Industry Veteran Played Key Role in Company’s Transformative Growth,
Including Overseeing Major Acquisitions; Steps Down After 11 Years
Longtime URG Employee Matthew Simo Named New Chief Investment Officer;
Tasked with Leading Company’s Future Investment & Development Opportunities
Seattle, Wash., Nov. 16, 2020 – Seattle-based commercial real estate firm Urban Renaissance Group LLC (www.urbanrengroup.com) (URG) today announced that real estate industry veteran and partner John Bliss is retiring from his role as Chief Investment Officer at the end of 2020. Current URG Managing Director and longtime employee Matthew Simo will take his place as new Chief Investment Officer (CIO) in January 2021.
“As an integral member of our executive team for many years, John’s leadership has been critical to URG’s growth and current position in the marketplace,” said URG Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Patrick Callahan. “From leading major acquisitions to creating a stellar investments team, we’re beyond grateful for his invaluable contributions to the company. He has played a major role in URG’s success.”
Since joining URG in 2009, Bliss has been responsible for overseeing $5.4 billion in investment and development activities, including managing relationships with institutional and private investment partners. As CIO, Bliss led the company through many major deals, including URG’s 2014 acquisition of Seattle-based developer Touchstone and its related investment in Touchstone’s pipeline of six major Seattle-area office and hotel properties.
An industry veteran, Bliss served as CIO for Metzler North America prior to joining URG, and as a Principal for Unico Properties. He also serves on the Executive Committee for Bellwether Housing of Seattle and on the board of the Runstad Department of Real Estate at University of Washington (UW).
Bliss will join the board of URG in 2021.
“While it’s bittersweet to retire from my role as CIO, I’m incredibly grateful to have worked under Pat’s leadership over the past eleven years, and for the new opportunity to be involved at the board level of URG,” said Bliss. “Matt Simo has proven to be one of the brightest stars in Seattle’s real estate investment community. I look forward to witnessing the continued growth of URG under Matt’s leadership as CIO.”
Matthew Simo, New Urban Renaissance Group Chief Investment Officer
As an integral member of URG’s team since the company was founded in 2006, Simo’s promotion to CIO represents a natural evolution. Simo has grown with the company from starting as an Associate in 2006 to most recently being promoted to Managing Director in 2018.
Before joining URG, Simo worked for Trizec Properties in Chicago. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is an active member of Urban Land Institute and lecturer for the UW’s Commercial Real Estate Certificate Program.
“Since the day of his interview — when he impressed us so much that we hired him on the spot and had him sharing a desk that day with another member of our very small team at that time — Matt’s passion and commitment to excellence have been keenly evident,” said Callahan.
“Matt has been directly involved in every investment URG has made since the company was founded in 2006. He continually demonstrates broad and deep knowledge, dedication to excellence and business expertise — and choosing him to take this role was only natural,” continued Callahan.
“I’m thrilled to be joining the executive team at URG,” said Simo. “John has been an exceptional mentor and friend in the decade we’ve worked together. It has been rewarding to work so closely with John — and now, as CIO, I look forward to deepening our capital relationships and furthering URG’s track record of making strategic investments that positively benefit the company and communities we invest in.”
Urban Renaissance Group is unique in that it is engaged in development, investment in existing assets, historic renovations and operations. This unique competitive advantage has allowed the company to grow substantially in the past decade.
Currently, the company has seven development projects in progress, and recently delivered the eight-story Canvas at Press Blocks office project (150,000 SF) in Portland’s growing Stadium District/Goose Hollow neighborhood and renovation of the 10-story J.K. Gill (formerly Gladys McCoy) historic building (100,000 SF) in the heart of Portland’s central business district.
Key transactions over the past year also include the 20-story Plaza 600 recapitalization (214,000 SF+); development of the two-building mixed-use commercial building project Chapter Buildings (407,000SF); acquisition of the six-building, 14-acre Cascade Yard (formerly Lincoln Executive) center (296,000+SF); working with KKR on the Summit 1, 2 and 3, F5 Tower and Tower 333 (1,900,000 SF) acquisitions in Seattle and serving as new local operator/manager; and the 21-story Park Place acquisition (317,000 SF).
About Urban Renaissance Group
Urban Renaissance Group LLC is a Seattle-based full-service commercial real estate company, engaged in acquisitions, development, asset management, leasing, property management and ownership in Seattle, Bellevue, Denver and Portland. Founded in 2006, the strategic premise of Urban Renaissance Group (URG) is that the form of the American City is changing. URG acts as a catalyst that understands and ignites that change, thereby building community, generating appropriate returns for its investors and opportunities for its partners and employees. Learn more at www.urbanrengroup.com.
