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State of Downtown Austin

Latest updates on investment & development, analyzing booming asset classes, and sustaining the culture

Rob Gandy

Rob Gandy

Founding Principal

Cielo Property Group

Raasin Mcintosh

Raasin Mcintosh

VP Urban Activation

Downtown Austin Alliance

George Blume

George Blume

Principal, Design

HOK

Patrick Morrissey

Patrick Morrissey

Principal, Vice President of MEP Department

Encotech

David Knoll
Moderator

David Knoll

Sr. Director, Development

Ryan Companies

Rob Gandy

Founding Principal

Cielo Property Group

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.

Raasin Mcintosh

VP Urban Activation

Downtown Austin Alliance

As VP of Urban Activation, Raasin will lead the management team for Republic Square park and manage productions, partnerships and ideation for cultural-based placemaking and activations that welcome everyone to downtown Austin.

Raasin is the Founder and CEO of Raasin in the Sun. She is a visionary, creative, and Track and Field Olympian whose career spans nearly a decade specializing in community arts initiatives in cross-disciplinary collaborative work.

Raasin attended the University of Texas at Austin where she earned a BA in Communications. She has extensive experience in managing, producing, facilitating and coordinating mural arts, public arts, creative placemaking, restorations and community engagement initiatives. Raasin currently attends the Mural Arts Institute Philadelphia as part of an Art & Environmental Justice Capacity Building two-year grant initiative.

George Blume

Principal, Design

HOK

George is a Design Principal at HOK with nearly 20 years of experience and a passion for the spirit of exploration and appreciation for art embodied by his work. He has spent the majority of his career designing mixed-use, corporate and commercial projects with an eye for placemaking and capitalizing on the natural environment in which his buildings call home. As an Texas native, George endeavors to create architecture that becomes a place to escape the city.

Patrick Morrissey

Principal, Vice President of MEP Department

Encotech

Patrick Morrisey is a Mechanical Engineer and part of the leadership team as a Principal, and Vice President of the MEP Department at Encotech Engineering Consultants, a Central Texas boutique MEP and Structural engineering firm delivering professional services ranging from design to consulting.

When Mr. Morrisey relocated to Austin two years ago, he brought more than 15 years of engineering experience, particularly with landmarked buildings in his native New York City. He had a fast start in his career as he became the central point person for various projects and challenging scenarios, laying the groundwork for his ability to lead teams, as he understood all stakeholder trades. Being exposed to multiple commercial projects in Manhattan helped Mr. Morrissey understand how to visualize system configurations with extreme physical space constraints, an asset he adds to Encotech’s leadership team.

Upon joining Encotech, Mr. Morrisey became the Project Manager of a Fortune 500 FinTech Firm Campus tenant improvements for a new leased facility with approximately 133,824 rentable square feet and an adjoining Parking Garage. The project was right up the alley for someone who has managed thousands of square feet in commercial projects throughout his career. Since joining the Texan firm, he has participated in many commercial and civic projects. However, Mr. Morrisey is proudest of his mentorship contributions at Encotech. He has helped develop a department based on learning and exposure to different projects, offering designers and engineers a space for professional growth. “I have been integral to establishing useful tools for designers and engineers so they can streamline production and focus more time on learning and critical thinking where needed.”

Before moving to Austin, Mr. Morrisey was a Principal at a firm in New York, where he accrued a rich experience with commercial projects. Being the MEP engineering lead for the Retail Redevelopment at the World Trade Center, a 600,000 SF project spanned the four main towers on the 16-acre site. Similarly, he led a team of engineers for the Integrated Project Delivery for the American Airlines Admirals Lounge renovation at JFK International Airport. He spearheaded the technical site assessment for the Deutsche Bank’s 1.3 million square foot renovation. The opportunity to relocate to Austin two years ago and “switch gears to join a smaller company with a reputation of taking in very ambitious projects excited me, and I have not looked back once!”

David Knoll

Moderator

Ryan Companies

With nearly two decades of industry experience, David is instrumental in the strategic growth of Ryan’s South Central Region. As Senior Director of Real Estate Development for the Austin office, he is responsible for site selection and land acquisition, due diligence, municipal approvals, design and construction coordination, marketing and leasing, and sale negotiation. Known for his strong analytical and problem solving skills, David has the ability to successfully manage even the most complex projects, making him a crucial ally to his customers. He is well respected for the creativity he brings to project management and for his ability to pull together different groups of people, skillfully handling details without losing sight of the broader context.

New Opportunities In The “Silicon Valley Of The South”

Discussing downtown Austin keeping its momentum, market forecast, and meeting new tenant demands

Dave Johnstone

Dave Johnstone

CIO, Hospitality

McWhinney

Matteo Pacifici

Matteo Pacifici

Principal

Trammell Crow Company

Anne Swift

Anne Swift

Principal

Endeavor Real Estate Group

Michael Waddell

Michael Waddell

Design Director

Gensler

Cody Bailey

Cody Bailey

SVP

Gordon Highlander

Stefano Poisl
Moderator

Stefano Poisl

Principal/Partner

Goree

Dave Johnstone

CIO, Hospitality

McWhinney

With a legacy of more than 40 y ears of real estate and

hospitality experience, Dave Johnstone, McWhinney’s Chief

Investment Officer - Hospitality, is responsible for acquisitions,

developments, asset management and dispositions.

Specifically, he creates and executes business strategies

associated with all hospitality-related acquisitions and

development.

His career began in 1979 in the Windy City at Laventhol and

Horwath, a hospitality accounting and consulting firm, before

moving in 1981 to open their Denver office. He then served as

an Investment Manager for Prudential Property Company in

Atlanta, GA in 1987, where he was responsible for an equity

portfolio of hotel properties located in the Southeastern United

States. He then joined Sage Hospitality in 1989, where he

served as Principal for the Denver-based, nation-wide owner/

operator of hotels. In 1996 he departed for Hong Kong, and

his role as Vice President, Development for the Asia/Pacific

region at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, a subsidiary of

Marriott International, Inc., where he negotiated operating,

management and technical services contracts for new hotel

projects. In his final role before joining McWhinney in 2015,

Dave joined Miller Global Properties, LLC, a real estate pension

fund advisory firm, in 1998 , where he developed and acquired

hotels throughout the United States.

Passionate about creating new destinations with endless

possibilities in the ever-changing world of hospitality, Dave is

driven by the numerous opportunities McWhinney discovers.

He continues to give back to the industry that has shaped his

professional life by serving on university boards and councils,

as a guest lecturer and authoring several articles and book

chapters on industry related topics

Matteo Pacifici

Principal

Trammell Crow Company

Matteo Pacifici serves as Principal for TCC and is responsible for sourcing and executing new residential and mixed-use development opportunities for the Austin office across Central Texas. Since joining TCC in 2016, Matteo has been directly involved in completed and ongoing developments totaling over 5.3 million square feet, with total project costs in excess of $2.0 billion, including developing over 2,300 residential units for High Street Residential, TCC’s residential subsidiary. In his current role, Matteo oversees every aspect of the development process including entitlement, design, financing, construction, asset management and disposition activities. Prior to joining TCC, Matteo served as an analyst and associate at Wells Fargo Securities, where he jointly managed a $10 billion fixed-income derivative portfolio, and structured interest rate and currency hedging solutions for middle market corporations and institutional real estate clients.

Anne Swift

Principal

Endeavor Real Estate Group

During a career that began in 2005, Anne has completed hundreds of transactions for some of the industry’s most respected institutional owners, including Clarion Partners, Lionstone, TA Associates, UBS, Shorenstein, Westmount Realty, TIER Reit, and Principal Financial Group. She is regularly recognized as a “Commercial Real Estate Heavy Hitter” by the Austin Business Journal.

Prior to joining Endeavor in 2015, Anne was a Vice President of Office Leasing at Austin-based Live Oak Gottesman.

Michael Waddell

Design Director

Gensler

Michael Waddell is the design director in Gensler’s Austin office. Since joining the firm in 2011 he has developed a research-driven approach for each of his projects, centered around the user experience, project performance, and creating meaningful connections to the community.

Cody Bailey

SVP

Gordon Highlander

Cody joined the Gordon Highlander team with more than 25 years of industry experience. This experience has brought confidence and trust with new clients as he stepped into the role of Vice President for the new Central Texas office in Austin. He has built both a cohesive team and the Gordon Highlander reputation in this expanded market. In addition to his extensive professional experience, Cody holds a master’s degree in industrial Distribution from Texas A&M University. His use of industry experience and knowledge has been instrumental in growing the Central Texas market for Gordon Highlander

Rainey Street Rundown

The visionaries behind Austin's biggest projects

Brad Stein

Brad Stein

President

Intracorp Texas

David Kanne

David Kanne

CEO

LV Collective

Kevin Burns

Kevin Burns

CEO

Urbanspace

Chris Jackson

Chris Jackson

Principal

TBG

Kristi E. Stotts
Moderator

Kristi E. Stotts

Shareholder

Winstead PC

Brad Stein

President

Intracorp Texas

Brad Stein leads Intracorp’s Texas region, operating out of Austin, Texas. With Brad’s experience, he is responsible for building and leading a multi-functional local team and overseeing Intracorp’s growth in Texas. Brad is well versed in real estate deal making and joint venture partnerships. Prior to joining Intracorp, as a VP with Forestar Group Inc. Brad managed Forestar’s real estate assets through investment and development of mixed use communities in Texas and other markets. Previously, Brad practiced as a real estate attorney in private practice and as in-house counsel for publicly traded companies, Forestar and Temple-Inland.

David Kanne

CEO

LV Collective

David oversees and leads all of LV Collective’s endeavors. He possesses a unique ability to create and inspire forward-thinking design and innovation, incorporating a keen understanding of complex capital structures combined with a knowledge of how to practically execute a timely and cost-effective construction project and bring the concept into existence. His leadership and direction of the company, paired with a heart for the success of everyone involved, has curated a unique environment in which team members thrive and enjoy collaboration while deftly producing cutting-edge projects with unmatched market appeal.

David founded LV Collective in 2012 with the vision and passion to help shape the future of Austin’s real estate landscape. Since its inception, the company has acquired, developed and managed student housing, multi-family, creative office, residential, retail, restaurant, mixed-use and office assets valued in excess of $1.4 billion. LV Collective primarily employs value-add and opportunistic strategies to generate above-average, risk-adjusted returns for its investors. The company’s expertise spans ground-up development, adaptive reuse, value-add acquisitions and strategic re-positioning projects. LV’s structure as a privately held company allows for flexibility to underwrite and execute deals of all asset types, sizes and structures in order to secure the best opportunities in the market.

David is very involved in several neighborhood groups such as University Area Partners and The Central Austin Neighborhood Planning Advisory Committee, as well as local and national organizations such as The Real Council of Austin, ULI, and NMHC. David graduated with distinction from the University of Nebraska at Omaha where he received his B.S. in Construction Engineering. David is married to his wife, Lauren, and they reside in Central Austin with their two children.

Kevin Burns

CEO

Urbanspace

Kevin Burns is the CEO of Urbanspace, a multi-faceted company specializing in project development and

marketing, real estate sales and leasing, interior design, modern furnishings, logistics and hospitality.

2025 marked the year that The Modern Austin Residences, a luxury 56 story condo tower and Kevin’s

most recent development, delivered in the Rainey Street District. His newest hospitality concept,

Modern Bar, recently opened on the ground floor of the tower.

Since founding Urbanspace in 2000, Kevin’s firm has served as the exclusive sales and marketing

brokerage on highly successful projects including The Modern, 44 East Ave, The Independent, Seaholm

Residences and numerous other projects in the Austin area. True to his lifelong enterprising spirit, Kevin

opened his first hospitality concept, Codependent Cocktails + Coffee, next to Urbanspace at the base of

The Independent. Additionally, he developed a boutique hotel on the water in the form of two luxury

sailing catamarans, Seahome I and II, as well as a luxury ski house vacation rental in Park City featuring

six bedrooms, five full bathrooms and modern furnishings.

For the past three years, Kevin has been named to Austin Business Journal’s Power Players list,

recognizing individuals who have made significant impacts in Austin and their industries. Kevin remains

actively involved in real estate, topping over $1.5 billion in sales throughout his career and earning

Austin Business Journal’s Top Realtor award in 2020. He is a multi-year member of Elite 25, Austin’s top

luxury agent group.

Kevin is an urban community advocate and an active contributor to the Shoal Creek Conservancy, Austin

Parks Foundation and Waterloo Greenway. He is also an active member of YPO, board member and

former executive committee member of The Real Estate Council of Austin and former chair of the Urban

Land Institute’s Urban development council, while also giving back by mentoring young talent through

RECA and ULI. Kevin lives, works and builds community downtown, and enjoys traveling, sailing, skiing

and the many perks that the urban lifestyle offers.

Chris Jackson

Principal

TBG

A Principal in TBG’s Austin office, Chris is a Pennsylvania native who has called central Texas home since joining TBG in 2007 and has become deeply embedded in the local community through wide- ranging involvement. He is actively involved with many local entities focused on community enhancement like the Downtown Austin Alliance, The Trail Foundation and ASLA’s CodeNEXT Advisory Committee, which provide valuable outlets to effect change in terms of urban renewal. Chris also serves as TBG Austin’s Business Development Leader and engages projects at all scales.

Logo: Attached

Kristi E. Stotts

Moderator

Winstead PC

Kristi E. Stotts is a shareholder in Winstead's Real Estate Development & Investments Practice Group.

Kristi’s practice is focused on real estate development, with an emphasis on structuring and administering

residential, mixed-use and office condominiums, and master planned communities. Kristi represents

developers in their administration of property owner associations. Kristi also handles traditional real estate

transactions including drafting acquisition and disposition contracts, easements and license agreements.

Representative Experience

• Representation of condominium developers and builders in the creation of high-rise, mixed-use,

commercial and residential condominium projects

• Representation of developers and builders in the conversion of multifamily housing into

residential condominiums

• Representation of developers and builders in structuring single family and townhome projects and

master planned residential and mixed-use developments

• Representation of developers and builders in the formation and administration of residential,

commercial and mixed-use property owners associations

• Representation of condominium developers and builders in complying with secondary mortgage

market requirements (FHA, VA, FNMA, etc.) and the Interstate Land Sales Full Disclosure Act

• Representation of purchasers and sellers of real estate in the acquisition, disposition and

development of improved and unimproved property

• Representation of associations and developers in the termination and repurposing of

condominium regimes

Education

Baylor University School of Law

 J.D., 2006

 Baylor Law Review (2004-2006)

University of North Texas

 B.B.A., Marketing, 2003

 magna cum laude

Professional Recognition & Community Involvement

 Representative, Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Council,

Opportunity Austin 3.0 and 4.0

4840-1789-2137v.1 999993-1 11/13/2020

 Member, Urban Land Institute

 ULI Master Planned Communities Local Member Council, 2019, 2020

 ULI Next, 2018, 2019

 Young Leaders Partnership Forum, 2013

 Member, Real Estate Council of Austin

 Co-Chair Knock Out Night Committee, 2012

 Leadership Development Council Oversight Committee, 2011

 Leadership Development Council Class, 2010

 Austin Bar Association Real Estate Section

 CREW Austin (2011-2012)

 Austin Children’s Shelter Guild (2008-2010)

 Court Appointed Special Advocate (2006-2008)

Admitted to Practice

 Texas, 2006

Presentations and Papers

 Condominiums as a Residential Planning Tool, presented at the Austin Land Development

Seminar (October, 2018)

 Using Condominiums to Create Value and Solve Problems, presented at the Austin Land

Development Seminar (October, 2017)

 Basics of Restrictive Covenants, presented at the Austin Land Development Seminar (October,

2015)

 Condominium Alternatives: Mixed and Non-Traditional Uses, Co-Author, Article for Advanced

Real Estate Law Course (July, 2012)

 HOA Reform Laws, Select Issues: Developers and Declarants, Co-Author, Article for State Bar of

Texas Webcast (April, 2012)

 Condominiums as a Land Planning Tool, Co-Author, presented at the Austin Land Development

Seminar (September, 2011)

PROJECTS TO BE DISCUSSED

These are some key projects in the area that our panelists will be discussing. Read more about these developments by clicking on the links below.

Why You Can't Miss This Austin Downtown CRE Event

What You'll Learn From Austin Commercial Real Estate Leaders:

How You'll Do More Business From Attending This Conference: Downtown Austin has been an attractive playground for the CRE market with year-over-year growth. With success seen in almost all asset classes, downtown Austin keeps attracting investors and developers, and the pressure and expectancy are high for downtown’s future. Join industry leaders as they dive deep into where to deploy capital, what asset classes are taking over downtown, and what’s in store for the future!

Who You’ll Meet & Network With: Owners, developers, investors, brokers, city and government officials, business consultants, architects, engineers, lawyers, accountants, and bankers.

What Does Your Ticket Get You: Bisnow events bring together the biggest power players in the industry to identify opportunities, build your network and expand your business. With the largest audience of commercial real estate professionals in the world, no one knows how to help your business more than us.

Venue

Sheraton Austin Hotel at The Capitol
701 E 11th St
Austin, TX 78701

Ballroom: Capital Ballroom D-E, Foyer - 3rd floor


$20 Self-parking

Get Directions

Agenda

Time Activity
2:00 PM
3:00 PM
Breakfast & Networking
3:00 PM
3:45 PM
Rainey Street Rundown

The visionaries behind Austin's biggest projects

3:45 PM
3:50 PM
Quick Break
3:50 PM
4:30 PM
State of Downtown Austin

Latest updates on investment & development, analyzing booming asset classes, and sustaining the culture

4:30 PM
4:45 PM
Networking Break
4:45 PM
5:30 PM
New Opportunities In The “Silicon Valley Of The South”

Discussing downtown Austin keeping its momentum, market forecast, and meeting new tenant demands

5:30 PM
6:00 PM
Closing Networking

OUR COMMITMENT TO YOUR SAFETY

We hosted more than 72,000 attendees live, in-person around the globe in 2021. Our commitment to safety is no different in 2022. Our events follow all local Covid-19 regulations and protocols. In the interest of the safety of all our guests, we recommend taking a rapid or PCR test for proof of negative results before attending any gathering. 

We will update attendees should any regulations be updated before this event is held. We look forward to hosting you soon to do what we do best: network, connect, and engage to do more business.