Most developers are hard-living, hard-drinking, stress-filled time bombs of roller-coaster energy, over-indulgence, extreme risk-taking, and compulsion.
Not Ari Rastegar.
Remember when Jon Anderson told you all about the Austin-based investor/developer of Rastegar Property Company – and his first new-build in Dallas, which has been 100% leased by the short-term stay company Sonder? (Condos are hard to get financing for, and because of the prevalence of construction defect litigation, many developers shy away from building condos: one reason why so many apartments are going up. But because of the lease with Sonder, Rastegar was able to get financing and de-risk the transaction: brilliant. Rastegar says he’ll lease his Uptown building to Sonder for 10 years, then convert the building to residential condominiums.)
I wrote extensively about Ari Rastegar for Forbes, well after Jon gave us the scoop on his beautiful new, totally non-cookie-cutter, Uptown project. Most vitally, Jon APPROVED:
The driving force behind such a not-Dallas-cookie-cutter building is the lot. It’s 19,456 square feet (0.45 acres), it slopes, and it’s triangular. In my book, the triangular lot works for something unique because it harnesses views up and down streets differently because of the angles. I noted that the other triangular lot on the southern opposing edge would make a great bookend at some point – an hourglass of sorts.
Anyhoo, I’ve spent a lot of time with Ari Rastegar, and find him to be even more amazing than his developments. So to read all about how the once-Dallas resident (he went to Highland Park for high school) got his start in developing, how he talks to a life coach each day (who he credits with saving his life), and the compulsive health care regime he practices under the supervision of an Arlington physician, read this.
Then check out this:
