Partner

  Swapnil Agarwal

  Partner

  Nitya Capital

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  Tyler Martin

  Tyler has more than 14 years of experience in public accounting, with an emphasis in financial statement and joint venture auditing and consulting. With a major focus on financial services and real estate, he serves clients in diverse sectors throughout the financial services and real estate industries. Throughout his career, Tyler has gained experience on a variety of engagements and clients including integrated SOX financial statement audits of public companies, mergers and acquisitions, international financial reporting, group audits and private equity-backed clients. As a result, he brings a wide base of knowledge and flexibility to all of his clients. Tyler is also involved in the firm’s peer review practice as one of the firm’s four qualified team captains for American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) peer review engagements. With a passion for developing others, Tyler has been a content developer and instructor for both internal and external training covering topics such as intermediate and advanced auditing, engagement management, financial services and real estate.

  Weaver

  Partner, Audit - Financial Services

  Moderator

  Tyler Martin

  Partner, Audit - Financial Services

  Weaver

Opening Remarks

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  Devon Rodriguez

  Devon Rodriguez is the Director of Redevelopment. She is responsible for leading the City’s community development, redevelopment and reinvestment strategy to ensure the remaining property in the City is developed with the highest and best use in mind, acknowledging that as the community is built out, the taxable values put in place will have to sustain the City into the future. Devon holds a Bachelor’s degree in Community and Regional Development from the University of California at Davis and has worked as an Economic Developer in California and Texas for over 15 years.

  City of Sugar Land

  Director of Redevelopment

  Devon Rodriguez

  Director of Redevelopment

  City of Sugar Land