Don Capobres

Principal and CEO
Don has over 25 years of real estate development experience in both the private and public sectors, a rare combination which offers a valuable insight and experience when collaborating with municipalities. Over the years, he has held a wide range of responsibilities, as diverse as representing the U.S. real estate development interests of Grosvenor, an international property group, and managing projects for the City of San Francisco.
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Overview

Don brings a unique combination of political savvy, interpersonal skills, and understanding of real estate investment fundamentals to each project he works on. As a well-respected community leader and business partner, Don’s passion for transformative urban place-making pairs with his expertise in rental/for-sale residential, retail and hospitality, making him an exceptional choice for any team who strives for innovative solutions and progressive thinking.

MI License #6502430977

Experience

Harmonie Park Development Company
Principal – 2016 – Present

Grosvernor Americas
Senior Vice President – 2012 – 2016
Vice President – 2010 – 2012
Senior Development Manager – 2006 – 2010

San Francisco Redevelopment Agency (SFRA)
Senior Project Manager, Hunters Point Shipyard and Western Addition – 2000 – 2004
Development Specialist – 2000

The Woodward Companies/Katherine Beebe & Associates
Principal – 1996 – 2000

SmithGroup
Analyst – 1993 – 1996

State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio
Statistician, Real Estate Investments – 1992 – 1993

Macomb County Planning & Economic Development
Associate Planner – 1991

  • Lead SFRA representative on the City of San Francisco team that negotiated the initial conveyance agreement with the U.S. Navy and development agreement with Lennar for the development of Hunters Point Shipyard. This 500-acre Naval base conversion in San Francisco’s southeast sector will ultimately include over 12,000 residential units, three million SF of R&D space, and 300 acres of parks and open space. Entitlement work included NEPA and CEQA documentation and a comprehensive community benefits package for the Bayview-Hunters Point community of San Francisco. Development agreement with Lennar included a complex public finance package including tax increment financing and use of municipal bonds.
  • General Plan Update for 40 acres in Los Gatos, California for a mixed use project that included approximately 750 residential units and over 500,000 SF of commercial space. Oversaw approval of Specific Plan in 2015 and currently processing development application for same property.
  • Successful entitlement history for residential infill projects ranging from 90-acre redevelopment in Detroit to multiple projects throughout high-barrier-to-entry Silicon Valley communities.
  • Successful infill or brown field retail/mixed-use entitlements in Marin County, California; Detroit, Michigan; Silver Spring, Maryland; and Washington, DC.
  • Active participant in numerous community master planning efforts, including Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer’s 1993 Land Use Task Force and redevelopment project area planning in San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Gardens, Western Addition and Bayview- Hunters Point neighborhoods.

Oversaw construction management and was responsible for maintaining the
development vision during construction for:

  • $120M mixed use building in Washington, DC which includes a 180-key hotel, 325 residential units, and 33,000 square feet of retail (under construction)
  • $40M contract for mixed use building in suburban Washington, DC (under construction)
  • 100,000 square foot Safeway-anchored retail center in Marin County, CA
  • Boutique retail and office mixed-use building in Union Square, San Francisco, CA
  • Townhome residential in Silicon Valley
  • Various office and retail tenant improvement projects

Negotiated numerous retail leases ranging from in-line shop space to a lease with Safeway for a 65,000 square foot store plus fueling station. Established strategic partnership with Manresa Restaurant (3-Michelin stars) to plan artisan market hall in Los Gatos, California.

Provided asset management responsibilities for office and retail properties.

  • Sourced and negotiated option agreement for prime 32-acre Silicon Valley infill mixed use development site. Option structure provided control of property during lengthy entitlement process without closing. Ultimate build-out value of property estimated to be approximately $750M.
  • Assisted in sourcing and acquiring a 20-acre Bay Area aging shopping center site for redevelopment into a mixed use program. Total value of acquisition approximately $30M.
  • Negotiated a purchase and sale agreement with a regional home builder for a 10-acre portion of a larger master planned community within a Silicon Valley mixed-used development site. Value of disposition approximately $60M.
  • Acquired a two-acre site in Silver Spring, MD. Total projected value of residential and retail mixed use project approximately $100M.
  • Negotiated development management and joint venture operating agreements.
  • Negotiated and won a franchise agreement with Marriott International for an extended stay hotel at a high-profile Washington DC site.
  • Participated in acquisition of 88 acres in Detroit’s lower east side. Included public sector negotiations and lot-by-lot parcel assemblage.

The Ohio State University
Columbus, Ohio
MBA, Finance/Real Estate

Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan
James Madison College
Political Economy

Contact

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