Focus Development
Focus Development is a Chicago-based, vertically integrated real estate developer and general contractor founded in 1993, serving institutional investors, capital partners, mall owners, and third-party developers with multifamily, mixed-use, office, and mall redevelopment projects, primarily in the Chicago metro area with expansion into Florida.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Focus Development does
Focus Development Inc. is a privately held, vertically integrated real estate developer and general contractor headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, founded in 1993 by CEO Tim Anderson. The company operates two core services under one organization: Real Estate Development (site identification, entitlements, financing, architectural coordination, and project oversight) and General Contracting Services (third-party commercial construction management, trade coordination, and quality control). Its defining feature is the integrated delivery model, which aligns development and construction teams from earliest planning through delivery, enabling real-time material pricing, design iteration, and proactive risk management that pure developers or pure GCs cannot replicate as efficiently. Notable technical components include its first-in-market use of girder slab construction in Chicagoland at the Circa 922 project, which delivered over $1 million in cost savings, and broader precast concrete expertise.
The company serves institutional real estate investors and developers, mall owners and retail property managers, and third-party developers and owners needing value-add construction. Notable capital partners include Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW), Affinius Capital, Atlantic Residential, Shapack, Walton Street Capital, Geolo Capital, and Wintrust Bank. The portfolio spans multifamily residential, mixed-use developments, Class-A office, and mall-to-mixed-use redevelopments; cumulative development value exceeds $2.4 billion across 4,000+ multifamily units in 14+ Chicago suburbs over 30+ years of operation.
The revenue model is project-based and professional services in nature, with development fees, equity returns, and property sales on owned projects combined with construction management fees and contract margins on third-party GC work. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales pursued through direct relationships, competitive tenders (e.g., URW for Old Orchard), public-private partnership processes with municipalities, and JV structures with capital partners. Geographic footprint is concentrated in the Chicago metropolitan area, with active expansion into Miami, Florida via the Brickell Starlite project alongside Group Fox.
Focus Development firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Focus Development
- Legal name
- Focus Development Inc.
- Website
- https://workwithfocus.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Focus Development is a Chicago-based, vertically integrated real estate developer and general contractor founded in 1993, serving institutional investors, capital partners, mall owners, and third-party developers with multifamily, mixed-use, office, and mall redevelopment projects, primarily in the Chicago metro area with expansion into Florida.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Focus Development industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Real Estate Development
- NAICS
- Land Subdivision (23721), Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (23622), Land Subdivision (237210)
- SIC
- Real Estate Dealers (For Their Own Account) (6532), General Bldg Contractors - Residential Bldgs (1520), Investors, Nec (6799)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Real Estate Development Asset Management (Project/Construction-to-Stabilization) (BPAJAMAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Residential General Contracting (New Build) (IMAFAAAB), Regional & Land Use Planning (BPAHAKAE)
Keywords
Where Focus Development is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Focus Development business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Real Estate Development: Focus develops mixed-use, multifamily, and commercial real estate projects as co-developer or lead developer, generating revenue through development fees, equity returns, and property sales. Projects range from suburban multifamily communities to high-density urban mixed-use developments.
- General Contracting Services: Focus acts as general contractor on its own developments and for third-party developer clients. Revenue is generated through construction management fees and contract margins on commercial construction projects.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Focus Development product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Focus Development is a Chicago-based integrated real estate developer and general contractor that pursues, develops, and builds mixed-use, multifamily, and commercial real estate projects, while also providing third-party general contracting services. Through its vertically integrated delivery model, the firm aligns architectural design, entitlements, financing, construction management, and trade coordination under one organization to deliver projects ranging from suburban multifamily communities to high-density urban mixed-use redevelopments.
Product overview
Focus Development is a Chicago-based vertically integrated real estate development company and general contractor founded in 1993. The company operates two core services: Real Estate Development Services (site identification, entitlements, architectural coordination, financing) and General Contracting Services (third-party construction management). Their Integrated Delivery Model combines both disciplines from early planning stages. The company specializes in Value-Add Construction, Mall Redevelopment (converting retail centers into mixed-use destinations), and Mixed-Use Development (residential, office, retail combinations). Notable projects include Old Orchard Apartments (mall redevelopment with URW), Brickell Starlite (Miami mixed-use), 167 Green Street (Fulton Market office), Kelmscott Park (Lake Forest master-planned community), The Domaine at Hawthorn Row (mall redevelopment), and Porter (Oak Park multifamily).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Real Estate Development Services
Quantifiable outcome
- 167 Green Street sold for the highest per-square-foot price in the Chicago area in 2017
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Focus Development
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Focus Development technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Focus Development partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Group FoxcoreChicago-based development partnership between Focus and Group Fox for Brickell Starlite, a 39-story, 517-unit luxury multifamily tower in Miami's Brickell submarket. The partnership secured $250 million in construction financing and received FAA permits and administrative site plan approval.
- Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW)coreURW, the Paris-based owner of Westfield Old Orchard Mall, partnered with Focus to redevelop the mall into a mixed-use destination with hundreds of luxury apartments, retail, and public event space. Focus serves as co-developer and general contractor for the multiphase, $100 million redevelopment in Skokie, Illinois. The partnership represents one of the most significant mall-to-mixed-use transformations in the Chicago area.
- ShapackcoreJoint venture partner with Focus on 167 Green Street, a 17-story, 750,000 SF Class-A office building in Chicago's Fulton Market district. Shapack Partners is a Chicago-based real estate development firm.
- Atlantic ResidentialcoreLong-term development partner with over 10 years of collaboration on 8 developments spanning renovation to garden to mid-rise to high-rise projects. Partners on Domaine at Hawthorn Row and Lucca Fox Valley. Atlantic Residential is a private commercial real estate firm based in Atlanta with $3 billion of institutional quality properties totaling over 10,000 residential units.
- CentennialcoreRetail real estate owner and operator partnering on Hawthorn Mall redevelopment. Centennial operates 24.5 million square feet of mixed-use destinations in 15 states and is responsible for the Hawthorn Mall transformation into a mixed-use destination.
- Fort UnioncoreNational real estate development and investment firm partnering with Focus on the Tesla electric vehicle sales, service, and distribution center in Northbrook, Illinois. Fort Union specializes in value-add investments, build-to-suit development, and sale/leasebacks.
- GenslercoreWorld-renowned architecture firm serving as design architect for multiple Focus projects including 167 Green Street and Brickell Starlite. Gensler's design work on Focus projects has produced award-winning developments and record-setting sales.
- Booth HansencoreChicago-based architecture firm serving as architect of record for Focus projects including The Parker Fulton Market, Kelmscott Park, and Porter in Oak Park. Over 15 years of collaborative design work resulting in unique responsive architecture.
- Regency CentersminorRetail developer partner for Atworth at Mellody Farm in Vernon Hills. Regency Centers developed 28.5 acres of retail anchored by Whole Foods, Nordstrom Rack, and REI adjacent to the 260-unit luxury apartment community.
- DAC DevelopmentsminorThird-party developer client for whom Focus serves as general contractor on 808 Cleveland, a 23-story residential tower in Chicago's River North.
- Village of Vernon HillsminorMunicipal partner in Hawthorn Mall and Domaine at Hawthorn Row redevelopment, providing support for the transformation of the 50-year-old shopping center into a mixed-use destination.
- Village of NorthbrookminorMunicipal partner for the Tesla Northbrook electric vehicle facility, aligned with the Village's 2021 Climate Action Plan and economic development goals.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights1 record
Focus Development competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Skender Construction: Chicago-based general contractor and design-builder serving commercial, multifamily, and adaptive reuse clients. Comparable third-party GC capability and Chicago-region footprint to Focus's construction division.
- Golub & Company: Chicago-based real estate development, investment, and management firm active in multifamily and mixed-use urban development. Directly comparable developer peer in terms of product type, geography, and integration of development and ownership activities.
- W.E. O'Neil Construction: Chicago-headquartered general contractor with deep multifamily, mixed-use, and commercial tenant improvement work across Chicago and the Midwest. Closely comparable in scale, geography, and product mix to Focus's third-party construction services.
- McHugh Construction: Chicago-based general contractor with significant multifamily, hospitality, and commercial high-rise experience. Comparable to Focus's third-party GC arm on scale and Chicago-centric project profile, including adaptive reuse and high-rise work.
- Magellan Development: Chicago-based developer of large-scale mixed-use and high-rise residential projects including Lakeshore East. Comparable in product type and Chicago-centric geography to Focus's multifamily and mixed-use developments.
- CA Ventures: Chicago-based multifamily and student housing developer with national scope. Comparable in its focus on institutional-grade multifamily product and Chicago headquarters, though it operates a more programmatic/horizontal model than Focus's vertical integration.
- Sterling Bay: Chicago-based developer known for transformative mixed-use projects in Fulton Market and other urban neighborhoods. Direct overlap with Focus on Chicago mixed-use and office development, including in the same Fulton Market submarket where 167 Green Street is located.
- Power Construction: Chicago-based general contractor and construction manager with a comparable multifamily, mixed-use, and commercial portfolio across the Chicago metropolitan area. Functions as both a third-party GC and developer, closely mirroring Focus's vertically integrated delivery model.
Broad incumbents
- Related Companies: National large-scale developer of mixed-use, multifamily, and commercial real estate including affordable and market-rate housing. Broader portfolio and far larger scale than Focus but exercises the same integrated large-project playbook across mixed-use and affordable categories.
- Clark Construction: Large national general contractor with significant multifamily, commercial, and mixed-use construction portfolio. Comparable to Focus's third-party GC arm but operates at materially greater scale and geographic breadth.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Focus Development social profiles
Digital presenceFocus Development compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Focus Development financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Focus Development leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Focus Development funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Focus Development M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Focus Development
What does Focus Development do?
Focus Development is a Chicago-based integrated real estate developer and general contractor that pursues, develops, and builds mixed-use, multifamily, and commercial real estate projects, while also providing third-party general contracting services. Through its vertically integrated delivery model, the firm aligns architectural design, entitlements, financing, construction management, and trade coordination under one organization to deliver projects ranging from suburban multifamily communities to high-density urban mixed-use redevelopments.
Is Focus Development a public or private company?
Focus Development is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Focus Development founded?
Focus Development was founded in 1993.
Where is Focus Development based?
Focus Development is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Focus Development make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Real Estate Development is the primary driver. The others are general Contracting Services.
Who are Focus Development's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Skender Construction, Golub & Company, W.E. O'Neil Construction, McHugh Construction, Magellan Development, CA Ventures, Sterling Bay and Power Construction. Broad incumbents are Related Companies and Clark Construction.
Does Focus Development have an API?
No public API is recorded for Focus Development.
What industry is Focus Development in?
Focus Development's product category is Real Estate Development. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAJAMAL, Real Estate Development Asset Management (Project/Construction-to-Stabilization), with a secondary code of IMAFAAAB, Residential General Contracting (New Build). Its NAICS code is 23721 and its SIC code is 6532.