What Cutler Development does

Cutler Development is a small commercial real estate developer headquartered in West Des Moines, Iowa, specializing in urban infill, mixed-use development, and historic renovation across the Des Moines metro area and Marshalltown. Founded in 2016 and operating with a team of 1–10 led by principals Scott and Molly, the firm executes a portfolio of at least eight development projects spanning new construction and adaptive reuse of 1860s-era buildings, with a distinctive emphasis on environmental design — including mass timber construction, solar energy integration, and Iowa's first Zero Carbon certified building under the International Living Future Institute standard. Core technical capabilities combine Scott's 15+ years of commercial development experience with Molly's decade-long background as a chemical engineer in the petrochemical industry.

The business model combines three revenue streams: one-time revenue from development and sale or lease of completed mixed-use projects (containing ground-floor retail/commercial and upper-floor multifamily housing or offices), ongoing rental income from multifamily and retail tenants, and the leveraging of state and federal historic tax credits to offset renovation costs. Revenue model mechanics are project-lumpy and tied to completion milestones. Customers and end-users include SMB retail/restaurant tenants (e.g., St. Kilda Collective, Cat Cafe), multifamily residents, and government/institutional partners accessed via USDA funding and Main Street America affiliation. Pricing is custom-quote / non-publicly disclosed; a representative project at 2701 Ingersoll Ave carries a $7.2 million development value. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales targeting local Iowa communities, with visibility primarily driven by earned media coverage in regional outlets (Des Moines Register, Business Record, Newsbreak) and the company's website.

Name

Cutler Development

Legal name

Cutler Development

Website

https://cutlerdevelopment.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cutler Development is a West Des Moines, Iowa-based commercial real estate developer specializing in urban infill, mixed-use, and historic renovation projects. The firm serves SMB retail tenants, multifamily residents, and institutional partners through sustainable construction including mass timber and Zero Carbon certified buildings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Real Estate Development

NAICS

Prefabricated Wood Building Manufacturing (321992), Nonresidential Building Construction (2362), New Housing For-Sale Builders (236117)

SIC

Prefabricated Wood Bldgs & Components (2452)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Wood Decking, Fencing & Outdoor Lumber Products (IMADADAF)

Keywords

• Commercial real estate development
• Mixed-use development
• Historic building renovation
• Urban infill projects
• Sustainable construction

Headquarters

HQ city

West Des Moines

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Real Estate Development and Property Sales: Cutler Development develops commercial and multifamily properties for sale or lease. Revenue is generated through the development and sale of completed projects, including mixed-use buildings with retail and residential components.
2. Historic Tax Credit Utilization: The company utilizes state and federal historic tax credits for renovation projects (e.g., 333 5th Street project), which provides financial incentives and offsets development costs.
3. Rental Income: Projects include multifamily housing and commercial retail spaces that generate ongoing rental income from tenants.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cutler Development develops commercial real estate properties in Iowa, specializing in new construction, urban infill, and historic renovation of mixed-use buildings that combine ground-floor retail or commercial space with upper-floor multifamily housing and offices. The company emphasizes sustainable building practices, including mass timber construction, Zero Carbon certification, and solar energy integration, while utilizing state and federal historic tax credits to fund adaptive reuse projects. Revenue is generated through the development, sale, and lease of these properties to retail tenants, residents, and government/institutional partners.

Product overview

Cutler Development is a commercial real estate development company specializing in new construction and historic renovation projects in Iowa. The company offers a portfolio of eight distinct development projects across West Des Moines, Des Moines, and Marshalltown, IA. These projects include new mass timber mixed-use buildings (304 5th Street, 2701 Ingersoll Ave), multifamily and retail renovations (329 5th Street, 312 5th Street, 224 5th Street), historic renovation projects utilizing tax credits (34-36 West Main St., 333 5th Street), and a new construction project complementing historic buildings (111 5th Street). The company emphasizes environmental design, sustainable building practices including Zero Carbon certification and solar energy integration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 111 5th Street A new construction mixed-use project in West Des Moines, IA designed to complement neighboring historic buildings, featuring a patio that creates outdoor seating at the entrance of 5th Street.
• 34-36 West Main St. A historic renovation project in Marshalltown, IA that joins two neighboring 1860s-era buildings to rejuvenate several retail bays on the first floor and convert former offices into affordable housing on the second and third floors.
• 2701 Ingersoll Ave A new construction project in Des Moines, IA that transforms a blighted gas station into Iowa's first Zero Carbon certified building (International Living Future Institute), featuring a mass timber structure with 100% energy offset via onsite and offsite solar.
• 304 5th Street Iowa's first mass timber mixed-use building in West Des Moines, IA, featuring commercial space on the first floor and a mixture of offices and multifamily housing on floors 2 and 3.
• 329 5th Street A new construction project in West Des Moines, IA with multifamily and retail uses, featuring a 'pocket park' with outdoor greenspace for tenants.
• 333 5th Street A renovation project in West Des Moines, IA utilizing state and federal historic tax credits to repurpose an auto dealership into a restaurant, bar, and event space (St. Kilda Collective).
• 312 5th Street A renovation project in West Des Moines, IA with multifamily and retail uses, featuring two-story apartment units with spiral staircases connecting living space with lofted bedrooms, outfitted with solar panels to reduce tenant utility costs.
• 224 5th Street An early renovation project in the Valley Junction neighborhood of West Des Moines, IA with multifamily and retail uses, contributing to recent neighborhood redevelopment efforts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Iowa's first Zero Carbon certified building
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hubbell Realty Company: Iowa-based homebuilder and community developer with decades of residential and mixed-use experience across the Des Moines metro. Comparable as a regional Iowa developer, though Hubbell focuses more on residential subdivisions whereas Cutler specializes in urban infill, historic renovation, and sustainable construction.
• Hacker Architects: Architecture firm recognized as a U.S. mass timber design leader with multiple award-winning mass timber commercial and multifamily projects. Comparable in advancing mass timber adoption, though Hacker is a design firm while Cutler operates as a developer-owner.
• Swinerton: Large U.S. general contractor with a substantial mass timber and sustainable building portfolio across commercial and multifamily projects. Comparable in mass timber execution and sustainability positioning, though operating nationally at much larger scale.

Broad incumbents

• The NRP Group: U.S. multifamily developer specializing in affordable and mixed-income housing, including adaptive reuse and historic renovation projects. Comparable in affordable housing and historic renovation execution, particularly relevant to Cutler's 34-36 West Main St. adaptive reuse project.
• Mill Creek Residential Trust: U.S. multifamily developer focused on rental housing communities, frequently in mixed-use formats. Comparable in multifamily development execution and urban infill, though operating at much larger scale than Cutler's Iowa-focused portfolio.
• Walsh Construction: Large U.S. general contractor with sustainability and green building capabilities across commercial and multifamily projects. Comparable as a sustainable commercial builder, though Walsh operates at substantially larger scale across multiple regions.
• Mortenson Construction: Major U.S. general contractor with significant mass timber and Zero Carbon/sustainable construction credentials across commercial and mixed-use projects. Comparable in adopting cutting-edge sustainable building methods, though Mortenson operates nationally at far greater scale.
• Carmel Partners: U.S. multifamily investment and development firm focused on rental housing in urban markets. Comparable in multifamily development expertise and infill strategy, though operating at institutional scale across multiple states.
• Greystar Real Estate Partners: Largest U.S. multifamily housing operator and developer with a national rental housing footprint. Comparable in the multifamily rental component of Cutler's mixed-use projects, though Greystar operates at vastly greater scale across multiple geographies.

Emerging players

• LEVER Architecture: Architecture and design-build firm pioneering mass timber construction in the U.S., including hybrid timber buildings. Comparable as a mass timber innovation leader and emerging player in sustainable building, though LEVER is primarily a design firm rather than a development owner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cutler-development

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Cutler Development