From Boardrooms to Bedrooms: A Discussion on Turning Office Vacancies into Livable Spaces

Discussing Strategies, Trends, and Challenges in Office-to-Resi Conversions

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  Mark Weinstein

  Mark is the President and Founder of MJW Investments. After beginning his career as an attorney, Los Angeles native Mark J. Weinstein founded MJW Investments in 1983 when he discovered the potential of real estate investment and development through several successful ventures. Under his leadership MJW has acquired approximately 1 billion dollars of real estate holdings in all asset types. He also spearheaded the adaptive reuse of Santee Village, one of Los Angeles’ largest adaptive reuse projects of over 800,000 sqft. of mixed-use in the Fashion District of Downtown Los Angeles. Mr. Weinstein’s passion for, and expertise in property repositioning has been a guiding factor in the company’s growth and success. Mark is the majority owner of the firm’s $800MM diversified real estate holdings. More recently, Mark has led the firm’s strategic growth into student housing and has amassed a portfolio of student housing properties at Michigan State, Washington State, Brigham Young University, UC Santa Barbara, Texas Tech, University of Illinois and University of Oregon. The firm continues to expand its Southern California multifamily portfolio. Throughout his career, Mr. Weinstein has maintained active associations and leadership with numerous civic and philanthropic groups. These include a three year term as Chair of the Jewish Federation’s Real Estate Construction Division; and active associations with the Young Presidents Organization (YPO), the Guardians, an agency dedicated to serving the elderly, and the Jewish Venture Philanthropy fund. Mr. Weinstein holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara (summa cum laude), and a Juris Doctorate from Loyola Law School (dean’s list).

  MJW Investments

  Founder & President

  Mark Weinstein

  Founder & President

  MJW Investments

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  Eddie Lorin

  Eddie Lorin is managing member and co-founder of Strategic Realty Holdings. He is a real estate owner, developer and acting principal. Through the course of his career, Eddie has successfully acquired more than 200 properties; 40,000 units contained in over $4.2 billion in real estate. Eddie is one of the original “mission-oriented investors” before impact investments focused on delivering a triple bottom line…financial, environmental and social returns to its investors, residents and its stakeholders. Eddie is a member of the EIG and the Novogradac coalitions for Opportunity Zones. Eddie is also co‐founder of the 501c3 HAPI Foundation with his wife Jane which was developed to promote health and wellness in low-income apartment communities. Earning his bachelor's degree from the University of California, Los Angeles and has been a licensed California real estate broker since 1988. He has two college-age daughters and lives in Westlake Village, CA with his wife.

  Strategic Realty Holdings

  CEO & Founder

  Eddie Lorin

  CEO & Founder

  Strategic Realty Holdings

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  Robert Montano

  As VP of Development, Mr. Montano is responsible for managing developments from acquisition through entitlements, and construction through sales. These projects have included residential condo and apartments with various types, from ground up, to historic adaptive reuse, office conversions. He also oversees the Adept’s Japan’s Investor office which includes a number of publicly traded transportation and development focused companies as well as a large pool to high net-worth individuals and family offices. Prior to joining Adept Development, Robert spent over two decades in the public sector with the City of Pasadena and County of Los Angeles in redevelopment and economic development. While with the City of Pasadena, he was responsible for a wide variety of public/private partnerships and projects of community-wide significance. He oversaw retail recruitment efforts contributing to the Old Pasadena, Playhouse and South Lake Avenue Districts, and was the point person facilitating all mixed-use and commercial development for the City. Prior to Pasadena, Robert was a project manager for the East Rancho Dominguez Project area and West Altadena Redevelopment Project area where he played a role in funding and constructing the Business Technology Center – a 30,000 high technology business incubator focused on transferring patents from institutions at NASA’s JPL and Caltech for commercial purposes, paving the way for the revitalization of the Lincoln Avenue Corridor in Altadena. Robert attended Cal Poly Pomona where he earned his Bachelor’s of Science in Urban and Regional Planning.

  Adept Urban

  Vice President

  Robert Montano

  Vice President

  Adept Urban

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  Janice Li

  Janice Li, AIA LEED AP, serves as the Studio Director for Lowney Architecture's Honolulu office. She is a highly respected licensed architect and design professional with a profound dedication to promoting excellence in her field and within her teams. With a lifelong curiosity about spatial functionality, Janice's impact is evident throughout her career, showcased by her award-winning project portfolio, the significant expansion of the firm's local team, and her mentorship and teaching contributions at the University of Hawaii's School of Architecture. Since obtaining her Master of Architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Janice has amassed over two decades of experience working in diverse regions, including Hawaii, California, Hong Kong, and Thailand. Drawing from her global perspective, collaborative spirit, and user-centered approach, Janice is committed to elevating the standards of architectural practices with every project she undertakes.

  Lowney Architecture

  Studio Director

  Janice Li

  Studio Director

  Lowney Architecture

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  Tarrah Beebe

  Tarrah Beebe joined KFA upon earning her Masters in Architecture from USC and was promoted to Senior Associate in 2018. Her career at KFA has been focused on community-based and hospitality project types, with a specialty in historic renovations and adaptive reuse. As a partner to clients, Tarrah is able to creatively problem solve challenges that arise in adaptive reuse conversion, giving new life to underutilized properties. She sees collaboration as the cornerstone of successful projects, and enjoys synthesizing input from clients, consultants, and contractors. Originally from Boston’s historic Charlestown neighborhood, Tarrah’s undergraduate years were divided between the design studios of CUA’s School of Architecture, and the volleyball court as the University’s first libero. She studied urban design in Tanzania as a Fulbright scholar, and has taught at USC in the Building Science program. She has coached a club volleyball team in Santa Monica for 13 years.

  KFA

  Senior Associate

  Tarrah Beebe

  Senior Associate

  KFA

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  Doug Hayden

  Douglas Hayden boasts an impressive track record spanning over 20 years in both the Commercial and Residential real estate sectors. Alongside his team, Doug has successfully executed more than 1,600 transactions, building a reputation for diligence, innovation, and client satisfaction. Before delving into real estate, Doug sharpened his skills in the realm of business development. He held prominent roles at multiple tech startups, all of which were later acquired by industry giants such as Apple, IBM, and British Telecom. Doug's knack for identifying potential and strategically positioning businesses for success was further cemented during his tenure at SMED, an office solutions provider. Here, Doug steered the company towards integration with tech platforms like Cisco Systems, focusing on enhancing office environments with technology-infused solutions for raised flooring, walls, and ceiling systems. SMED was acquired by Hawworth in 2000. In addition to his industry accomplishments, Doug is a distinguished realtor and has been recognized with numerous community support awards throughout his career. Notably, he was part of the pioneering team that established EXP Realty in Canada, demonstrating his unwavering commitment to innovation in the real estate industry. In honor of his service and impact on communities, he is the recipient of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Citizenship Medal and the Alberta Centennial Medal. With his forward-thinking vision and relentless drive, Doug Hayden continues to reshape the landscape of the real estate industry in North America and beyond.

  Arthroto

  Founder, President, and CSO

  Moderator

  Doug Hayden

  Founder, President, and CSO

  Arthroto

Labscaping the Future: Navigating Office-to-Lab Conversions

Exploring Innovative Solutions and Insights into the Transformative World of Office-to-Lab Conversions

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  Clayton McFadden

  Mr. McFadden is a Director in the asset management team for the company. Prior to joining Harbor Associates, Mr. McFadden held asset management and leasing roles for EQ Office, the U.S. office portfolio company wholly-owned by Blackstone’s real estate funds, and Irvine Company’s Office Properties division, a long-term owner of high-quality real estate throughout Costal California. Mr. McFadden has managed leasing, operations, and capital investment for both privately held and institutionally owned Class A office properties across major US markets. Mr. McFadden holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He has been a regular member of NAIOP’s SoCal Chapter and is a board member of the South Coast Metro Alliance.

  Harbor Associates

  Director

  Clayton McFadden

  Director

  Harbor Associates

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  Brett Gomes

  Brett Gomes is Senior Vice President at Philadelphia-based Argosy Real Estate Partners, an institutional diversified real estate fund manager focused on the lower middle market. Working out of Argosy’s San Francisco office, Brett leads West Coast acquisitions and is responsible for sourcing new investments and expanding Argosy’s network of operating partners throughout the California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii. Prior to joining Argosy, Brett was a Managing Director with PRG Capital Management and Director of its sister company, PRG Real Estate, based in Philadelphia. The PRG Companies are a vertically integrated multifamily owner/operator with a portfolio comprising 12,000 units across the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, and Southeast. Brett is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business, from which he received his Bachelor of Science in Economics.

  Argosy Real Estate Partners

  SVP

  Brett Gomes

  SVP

  Argosy Real Estate Partners

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  Tom Lam

  Tom Lam is a Principal of Luminous Capital Management, a life science real estate investment management firm based in Irvine, CA. Tom’s primary responsibilities include acquisitions, due diligence, and capital raising. Over his 17-year career in commercial real estate, he has invested over $1 billion across multiple asset types and major Western markets on behalf of institutional and high net worth investors. Prior to Luminous, Tom has worked at firms such as Boardwalk Investments Group, Buchanan Street Partners, and Emmes Group. Mr. Lam graduated with an MBA and a Master of Real Estate Development from the University of Southern California in 2014. He is an active member of NAIOP.

  Luminous Capital Management

  Principal

  Tom Lam

  Principal

  Luminous Capital Management

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  Jamie Prevost

  With over 30 years of industry experience and 3 million sq. ft. of life science projects completed, Jamie Prevost leads Skyline's Life Science practice area. Jamie leverages his expertise to assist clients during the due diligence process by providing strategic and collaborative preconstruction insight. Since the early 2000’s, Jamie has led the construction of 60+ labs and over a dozen adaptive re-use projects. During his leadership of San Diego based Prevost Construction, Jamie grew revenues from $10million to $100M before being acquired by Skyline Construction in 2022. With offices in San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, and now San Diego, Jamie leverages established project teams and existing customer relationships to serve the surging demand for life science construction expertise. With his knowledge of the unique constraints associated with adaptive reuse and traditional life science tenant improvements, clients often lean on Jamie and his team for feasibility studies during the site selection process to provide reliable cost and scheduling information for major redevelopment efforts. With an emphasis on lean construction techniques and a partnership mindset, project teams under Jamie’s leadership deliver superior results with an emphasis on providing a best-in-class customer experience.

  Skyline Construction

  Principal

  Moderator

  Jamie Prevost

  Principal

  Skyline Construction

Opening Remarks from the City of LA

Insights on Harnessing Office Conversions to Address Housing Needs

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  Shana Bonstin

  Shana M.M. Bonstin is the Deputy Director for Los Angeles City Planning’s Community Planning Bureau. In this role, Shana oversees the Bureau’s ambitious work program, which includes updates to all of the City’s 35 Community Plans and targeted geographic policy initiatives at the neighborhood and community level. She also is the Deputy Director for the Operations and Engagement Bureau, and in this role oversees City Plannings Administrative, Personnel, Budget, Communications, Training, Data and Technology efforts serving the Department. Shana’s career began in the environmental nonprofit sector in the Bay Area. Since she joined City Planning in 2001, her responsibilities have included a broad range of assignments in project development review and advancing policy. She is interested in urban design, sustainability, and process improvement. She is the Department's Chief Sustainability Officer.

  City of Los Angeles

  Deputy Director of Community Planning

  Shana Bonstin

  Deputy Director of Community Planning

  City of Los Angeles