A real estate development group founded by seasoned real estate professionals with institutional level experience across every market segment.
We bring a passion for creating innovative projects to cities across the United States.
We are committed to the success of every project.
Our experience spans multiple industries including commercial, residential, multi-family, hospitality, and office. We bring proven ability to quickly create transformative value and competitive differentiation for stakeholders.
Development Team
Jake Porritt
Managing Partner
Jake is an attorney and broker with over 24 years of commercial real estate experience. Jake founded Porritt, Kecskes, Silver and Gadd, P.C. a law firm representing Federally Chartered Banks and Credit Unions in the Midwest. Jake founded and was the managing member of Select Commercial Assets, LLC, a private equity firm that purchased nearly 1000 first commercial mortgages and took from loan to fee interest more than 200 properties in the portfolio. Jake is currently the managing member of PG Development, LLC, a ground up construction firm. Jake has taught attorneys and brokers for Michigan Realtors and the Institute for Continuing Legal Education where his publications are still used today.
Pierre Cristache
General Counsel
Pierre’s legal experience is concentrated in the areas of construction law, real estate law, commercial law, and corporate and business consulting. Prior to becoming general counsel in 2016, Pierre spent his first 10 years of practice at the midwest based law firm of Roetzel and Andress, LLP. Pierre has counseled owners, contractors, subcontractors, and developers on all aspects of construction projects and real estate matters. Pierre’s experience in the area of construction law includes contract negotiations, project workouts and handling project disputes involving civil litigation and/or arbitration arising out of payment and performance claims, contract claims relating to differing site conditions and contract interpretation. Pierre has extensive experience in drafting and negotiating construction contracts, corporate documents, and legal documents required for the sale, acquisition, and lease of real estate properties, involving residential and commercial properties. Pierre also is involved in negotiating financing related to construction and real estate ownership and development matters.
Caroline Kwak
Partner
Caroline K. Kwak practices in the areas of business and commercial law, with a concentration in complex commercial disputes and corporate transactions. Ms. Kwak has extensive litigation experience in areas including enforcement of contracts, real property, partnership disputes and divorces, post-judgment litigation, and uniform commercial code. She has litigated cases at all levels including the U.S. Supreme Court. As a compliment to her corporate practice, Ms.Kwak’s commercial transactions practice includes representing and advising businesses in relation to mergers and acquisitions, commercial lending transactions, and strategic business planning. Ms. Kwak represents clients in a wide variety of industries including real estate development, private equity, banking, hospitality, title insurance, and wholesale distributorships.
Ms. Kwak received her Juris Doctor degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law in 2009. She received her undergraduate degree in political science from the University of California at Berkeley in 2002. Ms. Kwak is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and the Illinois Supreme Court.
Marci Augustin
Partner
Marci has over 25 years of comprehensive interior design and project management experience. She brings her expertise in project management, space planning, programming, construction administration, furniture management, and relocation planning to every client and team. Marci works closely with the client, consultants, the design team, and the contractor throughout the project duration, ensuring quality, managing the budget and schedule while embracing the client’s business goals and objectives. Marci’s career has been focused on Owners Representation, Move Planning and Project Management with national clients.
Joseph George
Partner
Joe George joined the George Development Group in 2009. He initially focused on developing relationships with banks and loan sale brokerage firms. His main focus would be on acquiring REO and foreclosed residential home packages with the intent of rehabbing and selling. After spending some time in this market, he would eventually focus on acquiring performing / non-performing notes with a focus on bank-owned commercial property. This helped the company grow its portfolio and diversify into different asset classes while building a pipeline for future developments. Over the next several years, his efforts would be spent on acquiring bank-owned assets that required a hands-on investor. With this approach it allowed him to differentiate himself from other investors. With Joe’sinitiative, the company saw tremendous growth in this area and has expanded into areas across the U.S. Once the loan sale market dried up, Joe put his efforts towards developing a majority of the real estate that was acquired through loan sale purchases while still focusing on future real estate acquisitions. Recently a majority of his efforts have been focused on developing multifamily projects.
Bruce Selik
Partner
Bruce is a visionary entrepreneur and industry leader with a remarkable journey marked by innovation, strategic foresight, and transformative achievements. In 1973, he founded Hillside Contemporary Furniture, an endeavor that would ultimately reshape the contemporary retail furniture business in Michigan. Over the course of four decades, he nurtured Hillside into a retail powerhouse and in 2016 Art Van Furniture acquired Hillside, cementing his legacy as a true retail visionary. In the same year, Bruce embarked on a new chapter as Chief Procurement Officer at Porritt Group, a testament to expertise in procurement and supply chain management. Recognizing an untapped potential in the market, Bruce founded Selik Procurement Group in 2016, and executed an impressive portfolio of projects, including the development of upscale Country Club facilities, thoughtfully designed Senior Living Centers, and prestigious high-end restaurants.
The upcoming projects championed by the Porritt Group will be a welcomed journey of design and procurement for years to come.
Rex Roberts
Partner
Rex adds 6 years of development experience in the hospitality and commercial sectors to the team. His professional background includes 12 years of marketing communications, small business strategic planning, and economic modeling.
Jesse Grewal
Partner
Jesse brings over 10 years of experience across multiple disciplines including international corporate finance, property management, and real estate development. His background includes acquisition, development, and management of single-family homes, multifamily, condominiums, senior housing, and hotels.
Investment Partners
Jim George
Investment Partner
Jim is president and owner of George Development Group (GDP). GDP develops real estate for commercial, residential, multifamily, hospitality, and office. The company was founded in 2006, after Jim sold his automotive manufacturing companies. On the commercial side of the business, the company started with developing build to suite warehouses for the automotive OEM’s. On the residential side, GDP has created and developed site condominium and homes that range in price from $200,000 to $1,000,000. GDP’s two most recent multi-family projects were completed in 2020. Encore in Manchester is a $40,000,000 development consisting of 172 multi-level units. Encore at Deerhill Villas is a $25,000,000 development consisting of 92 ranch style units. Both projects are HUD financed. There are currently two projects under construction. Encore at Bloomfield is 58 ranch style product that is conventionally financed. Encore at Brighton is a 147 acre development. The development consists of 120 unit senior housing facility that is currently under construction and will be completed in the 4th quarter of 2021. In addition to the senior housing there is also a 350 unit ranch style product that has been site plan approved and will commence construction in the 4th quarter of 2021.
Pargat S. Grewal
Investment Partner
Pargat is CEO of The Grewal Group is a major real estate developer and industry leader in southeast Michigan. For over 3 decades, the principals of The Grewal Group have been involved in joint ventures to actively develop, build, and manage premier residential real estate including over 3,500 apartments and townhomes, 1,500 units of independent and assisted living senior retirement communities, 2,000 single family homes and 800,000 sf of retail, office, and commercial properties including two hotels.
Dave Young
Investment Partner
David is the President of R&H Mechanical based out of Eagle, CO. and has over 30 years of experience with commercial and residential construction in Eagle, Summit, Garfield, Pitkin, and Rout Counties.
George Roberts
Investment Partner
George is the retired owner of Double “R” Contracting & Development and has multiple decades of general contracting and development in Eagle, Garfield, Denver, Pueblo & Pitkin Counties Colorado. George’s out of state holdings include properties in Arizona, Illinois, Texas, Indiana, Virginia, Florida, Montana, Nebraska, California, and Mexico.
Pat Simpson
Investment Partner
Pat is the owner of Sterling Construction. Sterling specializes in interstate gas and oil Pipeline construction. Pat has been in business for 52 years in Colorado.
Projects Completed
Troy Marriott – Commercial
Scope: Property Improvement/ Redevelopment
350 Rooms with Conference Center
- Completion Time: 2008
Beaumont Center – Commercial
Beaumont Urgent Care Center is the anchor tenant in this commercial/retail project in Shelby Township, MI.
- SQ FT: 12,240
- Completion Time: 2018
FCA – Commercial
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles manufacturing plant in Sterling Heights, MI. This building was purpose built for FCA to apply sprayed bed liners.
- SQ FT: 127,834
- Completion Time: 2017
Encore at Deerhill – Residential
92 Ranch Style Units
- Square footage range from 1,619 – 1,726
- Total SQ FT: 196,777
- Completion Time: 2021
Encore at Manchester – Residential
172 Multi-Level Units
- Square footage range from 1,194 – 1,980
- Total SQ FT: 273,448
- Completion Time: 2021
The Noble – Residential
92 Ranch Style Units
- SQ FT: 196,777
- Completion Time: 2021
Projects in Development
We have a number of exciting projects in development around the country.
430 North LaSalle – Chicago, Illinois
19 Story Mixed Use Project featuring a 297 Room Hotel and 48 Condominiums in the River North area of Chicago.
- SQ FT: 169,431
- Completion Time: 2026
Siena Lake
186 Apartments with Commercial space in the First floor to service tenants. This dynamic project sits in Gypsum Colorado just outside Denver in the mountains.
- SQ FT: 214,658
- Completion Time: 2026
Branded Residential
The most beautiful views in Colorado. Just outside of Denver, we are planning a Branded Residential Project.
- 200 Luxury Condominium Units