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Eric B. Larson has more than 30 years of experience in the field of real estate investment, development, asset management and leasing. Since 2014, Larson has served as CEO of The Downtown Detroit Partnership (DDP), a private/public partnership of corporate and civic leaders who develop and support programs to enhance downtown Detroit. The DDP includes the Downtown Detroit Business Improvement Zone (BIZ), a special assessment district formed by downtown property owners to assure enhanced cleaning, safety and landscaping services in the downtown area. One of DDP’s best-known initiatives is the creation of the internationally-renown and award-winning Campus Martius Park. More than $20 million was raised through the Detroit 300 Conservancy (The Conservancy) to design and construct the park, which opened in 2004. A recipient of the 2010 Urban Land Institute’s Amanda Burden Open Space Award, Campus Martius Park attracts more than 2 million visitors annually and has stimulated an estimated $1 billion in new investments downtown. Under Larson’s direction, The Conservancy is also improving and programming other historic downtown parks and public spaces, including Grand Circus Park and Capitol Park.
Larson is founder, president, and chief executive officer of Larson Realty Group (established in 1999), a privately owned, Bloomfield Hills-based real estate development and management company. Prior to establishing Larson Realty Group, Larson served as vice president of Hines, a global real estate company, and as a partner and senior vice president of Bruce S. Brickman and Associates of New York. During Larson’s career he has either developed, financed, owned and/or managed over $3 billion in Detroit real estate, including the Renaissance Center, the Millender Center (now called Renaissance City Club Apartments), One Detroit Center and The A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education.
Larson has provided consultation services to the State of Michigan’s Department of Technology, Management and Budget on best practices for the utilization of the State’s owned and leased real estate portfolio. He has served as managing partner at Bedrock Real Estate Services LLC and as Non-Executive President of Olympia Development of Michigan where he led real estate development projects including Little Caesar’s Arena, a major sports and entertainment venue which opened in the fall of 2017.
Larson founded the Community Investment Support Fund (CISF), a Michigan Non-Profit Corporation that engages exclusively in such charitable and educational activities as may qualify it for exemption from Federal income tax under Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The primary purpose of CISF is to promote economic development and create wealth and job opportunities in low-income communities.
A resident of Birmingham, Michigan, Larson serves as chairman of The Robert C. Larson Leadership Initiative and Urban Land Institute (ULI) Detroit Governance Committee. He is currently a trustee, governor and/or member of the board of The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, M-1 Rail, The Detroit 300 Conservancy, MoGo Detroit Bike Share, The Downtown Detroit Business Improvement Zone, the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, The Parade Company, The Urban Land Institute, The Urban Land Institute’s Leadership Council, LOCUS, Grand Jester of The Distinguished Clown Corp., The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan and the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Larson has a long history of civic engagement. He has served as chairman of The Parade Company, Detroit Downtown, Inc., and the ULI Detroit District Council. He is a past trustee and/or member of Beaumont Hospital, Beaumont Hospital Oncology Campaign Committee, Develop Michigan, Inc., Jefferson East, Inc., the Detroit Institute of Arts Junior Council, Pewabic Pottery Board of Directors, Recovery Park, the Detroit Historical Society Board of Directors, The Detroit Eastern Market Advisory Services Panel, The Building Operators Management Association (BOMA), The Real Estate Roundtable, Harvard School of Design Advisory Panel, mentor at The University of Michigan School of Architecture, Marian High School Dad’s Club, University of Michigan – ULI Real Estate Forum Committee, The United States Green Building Council and the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments.
Cari L. Easterday, owner of Community Capital Consulting, LLC (C3), brings over 22 years of financial, nonprofit and real estate experience focused in southeast Michigan. Formed in 2013, Community Capital Consulting provides expertise in financial, economic and development services throughout southeast Michigan with a strong focus in the city of Detroit.
Ms. Easterday, in a consulting capacity, acts as the Chief Financial Officer for Midtown Detroit Inc., a nonprofit planning and development organization that supports the physical maintenance and revitalization of the Midtown Detroit neighborhood with over $30 million in real estate assets. Ms. Easterday plays a key role in the real estate investments made by the organization and provides supportive services to other real estate investors and business in the Midtown, TechTown and New Center districts.
Prior to C3 and continuing today as a consultant, Easterday acts as the Chief Financial Officer for Larson Realty Group and is responsible for managing, developing and implementing the financial and accounting standards, procedures and systems used for all of Larson Realty Group’s business activities. She is responsible for all financial underwriting, consulting and capitalization of real estate financing projects. She has managed real estate investments in excess of $350 million in the metropolitan Detroit area, including The Corner – Michigan & Trumbull located on the site of the Old Tiger Stadium in the Corktown neighborhood of Detroit, The A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education that hosts the College for Creative Studies. Many of these transactions generated significant economic development through the utilization of federal, state and local tax incentives and tax exempt bond financing.
In a consulting capacity through her work with Larson, Easterday provided economic feasibility, real estate analysis and development consulting work to Olympia Development focusing on The District Detroit’s master planning efforts, valuation and real estate analysis around the area surrounding the new Little Caesars Arena in the city of Detroit. This work, in connection with others, provided the information utilized by Olympia to work to secure incentive financing from the State of Michigan and City of Detroit as well as support the overall strategy for real estate development beginning to be developed in The District today.
Prior to joining Larson Realty Group, she managed a portfolio of approximately 750,000 square feet, as a senior tax accountant, at Cendrowski Selecky, P.C and handled all aspects of the accounting process for their property administration division. From 1997 to 2001 Easterday held several positions within Bruce S. Brickman & Associates, Inc. a New York based Real Estate As controller, Easterday was responsible for all aspects of financial/accounting functions of approximately 2.5 million square feet with an asset value of over $430 million.
Ms. Easterday is also a co-founder of Community Investment Support Fund (CISF), a Michigan 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation with a primary mission of promoting economic development and facilitating investment of capital to support community revitalization in the nonprofit sector, and in under-served markets. CISF is a Community Development Entity (CDE) and is an emerging Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) providing financial loan products and services in the city of Detroit, currently expanding into Baltimore, Cleveland and Cincinnati.
Ms. Easterday has been an active member of the Urban Land Institute since 2001, co-chaired the formation of ULI Michigan’s Women’s Leadership Initiative, and currently serves on the Advisory Board as the Treasurer for the Michigan District Council.