Evan Kaseguma, who launched the Seattle office for a subsidiary of one of China's largest real estate companies, has left that firm to help build the Pacific Northwest operation of a Sun Belt developer known for landmark developments from Atlanta to San Francisco.
Kaseguma has joined Portman Holdings as senior vice president and head of its Northwest region. Based in Seattle, he is responsible for pursuing and executing office, residential and hospitality development and value-add projects across the region.
Kaseguma spent the previous five years at Gemdale USA Corp.'s Seattle office, where he oversaw acquisition, financing and asset management of office and residential projects for the U.S. subsidiary of Shenzhen, China-based Gemdale, one of that country's largest real estate enterprises.
With headquarters in Atlanta, Portman has 1.4 million square feet of developments planned or under construction in the Pacific Northwest. The firm, in partnership with Seattle-based commercial real estate firm Touchstone, just commenced work on the Chapter Buildings, a life science mixed-use development in Seattle's U District.
Founded in 1957, Portman Holdings is known for developments such as Embarcadero Center in San Francisco, Renaissance Center in Detroit and Peachtree Center and Truist Plaza in Atlanta. The firm has been lining up projects in major markets across the country, including Dallas, where it plans to develop a three-tower mixed-use complex in the Dallas Art District.
The company sees ample opportunity in the northwest corner of the country, Portman Chairman and CEO Ambrish Baisiwala said.
In fact, Portman plans to open a Seattle office and to further expand its West Coast-based team over the next 18 to 24 months, the company said Monday through a spokeswoman.
“The Northwest region is a high-growth market with amazing fundamentals, from office and retail to life sciences,” Baisiwala said in a statement. “As we continue to grow Portman’s flag in a concentrated way here, we will also continue to grow our team to include those who are truly invested in strategic urban growth of the area.”
Kaseguma, who has worked his entire career in Seattle, including nearly a decade with Hines, said he already is busy at his new firm.
“Seattle and the Eastside are two of the strongest markets in the country for commercial, hospitality and residential," he said in a statement.
Back in Atlanta, Portman made a key hire about a month ago when it appointed Dotan Zuckerman as head of retail and activation. In the newly created role, Zuckerman oversees retail programming, merchandising and leasing strategy at Portman’s new and existing developments.
Zuckerman most recently led ground-up leasing for Fenton, Columbia Development and Hines' $1 billion mixed-use development in Cary, North Carolina. Before working at Columbia, he served as vice president of leasing for Fuqua Development in the Atlanta area, where he focused on the firm's work at The Battery mixed-use development anchored by Truist Park.