Future of Downtown Austin

Dewitt (De) Peart leads the DAA team in fulfilling its mission of preserving and enhancing the value and vitality of downtown Austin. De became the President and CEO of the Downtown Austin Alliance in February 2015. He guides the DAA’s vision and strategy, supervises staff and ensures the organization’s fiscal health. He also leads its advocacy efforts, acting as head liaison to the DAA board of directors and informing public officials and the community of our priorities. Prior to taking the helm at the DAA, De served as executive vice president, economic development and public affairs at the Allegheny Conference on Community Development and is president of the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance (PRA) and president of the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce – both affiliates of the Allegheny Conference. The PRA markets the benefits of conducting business in southwestern Pennsylvania to companies worldwide that are growing, relocating or expanding and supports the growth of existing employers in the Pittsburgh region.

What drives you? I strive to be the best, and I want the same for the company we’re building. I want Cielo to deliver the highest level of customer service, the most well planned spaces a tenant could imagine, and the highest risk adjusted returns to our investors. If we do that — and I can also be the best husband and dad I can possibly be — then I can go to sleep at night knowing I didn’t leave anything on the table. How do you envision Austin in the next 25 years? I expect that Austin will continue to be one of the most sought after places in the country for people to live and work 25 year from now. This means our population could triple in that time, creating many challenges and opportunities. I believe that our urban core must continue to increase in density with more high-rise and mid-rise developments, just as we’ve seen over the last five years. The alternative is much more traffic and sprawl to the detriment of our environment and quality of life. How did you start the company? Bobby and I share Texas roots and were introduced by a mutual friend. I liked his vision and creative energy immediately. Two months later, we formed our company and bootstrapped it from there. Why Austin? Austin is one of the best cities in the world without a doubt. It appeals to people of all ages and just has so much going for it. We are the Capital of Texas, home of the University of Texas, soon to be home to a new medical school, the tech capital of the south, and the Live Music Capital of the World. Austin offers a beautiful natural environment and countless ways to enjoy it. It’s a business friendly city with a thriving restaurant scene. If you’ve spent a few days here eating barbecue, listening to live music, or water skiing on Lake Travis, you know why so many people want to be — and are becoming — Austinites.

As a senior vice president with more than 30 years of expertise, Tim Hendricks is responsible for Cousins’ acquisitions, development, leasing and marketing activities in Central Texas. Tim has lead Cousins’ development effort in Austin over the past 20 years completing in excess of 3.5 million square feet. Tim has been involved in numerous high level projects which have greatly influenced the Austin commercial real estate market. He has made his mark on the iconic Austin CBD skyline with projects such as Frost Bank Tower and Colorado Tower. Tim also led the development on several award winning suburban projects throughout Austin, namely Motorola’s Parmer Lane Campus, Palisades West and Research Park. Prior to joining Cousins in 1993, Tim was senior vice president of the Office Building Division for the Weitzman Group where he was responsible for leasing and business development. Tim also has held positions as market director for Connaught, Inc. and office building specialist for James F. Parker Interests.

Mr. Redd is our Executive Vice President and Senior Managing Director for the Austin and Metro DC regions with responsibility for the leasing and marketing, asset management, evaluation of building and land acquisitions and dispositions, third party services and property management of a diversified portfolio consisting of urban and suburban high-rise and mid-rise properties. He joined Brandywine in 1999 as Vice President of our Richmond operations. Formerly, Mr. Redd was a partner from 1988 until 1999 with Childress Klein Properties, a privately-held real estate firm headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. From 1985 until 1988, he was with the Trammell Crow Company. In Austin, Mr. Redd serves on the Board of Directors of the Hill Country Conservancy, the Opportunity Austin Economic Development Council, and is a member of the Real Estate Council of Austin (RECA) and ULI Austin. He is also a member of the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Real Estate Circle of Excellence, Greater Richmond Association of Commercial Real Estate (GRACRE), and Richmond Real Estate Group. Mr. Redd earned his law degree from the University of Virginia, and a B.A. degree from Hampden-Sydney College.

Mike Celkis is a partner with the Firm’s tax practice. Based in the Austin office, Mike is responsible for providing domestic tax, financial accounting, and tax consulting services to individuals, corporations, and partnerships in many different industries. He is also responsible for planning and tax compliance reviews for partnerships and corporations with a focus on low-income housing tax credit projects and real estate developers. Mike has broad knowledge of, and experience in, international tax, energy tax credit services, multifamily and commercial real estate, and carryover allocations and is the firm expert on the Texas Franchise Tax and Section 199 (domestic manufacturing deduction). His clients include not-for-profit housing organizations and experienced developers across the United States. His duties include the planning, supervision and review of tax compliance matters for a substantial number of the Austin office's individual, partnership and corporate tax clients.

As the president of the newest addition to the MFG consortium, Manchester Texas Financial Group, Douglas W. Manchester represents Manchester Financial Group and all Texas holdings in the capital city of Austin, Texas. Manchester earned his BA in Political Science with a minor in Business from Wake Forest University. Following graduation, he has applied his business knowledge in all aspects of the hotel, insurance and real estate industries. This career path has led him to Austin to engage the firm in commercial real estate ventures and hotel development.

Page Senior Principal Lawrence W. Speck, FAIA, has worked on many of Austin’s landmark projects, open spaces and central Austin master planning efforts including Austin-Bergstrom International Airport Barbara Jordan Terminal and the recent Terminal East Infill; Austin Convention Center; Town Lake Comprehensive Plan; 2nd Street District; UT Austin Master Plan; UT Dell Medical School Master Plan and Texas Facilities Commission Capitol Complex Master Plan. Speck’s work on the UT Dell Medical School Innovation Zone dates back to 2013 when the district was conceived. His firm has continuing involvement with the Medical School Master Plan and four buildings in that complex. Speck’s far-reaching healthcare design experience has put him at the forefront of changing dynamics and emphasis on patience-centric philosophies and innovation shaping the field. Within the last 10 years alone, Speck’s work has been recognized with over 75 design awards, and his thoughts on architecture and urban planning have been published throughout the world.