Partners

One of La Cité Development’s initial and primary equity investor, Mr. Bythewood, Sr. serves as CEO of La Cité, an impact-forward real estate development corporation. A highly respected real estate Financier with over 30 years’ experience, Mr. Bythewood, Sr. is an integral part of capital raising for future development projects. Committed to investing in emerging growth markets, his focus and goals have been strategically aligned with the advancement, development, and diversity of the overall business environment fostering La Cité ‘s growth, revenue, and success. With his unique and diverse background in real estate, business, corporate management, medicine and education, Mr. Bythewood, Sr. brings a wealth of experience to La Cité, as well as his many Corporate and Board commitments. Prior to La Cité, Mr. Bythewood, Sr. was the Founder, President, and Managing Partner in Belleville Realty Group which owned and operated commercial real estate holdings. He was also a real estate investor, Financial Consultant, and limited partner in Flag Luxury Properties LLC (FLP); a real estate development company responsible for constructing high-end properties for the Ritz-Carlton and the Marriott Group. Among FLP’s signature developments are the Miami South Beach Ritz-Carlton, a 375-room hotel and spa with banquet facilities, specialty restaurants and luxury retail stores (opened in 2002), and the Ritz-Carlton Club in Jupiter, Florida, an exclusive residential community featuring an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus golf course. Mr. Bythewood, Sr. played an integral part in raising equity investment for these projects. In addition to his real estate investments, Mr. Bythewood, Sr. owned and operated Jet Routes Unlimited, a private jet charter service that held exclusive contracts with ABC Sports and the Jim Henson Company. He served as President and Chief Operating Officer before he sold the company in the early eighties. Mr. Bythewood, Sr. earned a B.S. from Lycoming College and holds a Doctorate and post-Doctorate degree from Howard University.

As a Founding Partner, Mr. Bythewood serves as both President and Managing Partner of La Cité Development, an impact-forward real estate development corporation. An established real estate financier and developer, Dan has extensive experience in structured finance and development closing on complex 80/20 ventures from initial concept through construction and lease up completion. Prior to La Cité, Dan was an Acquisitions Manager at New York Equity Fund (NYEF), where he oversaw large development and disposition programs within New York City’s Neighborhood Redevelopment Program (NRP), the Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Program (NEP), and the Neighborhood Homes Program (NHP), managing project portfolios in excess of $1 Billion, and personally developing and investing $200 Million dollars of tax credit equity leading to developments of over $1 Billion. Dan firmly believes in the power of an inclusive and purpose-driven culture, focused on meeting the needs of the investors, the community, the neighborhood, and the city. His leadership vision, and the company’s ongoing commitment to lifting up communities and impactful design has been recognized by numerous accolades including the prestigious Urban Land Institute’s WaveMaker award and the Baltimore Business Journal’s Best in Real Estate Awards. Recognized for assembling innovative, high-performing teams, and building long-term partnerships, Dan was invited in 2018 by US Congress to be part of a business and political delegation to Qatar, focused on growing international trade between respective countries Dan’s mission to economically reposition disinvested neighborhoods into thriving neighborhoods is evident from La Cité’s most recent Center\West development in West Baltimore. Valued at $1.5B upon completion, he led his partners and a team of multi-disciplinary professionals to entitle, legislate, finance, and construct the first phase at $102MM, whose investors and lenders include BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, KeyBank, Maryland CDA, and HUD. Within the first phase alone, he transformed a community with depressed home values, worth an average of $5K, to properties now valued more than $250K. Dan holds a BA in Communications from Adelphi University/University of Pittsburgh and is based in New York City.

Ian G. Arias –As Co-Founder of La Cité Development, Mr. Arias serves as Executive Vice President for this impactforward, award-winning, real estate development corporation. Overseeing the multi-faceted demands of La Cité’s operations, in tandem with fellow Co-Founder and President, he works on all aspects from Corporate Strategy to Legal (both transactional and litigation). Ian’s operational leadership places him at the core of accounting, IT Security, SEC reporting, predevelopment financing, construction closings, and property management. Since returning to La Cité to work on its $1.5 Billion 80/20 development in West Baltimore, the company has received several national awards for delivery of its first phase. Once completed, this masterplan will deliver fully reinvigorated commercial corridors along with upgraded public infrastructure, utilities, and 3.2MM square feet of Class A, mixed-use buildings. A real estate development entrepreneur, he structured, negotiated, and closed complex real estate equity investments totaling $975MM that yielded 1,300 newly constructed units, and has done so with a few Fortune 100 Companies. Bridging the public and private sector gap, he continues to work directly with Housing Commissioners, City Councils and Assembly Members, Mayors, Lt. Governors, Governors, and US Congressional Representatives. His closed transactions roster includes Freddie, Fannie, HUD, JP Morgan, BlackRock, Qualified Opportunity Zone equity, 4% & 9% tax credit equity, and Tax Increment Financing. He previously managed a $2.9BN real estate portfolio fund, comprised of multi-year investment funds, that contained over 20,000 multifamily units with ground floor commercial. Ian served as Managing Director at Castellan Real Estate Partners, and before that as SVP of Investor Relations and Acquisitions for IFG Capital. He was also a VP-Senior Originator for PNC Bank where he single-handedly established its NYC presence by closing on the bank’s first multifamily, master-lease, 50/20/20 investment; and he also closed some of the most highly visible Best-in-Class national developers. Ian served as a Senior Development Officer/Fund Manager for Enterprise Social Investment Corporation (ESIC) and was Deputy Director of Acquisitions for the New York Equity Fund (NYEF), whose investors included JP Morgan, Citicorp, Bank of America, Warren Buffet, Verizon, and American Express. Mr. Arias holds a Master of Science Degree in Management and Urban Policy from the New School for Social Research in NYC and earned his Bachelor of Arts in History from UCLA.

Khephra Burns was an investor and limited partner in Flag Luxury Properties, LLC which developed properties for the Marriott Group, which has developed such sites as the South Beach (Miami) Ritz-Carlton and the Ritz-Carlton Club in Jupiter, Florida. Mr. Burns’ 24-year career as an author, editor, television writer and producer, has afforded him opportunities to develop personal and business relationships with movers and shakers in media, business and government, locally, nationally and internationally.

Robert Johnson is the founder and former President of Brockport Ford and Bob Johnson Chevrolet in Greece, NY. After 20 successful years of business, during which time Mr. Johnson's companies were listed among Black Enterprise Magazine's "Top 100 Auto Dealers" and as one of upstate New York's "Top 100 Fastest Growing Businesses," Mr. Johnson sold both dealerships in 2001 and has since concentrated on investment opportunities primarily within the real estate development industry. An equity partner in Loft 5, LLC, as well as La Cité Development, LLC and 110 West 127th Street, LLC, Bob Johnson brings a lifetime of experience as a businessman and self-made entrepreneur to his current endeavors in the real estate world.