What Cairn Pacific does

Cairn Pacific LLC is a boutique real estate development firm headquartered at 2175 NW Raleigh Street in Portland, Oregon, specializing in commercial, retail, office, and multifamily mixed-use projects concentrated in Northwest Portland's Slabtown and Conway District neighborhoods. Founded around 2014 under principal James N. Santana, the firm has delivered five core projects: L.L. Hawkins (a 113-unit LEED Gold apartment building), Slabtown Marketplace (an adaptive reuse of a 1952 shipping warehouse anchored by New Seasons Market and Breakside Brewery), Leland James (a 120,000 SF creative office renovation completed Q4 2017 in joint venture with Capstone Partners LLC), Carson South (160 luxury rental units with 12,000 SF of retail completed August 2018), and The Carson (a 14-story, ~220-unit luxury tower completed January 2019).

The company's revenue model is built on project-level development fees, joint venture equity participation, and long-term investment returns generated through direct relationships with local families, private capital providers, and institutional investors. Pricing is bilaterally negotiated per project and not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, anchored by Principal James N. Santana (Seattle University Bachelor's, Yale Master's, prior NAHB "Green Land Development of the Year" recognition, ULI member) and supported by sustained earned-media coverage in DJC Oregon, Portland Business Journal, Portland Monthly, and The Oregonian.

Operationally, Cairn Pacific runs on a 1–10 employee footprint with no proprietary technology platform, API, software product, or AI capability. Distribution is exclusively direct-to-investor and direct-to-tenant via the company website and referral-based channels, with the Capstone Partners LLC joint venture functioning as the primary mechanism for scaling project throughput beyond the firm's internal capacity. Sustainability credentials (LEED Gold on multiple projects) function as a design philosophy and brand differentiator rather than a discrete technology layer.

Name

Cairn Pacific

Legal name

Cairn Pacific LLC

Website

https://cairnpacific.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cairn Pacific LLC is a boutique Portland, Oregon real estate developer building commercial, retail, office, and LEED-certified multifamily mixed-use projects in Northwest Portland's Slabtown/Conway District, serving local families, private capital, and institutional investors via joint venture partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Real Estate Development

NAICS

Nonresidential Building Construction (2362)

SIC

Land Subdividers & Developers (No Cemeteries) (6552)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Land Development & Subdivision Homebuilding (Build-to-Sell Communities) (IMAFABAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Commercial real estate development
• Mixed-use property development
• Multifamily residential development
• Adaptive reuse construction
• Sustainable building development

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Real Estate Development: Cairn Pacific generates revenue through developing commercial, retail, office, and multifamily mixed-use properties. The company works with local families, private capital, and institutional investors to create value by building quality projects. Revenue is generated through property development fees, joint venture partnerships, and long-term investment returns.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Cairn Pacific is a full-service real estate development company that develops commercial, retail, office, and multifamily mixed-use properties in the Portland, Oregon market. The company partners with local families, private capital providers, and institutional investors to acquire, design, and build quality development projects ranging from neighborhood infill to large downtown high-rises, with a stated focus on sustainable building practices and LEED certification.

Product overview

Cairn Pacific is a full-service real estate development company that builds commercial, retail, and office space with a special focus on multifamily mixed-use projects. The company operates five distinct development projects: L.L. Hawkins (113-unit apartment building with retail), Slabtown Marketplace (adaptive reuse commercial hub featuring New Seasons Market and Breakside Brewery), Leland James (120,000 SF creative office renovation), The Carson (14-story, 220-unit luxury rental building), and Carson South (160-unit luxury apartment complex with ground floor retail). All projects are located in Northwest Portland's Slabtown/Conway District area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• L.L. Hawkins A LEED Gold certified apartment building with 113 residential units and approximately 10,000 SF of ground-floor retail, rooftop lounge, secure bike parking, and underground parking; named after Colonel Lester Leander Hawkins, the visionary credited with helping preserve Forest Park. Targeted at multifamily renters and retail tenants in Northwest Portland.
• Slabtown Marketplace Adaptive reuse of a 1952 shipping warehouse into a neighborhood commercial hub anchored by a 28,000 SF New Seasons Market grocery store, with approximately 15,000 SF of additional retail (including Breakside Brewery) and outdoor plaza seating. Marketed to retail, grocery, and restaurant tenants in Northwest Portland.
• Leland James Renovation of a 1973 Con-way data center and corporate offices into approximately 120,000 SF of creative, large floor-plate modern office space with ground-floor retail, delivered with new brick skin, large windows, full seismic upgrade, mechanical and plumbing systems, and a penthouse office suite with outdoor deck and ecoroof. Targeted at creative office and ground-floor retail tenants, developed in joint venture with Capstone Partners LLC.
• The Carson A 14-story mixed-use multifamily building with approximately 220 luxury rental units, approximately 8,000 SF of ground-floor retail shops, a large landscaped forecourt, and a rooftop sky garden with adjacent community lounge. Targeted at luxury renters and retail tenants in Northwest Portland.
• Carson South A mixed-use development with approximately 160 luxury rental apartments and 12,000 SF of ground-floor shops and restaurants over underground parking, configured around a private courtyard with one 6-story and one 3-story building and targeting LEED Gold certification. Targeted at luxury renters and retail/restaurant tenants, developed in joint venture with Capstone Partners LLC.

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Capstone Partners LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partner on multiple major projects including Leland James (120,000 SF creative office renovation), Carson South (160 luxury rental units with retail), and L.L. Hawkins (113 apartment units with retail). Capstone Partners is a key strategic partner for development ventures in the Portland market.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Venerable Properties: Portland-based real estate development and investment firm active in urban mixed-use and multifamily projects. Comparable boutique scale and Northwest urban focus to Cairn Pacific.
• Capstone Partners LLC: Portland-based real estate investment and development firm that is Cairn Pacific's primary JV partner on multiple major projects including Leland James, Carson South, and L.L. Hawkins. Operates in the same Pacific Northwest mixed-use and multifamily development space.
• Beam Development: Portland-based sustainable real estate developer known for green building and LEED-certified mixed-use projects in the Pacific Northwest. Directly comparable sustainability focus and boutique scale to Cairn Pacific.
• Killian Pacific: Portland-based boutique real estate developer focused on mixed-use, multifamily, and urban infill projects in the Pacific Northwest. Comparable in size, scope, and design-led philosophy to Cairn Pacific's mixed-use portfolio.
• Urban Asset Solutions: Pacific Northwest real estate development firm focused on urban infill and mixed-use projects. Comparable boutique scale and design-led community development approach to Cairn Pacific.
• RPM Development: Portland-area real estate development firm active in mixed-use, multifamily, and commercial projects. Comparable boutique scale and Northwest market focus to Cairn Pacific.

Emerging players

• Gerding Edlen: Portland-founded sustainable real estate developer known for LEED-certified mixed-use and multifamily projects in the Pacific Northwest. Strong overlap with Cairn Pacific's sustainability and mixed-use development focus.

Broad incumbents

• LMC, A Lennar Company: National multifamily development firm building luxury rental communities across major U.S. metros including the Pacific Northwest. Comparable multifamily rental product (similar to The Carson and Carson South) but at far greater scale and institutional capacity.
• Holland Partner Group: Pacific Northwest-headquartered multifamily developer and owner with a large portfolio of urban rental housing. Comparable product type (luxury rental apartments) but substantially larger scale and capital base than Cairn Pacific.

Regional players

• Melvin Mark Companies: Established Portland commercial real estate firm developing and managing office, retail, and mixed-use properties throughout the Pacific Northwest. Comparable in product type (commercial and office space development) but larger and more established than Cairn Pacific.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cairn-pacific

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Cairn Pacific