GVA Advantis, a real estate firm based in Washington, D.C., recently formed a strategic alliance with Urban Realty Advisors, another Washington-based firm known for its expertise in development services and project management.
Urban Realty Advisors (URA) will provide development services, such as project development and construction management, to GVA Advantis' group of companies, adding to GVA's service lines. Additionally, URA plans to provide advisory and consulting expertise to include due diligence, feasibility analyses, asset valuation and asset management for single properties and diverse real estate portfolios.
Joining the GVA Advantis family as principals of URA are William Herman and Eric May. Herman is a seasoned real estate executive in the Washington, DC region with over 28 years of experience, having co-founded Concord Partners in 1995 and Urban Realty Advisors in 2004. May co-founded URA with Herman and has been involved in numerous development projects and consulting assignments both locally and nationally over the last 12 years.
“GVA Advantis continues to expand its capabilities and add new product areas that strengthen our clients’ businesses," said Rich Pogue, the chief-executive-officer at GVA. "By offering development services, we have truly become a full-service real estate firm. Bill Herman and Eric May are talented development professionals with an exceptional track record, and our clients will benefit from their time-tested approach in an ever evolving market.”
“The level of service delivered to GVA Advantis’ clients, combined with their goals for the next five years, made this alliance a perfect fit,” Herman said. “The commercial real estate world continues to change and clients have an increasing demand for a variety of services. By offering a truly full service environment under one roof, GVA Advantis and Urban Realty Advisors are poised to take the businesses to the next level.”
Currently, the URA team serves as national real estate advisor to Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and recently completed the redevelopment of a 200,000 square foot building in the district as the union’s international headquarters. Additionally, URA is acting as project manager for the development of four hotel projects for Thayer Lodging Group, as well as for a 70,000 square foot headquarters for Aronson & Company in Rockville, Maryland, after serving as Aronson’s representative in the lease transaction.
“This is an exciting move forward in the redevelopment of our company since its recapitalization last year," said Lisa Bailey, the senior director of office and industrial services in GVA Advantis’ Orlando office. "It is another great stride in our ability to provide our clients the most comprehensive services in a market where every advantage we can offer is a plus.”
GVA Advantis is a full-service real estate services firm that specializes in brokerage, leasing, sales and management of office, industrial, retail and other commercial real estate properties. Additionally, it manages more than 14 million square feet of commercial facilities and had an annual transaction volume of approximately $1 billion in 2008. The firm has more than 325 employees in 16 regional offices throughout the southern U.S.