What Commonwealth Development Group does

Commonwealth Development Group, Inc. (CDG) is a privately held owner's representative and project management firm founded in 1990 and headquartered in Franklin, Tennessee, with a secondary office in Clarksville. The firm manages complex real estate development and construction projects on behalf of owners, spanning early-stage planning, identification and assembly of architect/engineer/construction teams, zoning and budgeting oversight, and end-to-end construction supervision. Its service portfolio covers convention centers, urban parks and amphitheaters, sports arenas, mixed-use developments, museums, parking facilities, community parks, and historic restorations, with documented work on marquee assets such as the Music City Center ($645M budget, $11M under budget), Ascend Amphitheater, and F&M Bank Arena.

CDG serves three primary customer segments: government entities (municipal, county, and industrial development boards), foundations and non-profits (museums, community foundations, historical societies, religious institutions), and private companies/developers (mixed-use and commercial builds). Customer logos include the Convention Center Authority of Metropolitan Nashville & Davidson County, Vanderbilt University, Catholic Diocese of Nashville, Fort Campbell Historical Foundation, Hawkins Partners, Millan Enterprises, Rolling Hills Community Church, and the Metropolitan Board of Parks and Recreation, with multiple repeat engagements indicating strong incumbent retention.

The business operates as a project-based professional services firm; revenue is generated through customized engagements with fees tied to project scope, with no public pricing or revenue disclosed. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales secured through professional relationships, referrals, and a portfolio-driven website (cdgtn.com), supplemented by light LinkedIn and Facebook presence. The firm employs a small named leadership team led by founder/CEO Larry Atema, with no disclosed funding, M&A, or external ownership.

Name

Commonwealth Development Group

Legal name

Commonwealth Development Group, Inc.

Website

https://cdgtn.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Commonwealth Development Group is a Tennessee-based owner's representative and project management firm, founded in 1990, that manages real estate development and construction projects for government entities, foundations, non-profits, and private companies across the Southeast.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction Project Management Services

NAICS

Management of Companies and Enterprises (55)

SIC

Non-Operating Establishments (9995)

akta.pro primary industry

Construction Management (Agency/Owner’s Rep) (IMAFAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Urban Planning & Master Planning (BPAHAKAD)

Keywords

• Owner's representative services
• Construction project management
• Real estate development consulting
• Facility development planning
• Design team assembly

Headquarters

HQ city

Franklin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Owner's Representative/Project Management Services: Commonwealth Development Group serves as owner's representative providing project management services for creation of specialized real estate and project development. Services include identifying design and engineering professionals, managing planning, zoning, budgeting processes, overseeing construction manager selection, and coordination of specialized service providers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Commonwealth Development Group serves as owner's representative and project manager for specialized real estate and construction projects. The firm identifies design and engineering professionals, manages planning, zoning, and budgeting processes, oversees selection of construction managers, and coordinates specialized service providers from concept through completion. Services are delivered to companies, foundations, and government entities undertaking large-scale facility, venue, mixed-use, and infrastructure developments.

Product overview

Commonwealth Development Group is a project development and owner representative firm, not a software product company. They offer a unified set of project management services organized around three core pillars: Planning (early consultation and project scoping), Team Assembly (forming professional project teams), and Project Management/Construction Oversight (design, pricing, and construction execution). Their service portfolio spans multiple categories including convention and event venue development, urban park and amphitheater development, sports facility development, sustainable building development, community park planning, parking facility development, mixed-use development, historic restoration, and museum development. Projects include Music City Center, Ascend Amphitheater, F&M Bank Arena, Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, Arena Garage, and The Millan Center.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Music City Center completed $11 million under budget and ahead of schedule
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Sabertooth Sports & Entertainment (Subsidiary of Nashville Predators)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Sabertooth Sports & Entertainment, a subsidiary company of the Nashville Predators, operates the F&M Bank Arena. CDG managed the construction of this 250,000 sq/ft dual ice rink and basketball arena for Montgomery County, TN. The partnership enables operation of a 6,000 capacity sporting event center serving the Clarksville community.
• Vanderbilt UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDG partnered with Vanderbilt University for the construction and renovation of the John Seigenthaler Center (First Amendment Center). The project included a new three-story office building with underground parking garage, renovation of existing buildings, and construction of a new two-story parking structure on campus.
• Metropolitan Board of Parks and RecreationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDG was retained for master planning, design, and construction oversight of the Fairgrounds Nashville and Fair Park projects. The reimagined fairgrounds include a new public park with athletic fields, greenway, pavilions, dog park, speedway, expo buildings, and MLS stadium.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• AECOM: Global infrastructure consulting firm with large construction management and program management practices serving public agencies on major capital projects. Overlaps with CDG's government owner's rep work but at much greater scale across many verticals.
• CBRE Project Management: Global commercial real estate services firm with dedicated project management practice serving institutional, corporate, and public-sector clients. Comparable service capabilities but at substantially larger scale and broader geographic reach than CDG.
• JLL Project & Development Services: Global real estate services firm's PDS division provides owner's representation, project management, and development advisory to institutional and corporate clients. Broader portfolio and national footprint than CDG but overlapping service offerings.
• Arcadis: Global design and consultancy firm providing program management and owner's advisory services on public-sector and institutional real estate projects. Overlaps with CDG in the government/institutional owner's rep space but with much wider service breadth.
• Jacobs Solutions: Major professional services firm providing program and construction management services to public-sector clients on infrastructure, civic, and institutional projects. Broad incumbent in the same space as CDG but operating nationally and globally.

Direct peers

• Anser Advisory: Owner's representation and project management firm focused on public-sector capital projects including transit, education, and civic infrastructure. Highly comparable to CDG's government-focused owner's rep model.
• MGAC: Project management and owner's representation consultancy serving institutional, commercial, and public-sector clients on complex real estate projects. Comparable in service mix and emphasis on large-scale institutional engagements.
• Hill International: Global construction management and owner's representative firm providing program, project, and construction management services on large-scale public and private developments. Closely comparable to CDG's owner's rep model, though operating at much larger scale across multiple geographies.
• Cumming Corporation: Construction management consulting firm providing owner's representation, program management, and project advisory services to public and private sector clients. Direct comparable in service model, target client types, and project types.
• Owner's Project Counsel: Owner's project management and advisory firm focused on institutional and public-sector clients. Direct peer to CDG with overlapping client segments including universities, municipalities, and non-profits.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CDGtn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/commonwealth-development-group-inc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Commonwealth Development Group