Focus Appoints Several New Positions as Company Poised for Significant Growth

Chicagoland development and construction firm looks to expand its management team as its pipeline sees strong uptick.

Chicago, February 23, 2022 – Focus, a Chicago-based developer and general contractor, announced today the promotion and appointment of several new members to its leadership team. This news comes on the heels of significant growth and anticipated expansion for the company. These appointments include Justin Pelej to Executive Vice President, Development + Principal; Josh Stark to Executive Vice President, Construction + Principal; and Kendall Lettinga, Executive Vice President, Operations + Principal. Tim Anderson, CEO of Focus also invited these three long-time executives into ownership of Focus. “The impacts made by Justin, Josh and Kendall on the positive trajectory of the firm is great and these appointments reflect that,” said Anderson. “I am confident that these changes in the leadership of Focus will only continue to strengthen the outlook for our company and will benefit all our partners, clients and team members moving forward.”

In addition to these appointments, Focus is also promoting Vicky Lee to Senior Vice President of Development, David Hanner to Director of Preconstruction and Aisha Johnson to Director of Accounting. These three team members will join Anderson, Stark, Pelej and Lettinga as part of the Senior Leadership team.

“We are thrilled to promote our team members who have worked so hard day in and day out to keep our company growing and thriving amidst some of the most challenging times for our industry,” said Tim Anderson, CEO and Founder of Focus. “As we look to the post-pandemic economy, we’re experiencing significant growth, and we need to ensure we have the best team in place to execute on our very strong pipeline – this is the team to do just that.”

Focus has several projects currently underway in the Chicagoland region, including:

• Domaine at Hawthorn Row: The first phase of the redevelopment of the Hawthorn Mall in Vernon Hills, IL which includes 311 luxury rental apartments and 57,000 SF of retail space. The Domaine will offer best-in-class finishes and amenities designed for everyone from young professionals to empty-nesters. Units will range in size from 600 – 1,330 SF,

• Lumen at Fox Valley: Another mall redevelopment, this first phase features 304 luxury apartments and 275,000 SF of retail. With a sophisticated and urban design, the community will offer residents a unique standard of living that gives it a competitive advantage. The property will offer a tailored mix of studios, 1-bedroom units, 2-bedroom units, and 3-bedrooms units.

• Porter at Oak Park: This new seven-story luxury apartment building will feature 158 units, including 153 apartments and five maisonette units. The Porter will be less than 15 minutes away from Chicago’s loop and Medical District via transit, and public transportation will be located within walking distance of the development.

Focus is also serving as the General Contractor on two Chicago-area projects:

• 808 Cleveland: Focus has been selected to act as the general contractor for this new River North project by local developer DAC Developments and Bayview USA Holdings. The project will be a 284,000 square-foot mixed-use building with 200 multi-family units, 20,000 square feet of office space and 7,500 square feet of retail space. The project will also include a swimming pool, spa, multiple fitness related spaces, an arts and crafts room, game and party rooms, a co-working space, dog run and pet spa.
• Everleigh: Focus has been selected to act as the General Contractor for the upcoming active-adult project, Everleigh of Vernon Hills, on behalf of client, Greystar. The 317,000 square foot community will offer 175 apartments, 7 standalone duplex cottages with private parking, as well as 218 attached parking spaces. The project will cater to a 55+ renter and will offer an impressive amenity package featuring a resident lounge and café, fitness center, creative arts room, business center, game room, theater, swimming pool, outdoor dining, fire pit and more.

In addition, Focus continues to source opportunities with partners new and old. In the coming years Focus will break ground on two additional phases of development on the Hawthorn and Fox Valley Malls, and is negotiating on several opportunities in Chicago.

The momentum the company has experienced is a direct result of the resilience shown during the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic, and while the pandemic is not yet behind us, the firm plans to continue its growth trajectory and has begun to explore new markets.

“Our pipeline is quite strong, and we’re cautiously optimistic that we’ll see the development and construction landscape grow as the industry continues to solve for some of the challenges that have come our way over the last several years,” said Anderson. “Our hope is to expand our footprint here in Chicago, as well as start to explore other areas of the country where we see myriad opportunities for significant development.”

For more information on Focus, please visit www.workwithfocus.com.

About Focus

Focus is a Chicago-based developer and general contractor, that since 1993, has utilized an integrated delivery model to produce a diverse portfolio of distinctive real estate. Focus has delivered developments in the Chicago market that value over $1.8 billion and projects have ranged from smaller, multifamily communities in historic districts to high-density, mixed-use redevelopments in thriving downtowns. For more information, please visit www.workwithfocus.com.

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