JE Dunn Construction’s Chief Investment Officer and Chairman of the Board Tim Dunn saw an opportunity to expand the company’s reach amidst rapid economic growth in various U.S. cities in the early 2010s. Leveraging the company’s financial strength, he proposed an innovative co-investment and construction platform. His plan, introduced to JE Dunn’s board in 2014, sought to provide equity investment with culturally aligned development partners. With the board’s approval, Dunn began searching for the venture’s inaugural project.
Austin, Texas, a city experiencing explosive growth, emerged as an ideal market for this strategy. Recognizing the alignment between the city’s market conditions and JE Dunn’s capabilities, Dunn reached out to Chuck Lipscomb from JE Dunn’s Austin office to consult and identify prime commercial real estate development opportunities. Lipscomb connected Dunn with a local developer and landowner who had a site and concept for a promising student housing project west of the University of Texas campus. Seizing the opportunity, the team took on this project and completed it within 13 months, ensuring it was ready before the start of the school year. The Corner Student Housing Apartments, an eight-story building with 212 beds, was sold in 2017, marking a significant early win for the initiative.
Building on The Corner’s success became a top priority for the Austin office and a key long-term planning goal and objective, according to Chris Szeliga, who was JE Dunn’s Austin Business Unit leader at the time. Dunn and his partners were able to leverage The Corner’s success and financial gains to reinvest in the university’s next West Campus student housing project – Skyloft. These early projects led to longstanding and meaningful partnerships with developers and architects. “These two university projects elevated JE Dunn’s brand to be the preferred residential builder on West Campus and downtown Austin; and led to several additional endeavors throughout central Texas,” Szeliga said.
In 2016, the initiative had evolved into a distinct subsidiary, and by 2019, it was officially named JE Dunn Capital Partners (JEDCP). Combining a century of construction expertise with strong investor and lender connections, JEDCP has deployed over $128 million of company equity in diverse projects, including hotels, medical facilities, multifamily housing, corporate offices, student housing, and data centers.
By collaborating with JE Dunn’s local office network and focusing on key markets like Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Nashville, Phoenix, and Tampa, JEDCP has developed a substantial portfolio. Michael Walden, JEDCP real estate investment director, shared what he enjoys most about the venture: “Working with different offices, exploring rapidly growing submarkets, and building local relationships has been a challenging and rewarding journey.”
Despite challenges such as fluctuating interest rates, JEDCP’s strategy remains grounded in expertise and discipline. The approach is flexible, open to investments across various construction types and markets where JE Dunn operates. The group is patient and selective, guided by the core values of JE Dunn. The strategic focus remains on quality relationships, collaboration, and certainty of outcomes – as JEDCP continues positioning for the right deals with the right partners.
“I’m immensely proud of our diverse portfolio of projects, but we’re just getting started and will continue to explore new opportunities and deepen our impact and growth across all markets,” Dunn said.
JEDCP’s model of integrating equity with construction expertise creates a unique synergy, complementing the leadership of trusted developer partners while supporting the growth of their businesses. Rooted in quality relationships and collaboration, JEDCP is positioned as an industry leader, ready to adapt and drive innovation in the evolving construction sector.