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Urban Catalyst team

ABOUT US

  • Proven Track Record
  • Fund I Success
  • Fund II
  • UC Multifamily Equity I LLC
  • DST

Urban Catalyst is a leading real estate firm specializing in private equity placement into existing ground-up development projects and income-producing properties. Our fund portfolio includes tax-advantaged Opportunity Zone funds, a traditional real estate private equity fund and a Delaware Statutory Trust (1031 like kind exchange) fund.

The company’s Opportunity Zone, focused on downtown San Jose, California, ranked among the top 5% of all 2023 tracked Opportunity Zone fund sponsors according to the research firm Novogradac, and was named a top ten Opportunity Zone fund by Forbes. Urban Catalyst’s home market, San Jose, was recently named the #1 city in the U.S. for attracting innovation-oriented industries by the real estate services firm JLL and has been recognized as the #1 region in the country poised for post-pandemic recovery by Bloomberg.

The traditional real estate private equity fund is focused on the ground-up development of Aquino, a 272-unit multifamily apartment building in downtown San Jose, California. The Fund is structured to allow qualified retirement plan investments.

The company is both a fund manager and developer and its Partners have a substantial background in ground-up development:

  • $5.0 Billion + in development projects

  • $5.2 Billion + in real estate asset acquisitions

  • 200+ real estate properties developed across a variety of asset classes

  • Over 2,000 residential units that are now located in opportunity zones

Urban Catalyst Opportunity Fund I, LLC (“Fund I”) closed on December 30, 2020, raising a total of $131 million from a diverse investor base. We are proud of our success in Fund I - a multi-asset real estate fund focused on ground-up developments consisting of office, mixed-use, student housing, senior housing and a hotel, which we had acquired by the time we closed our offering.

Building on the success of Fund I, which closed in 2020 after raising $131 million, Urban Catalyst launched Urban Catalyst Opportunity Zone Fund II, LLC in 2021 with a two-tower development named Icon/Echo. The company intends to redevelop one side of a city block into an approximately 500,000-square-foot office tower (Icon) and an apartment high-rise with nearly 400 units (Echo).

Icon/Echo is part of Fund II’s diverse portfolio of ground-up development projects, consisting of a Marriott TownePlace Suites called Keystone and a senior living facility named Gifford Place. Urban Catalyst’s demolition subcontractor began clearing the Keystone site in February 2023. The company expects to complete the 176-key hotel during the first quarter of 2025. For Gifford, Urban Catalyst demolished the project site in 2022 and is scouring the market for construction financing to take the 169-unit senior living project vertical.

The UC Multifamily Equity I LLC ("UCME") Fund is structured as a traditional real estate private equity fund focusing on the ground-up development of Aquino, a 272-unit multifamily apartment building in downtown San Jose, California. The Fund is structured to allow qualified retirement plan investments.

Urban Catalyst Industrial I, DST was launched in 2023, and is strategically located less than seven miles from the heart of downtown Dallas and houses the Automotive Processing Facility for Drive Casa. Dallas - Fort Worth is the 2nd largest industrial market in the US and the tenant, Drive Casa, has a long-term lease that includes contractual escalations.

THE URBAN CATALYST TEAM

Founded in 2018 in response to the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act legislation creating Opportunity Zones and Opportunity Funds, Urban Catalyst is transforming opportunity into impact. Our partners have significant experience acquiring and managing properties and performing ground-up development. With a team of real estate experts holding strong relationships with local property owners, developers, and financial institutions, Urban Catalyst is able to successfully specialize in multiple product types including multifamily, office, warehouse, industrial, mixed use, and masterplans.

  • Leadership
  • Development
  • Investor Relations
  • Administration
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Kelly McRitchie Senior Director of Capital Markets
Kelly McRitchie Senior Director of Capital Markets
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Jonathan Fishpaw Director of Finance
Jonathan Fishpaw Director of Finance
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Jeff Zuckerberg MANAGING DIRECTOR, CAPITAL MARKETS
Jeff Zuckerberg MANAGING DIRECTOR, CAPITAL MARKETS
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Tom Holt Senior Development Manager
Tom Holt Senior Development Manager
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Matt Bernardis Senior Project Manager
Matt Bernardis Senior Project Manager
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Mike Walsh Project Director
Mike Walsh Project Director
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Dominic Giacalone Development Manager
Dominic Giacalone Development Manager
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Mallory Menne Project Manager
Mallory Menne Project Manager
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Brittany Bramblett Project Finance Administrator
Brittany Bramblett Project Finance Administrator
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Morgan Bernardis Head of Marketing and Communications
Morgan Bernardis Head of Marketing and Communications
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Michael Trapani Head Of Investor Success
Michael Trapani Head Of Investor Success
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Samantha Gutierrez Senior Events Manager
Samantha Gutierrez Senior Events Manager
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Matt Brading Marketing Manager
Matt Brading Marketing Manager
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Valarie Klopping Creative Manager
Valarie Klopping Creative Manager
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Elizabeth Niemczyk Director of Investor Relations
Elizabeth Niemczyk Director of Investor Relations
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Nicole Park Senior Director of Tax & Accounting
Nicole Park Senior Director of Tax & Accounting
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Brinda Modi Senior Accountant
Brinda Modi Senior Accountant
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Michaella Hutchens Administrative Manager
Michaella Hutchens Administrative Manager
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Diane Hoang Senior Administrative Associate
Diane Hoang Senior Administrative Associate

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