Powering The DTLA Comeback

Planning, Policy, Public-Private Partnerships & The Path to Economic Viability

• 

  Jane Choi

  Jane Choi, AICP, is a strategic urban planning leader with nearly two decades of experience navigating the complexities of the built environment. As Principal City Planner and Division Manager for Los Angeles City Planning’s Central Project Planning Division, Jane oversees the entitlement and project review process for the city’s most iconic districts, including Downtown and Hollywood. A recognized expert in the intersection of state mandates and local implementation, her technical mastery encompasses mobility planning, environmental review, and the evolving landscape of California housing law. Jane’s leadership is instrumental in translating land use policy into practice across Los Angeles’ high-density neighborhoods. She holds degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and UCLA.

  Los Angeles City Planning

  Principal City Planner and Division Manager

  Jane Choi

  Principal City Planner and Division Manager

  Los Angeles City Planning

• 

  Jens Midthun

  President

  Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council (DLANC)

• 

  Lilly O'Brien

  Deputy Executive Officer

  LA Metro

• 

  Andrew Simon

  General Manager, L.A. LIVE

  AEG Worldwide (Anschutz Entertainment Group)

• 

  Nick Griffin

  As the Downtown Los Angeles Alliance's Executive Director, Nicholas ‘Nick’ Griffin spearheads the organization’s efforts to attract new businesses, retailers, investors and residents to what has grown to become one of the nation’s most dynamic urban centers. Hailed the “next great American City,” by GQ Magazine, Downtown LA has experienced unprecedented growth over the past 16-years, in large part due to the efforts of the DTLA Alliance's economic development team. Prior to the DTLA Alliance, Nick spent more than 25 years in business development in the real estate, media/entertainment and technology industries. For the previous 10 years, Nick was a leading commercial leasing and sales broker in New York City, where he was responsible for more than $100M in transactions. Prior to his rise in real estate, Nick spent a decade as a marketing and sales executive in the creative media and technology industries. Nick is a graduate of UCLA and holds an MBA from Ohio State University.

  DTLA Alliance

  EVP

  Moderator

  Nick Griffin

  EVP

  DTLA Alliance

The DTLA Housing Outlook

Multifamily & Condo Demand, Occupancy Trends, Policy & Development Challenges, Acquisitions & Capital

• 

  Mark Janda

  As Senior Vice President of Development, Mark Janda is responsible for new development activity in the Southern California region. He joined the company in July of 2012. Mr. Janda has more than two decades of experience in the multifamily and mixed-use development business. Prior to joining AvalonBay, he spent 12 years at The Irvine Company, where he managed the development of over 13,000 multifamily units, including some of the largest and most capital-intensive projects ever undertaken by the company. Prior to The Irvine Company, Mr. Janda spent three years with The Macklowe Organization in New York, where his responsibilities included acquisition, finance, and development of the company’s multifamily, office and retail investments in Manhattan. He held an earlier position with Landauer Associates in New York, where his assignments included economic modeling, portfolio valuation projects and the underwriting of several REIT IPO’s. Mr. Janda started his career as a structural engineer, designing structural systems for large-scale projects, including Denver International Airport. Mr. Janda holds a Master of Science degree in Real Estate from New York University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Architectural Engineering from Kansas State University. His professional affiliations include the Urban Land Institute and the California Building Industry Association.

  AvalonBay

  SVP Development

  Mark Janda

  SVP Development

  AvalonBay

• 

  Darrel Malamut

  Mr. Malamut serves as the Senior Vice President of Development at G.H. Palmer Associates and oversees the entitlement and development activities for the company. He has extensive experience in all aspects of real estate development, including mixed-use podium style multifamily, mid-rise, high-rise, urban infill, condominium, commercial (office, industrial and retail) and master-planned community housing.

  G.H. Palmer Associates

  SVP, Development

  Darrel Malamut

  SVP, Development

  G.H. Palmer Associates

• 

  Media Moussavy

  Team Founder

  Luxe Living Group, The Agency & DTLA Insider

• 

  Jenny Scanlin

  Chief Strategic Development Officer

  Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA)

• 

  Alex Hill

  Alex Hill has more than 15 years of experience in public accounting, with a focus on assurance engagements in the real estate, construction and private equity sectors. His primary services include financial statement audits, fund audits and financial statement reviews for a wide variety of clients, including Fortune 500 companies. His work has supported adaptive reuse, retail, office, hotels, public REITs and real estate funds. As a strategic advisor in the middle market, Alex supports clients ranging from small private companies to multinational public companies with real estate project costs, real estate land sales, leasing, debt/equity transactions, asset acquisitions and dispositions and joint ventures.

  Weaver

  Partner

  Moderator

  Alex Hill

  Partner

  Weaver

Reviving Downtown: What Will it Take?

Market Trends, Policy, Demand Drivers, Leasing, Operations & Urban Activation

• 

  Joe Suzuki

  VP & Regional Operations Manager

  LBA Properties

• 

  Hal Bastian

  President

  Hal Bastian, Inc.

• 

  Louie Silva

  Commercial real estate leader with over 20 years of industry experience, including 15 years specializing in complex federal acquisitions, government leasing, capital projects, and AI-enabled delivery. Track record includes over 100 projects valued over $100M, overseeing more than 1.5M sqft of construction and negotiating federal lease agreements that achieved 12% average cost savings and over $3M in long-term reductions. Leveraging AI-driven tools for budget forecasting, risk management, and stakeholder communication to drive innovation in large-scale federal leasing real estate programs.

  Public Sector Real Estate

  Federal Leasing Capital Project Manager SW Division

  Louie Silva

  Federal Leasing Capital Project Manager SW Division

  Public Sector Real Estate

• 

  Adam Tischer

  Adam K. Tischer joined Colliers in January 2011. He will serve as vice president based in Colliers’ DTLA office. He specializes in representing large corporate investment and developer clients in the Downtown Los Angeles market, and has completed commercial real estate transactions totaling approximately $100 million.

  Colliers

  SVP

  Adam Tischer

  SVP

  Colliers

• 

  Justin Weiss

  Justin is a Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) market expert, with 11 years of experience in commercial real estate leasing and sales. As former Associate Director of Economic Development for the Downtown Center Business Improvement District and Central City Association and currently as Vice President of brokerage at KWP Real Estate, Justin’s passion for a better DTLA is exemplified in his deep knowledge of the area’s history, strong relationships with local stakeholders, and track record of transactional success.CAREER HISTORYDuring his five-year tenure at the DCBID, Justin successfully recruited hundreds of retailers, developers, hotels, office tenants and residents to DTLA, while playing an active role in laying the political groundwork for DTLA’s renaissance. Notable recruits whose presence led to the explosion of growth seen in DTLA today include: City Target, Bottega Louie, Urth Caffé, and The Ace Hotel.Justin joined KWP Real Estate in 2014 to spearhead its commercial brokerage platform in Downtown Los Angeles and is currently recognized as one of the area’s leading brokers. In that time, he and his partner, Lee Shapiro, have successfully completed over 590,000 square feet of retail, mixed-use, adaptive reuse, and creative office space transactions in DTLA. Given his boots-on-the-ground market expertise, Justin has also been engaged to represent numerous notable office tenants.In 2019 and 2020, the Los Angeles Business Journal named Justin one of L.A.’s 500 Most Influential People.

  KWP Real Estate

  VP

  Justin Weiss

  VP

  KWP Real Estate

• 

  Michael Saltzman

  Michael Saltzman leads West Coast business development for Ennead Architects, a globally recognized architecture and planning firm. With a multidisciplinary background in architecture, city planning, and real estate development, Michael bridges the gap between visionary design and commercial viability, shaping complex urban, cultural, and institutional projects. His earlier leadership roles include founding and directing an architecture studio for The Hillier Group, spearheading urban town center developments at The Gale Company, and launching his own firm, Newwork, which integrated real estate development, master planning, and marketing. Across all roles, Michael has pursued impactful, financially sound strategies for transformative projects—from mixed-use adaptive reuse and university-led district revitalizations to infrastructure for decarbonization and resilient growth. Based in Downtown Los Angeles for the past decade, Michael is deeply engaged in shaping sustainable urban futures through partnerships with universities, city agencies, and investors. His work centers on next-generation reuse, campus innovation, and leveraging public-private mechanisms to realize high-performance buildings and inclusive neighborhoods.

  Ennead Architects

  Director

  Michael Saltzman

  Director

  Ennead Architects

• 

  Joe Dzida

  Real estate attorney Joseph Dzida focuses on putting his clients first in every aspect of his work. He takes pride in his ability to advise on both legal matters as well as business-related issues and considerations in connection with his representation. Joe's practice focuses on acquisitions and dispositions of commercial office, industrial, and retail properties, as well as leasing transactions, in which he represents landlords and tenants in both large and small scale office, retail, industrial, medical, shopping center, and mixed-use real estate projects across the country. Some of the clients Joe has assisted include a global real estate investment firm and an alternative asset management division of a global insurance company.

  Allen Matkins

  Real Estate Attorney

  Moderator

  Joe Dzida

  Real Estate Attorney

  Allen Matkins