Donahue Schriber Names Construction Exec

COSTA MESA, CA-Shopping center developer and owner Donahue Schriber has named Scott Lawrence to the newly created position of vice president of REIT construction as the private REIT continues building the management structure to execute its development, acquisition and operating plans. Lawrence, who joined Donahue Schriber in 2005, will hold a seat on the company’s management committee.

His appointment to the new post is the latest in a series of moves that the locally based retail development specialist and shopping center owner has implemented in recent months and years to accommodate its expanding development, acquisitions and operations activities.

Mark Whitfield, executive vice president development services for Donahue Schriber, explains that the firm “made the decision in 2005 to create a parallel group to our ground-up development and construction department to address the demands and opportunities for value-creation within our ever-expanding operating portfolio.” The company hired Lawrence in 2005 as director of REIT construction to lead the operational efforts in pad construction, redevelopments, expansions, tenant coordination, ADA improvements and large capital improvement projects for Donahue Schriber’s four-state portfolio. Additionally, Lawrence is charged with leading the due diligence efforts for the centers that Donahue Schriber acquires.

The appointment of Lawrence follows the recent naming of Jack Steinhauer to the newly created position of director of acquisitions and development as part of the firm’s plans to expand into additional western states. Steinhauer, based in the Donahue Schriber corporate office here, is responsible for sourcing development and acquisitions opportunities in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.

Dave Mossman, EVP of developments and acquisitions for the REIT, explained at the time that Donahue Schriber’s strategic plan has always called for expansion into areas west of Denver. The creation of the new positions held by Steinhauer and Lawrence follow an expansion-oriented move reported on GlobeSt.com in 2006, when the shopping center developer created new roles for two of its executives to help manage the company’s growth in targeted market area of California, Nevada and Arizona over the next three years: Mossman became EVP of development and acquisitions, and Whitfield assumed a new role as EVP of development.

Donahue Schriber has projects under way throughout the West, including one of its largest, the 735,000-sf Countryside Marketplace power center in the Inland Empire community of Menifee, in Southwest Riverside County. The Menifee project is one of 19 development properties totaling 3.7 million sf that the firm has under way.

The company has also been active in acquisitions lately, acquiring three retail centers totaling 945,000 sf in Oregon, Arizona and California.The company has been involved in nearly 30 million sf of retail properties within its 39-year history. The firm owns and/or operates a portfolio of 93 neighborhood, community, power and community lifestyle shopping centers. Its operating and development portfolio totals 16 million sf throughout California, Nevada, Arizona and Oregon.