Business Journal homes in on a dozen residential developers who, surprise, are building in the L.A. market.
Tony Salazar, 58
Principal and President, West Coast division
McCormack Baron Salazar Inc., St. Louis
During his three decades in residential development, Salazar has worked on some of the city’s most cutting-edge projects. That includes the Metro Hollywood/Carlton Court Apartments, a transit-oriented development atop a Hollywood subway station. These days, the Whittier resident continues to tackle complex developments, including MacArthur Park Apartments, another development above a subway stop.
Reason I’m a Residential Developer: Creating quality developments comprised of decent affordable housing and needed retail services that are integrated with mass transit, schools and social services is the best way I know to rebuild distressed neighborhoods in urban cities.
If I Weren’t a Residential Developer I’d Be: Running a charitable foundation of some kind. I enjoy leveraging resources in areas that need social programming that can have positive impacts on communities and families.
Most Challenging Development: Metro Hollywood/Carlton Court Apartments at Hollywood Boulevard and Western Avenue. This was the city’s first transit-oriented development that focused on creating an affordable transit village. We muddled our way through the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s and city’s processes – creating, adjusting, modifying rules and regulations to get this cutting-edge project built.
Best Career Moment:Helping build a company that went from a small local firm operating in a few Midwestern cities to a well-respected national company that operates in every major metropolitan area in the country … without compromising the firm’s philosophy and/or core values.
Worst: We got our heads handed to us each time we took the firm too far outside the core business.
My Colleagues Don’t Know: I am a good golfer and not afraid to play for money.
Favorite Project I Didn’t Develop: Tierra del Sol in Canoga Park. It was developed by New Economics for Women, a non-profit organization. It includes housing, a charter school and a community center with a gymnasium that is shared between the school and the community.
Best Thing About Developing in L.A. County: A skilled work force. L.A. has an array of great architects, consultants, attorneys and builders to help you get past any obstacle.
Worst: The firm operates in the largest metropolitan areas of the country and L.A. ranks as one of the top cities in length of time to get a development done. It’s the combination of governmental regulation, notification requirements, community relations, environmental concerns and the unpredictability that comes from the dynamics of these elements working together.
The Developer I Would Be If I Weren’t Me: John Huskey at Meta Housing. He is dedicated to building quality developments that make a difference in people’s lives.
Bucket List: Have all three daughters graduate from college (two down, one to go); walk all three daughters down the aisle to wed the person of their choice (two down, one to go); visit every continent (three down, four to go); play the top 10 golf courses in the world (three down, seven to go); learn how to skateboard (I really admire those X Games competitors).
