Today we’d like to introduce you to Charles Davis.
Hi Charles, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
As young student, I always wanted to be in building. I thought I wanted to be an Architect, because I loved the buildings, people and business, it just seemed nature. So in Junior High and High School I took courses science, math and drafting. I later discovered, my father side of the family were all builder’s. My father was in the navy, but his oldest brother was a civil enginner for Cal trans in Oakland. One day my father took me to the Cornodo bridge that my Uncle was inspecting for Caltrans. My father told his me his father passed when my father was 20 years old, but he was contractor and my great grand father was carpenter so we have a long history of builders in our family. My father also explained the family could only afford to send the oldest son and daughter to college, so my Uncle was able to continue the family tradtion of building by practicing enginnering. Once I became aware of our family tradtion of building, my passion for building grew more intense. Another major contribution to my professional background is I grew up in the late sixties and atende UCLA in the early seventies. During that time the nation experienced great unrest coupled with mutiple movements, such as civil rights, women etc. as well as a n awareness of community. My parents have always tought all of tkae care of each other as well as our community. I remember my father making us clean the canyons around our and sweep the streets. So my passion for building and rebuilding community were formed at very early time in my life.
I just could not figure exactly the path and I think this is the most important part of my journey. I knew what I loved and what my passion burned in my heart and DNA, building, people, business and community. But I did not what it meant, what job or career that would be. I entered UCLA right out high school thinking I would be an Architect, wrong, first of all UCLA did not have a undergraduate degree in Architecture, so I entered the UCLA School of Engineering, wrong. After three years of undergraduate engineering work at UCLA, I felt disallusioned about my path and goal. I could not connect Architect or Enginnering with community, business or people and I did not see myself seating at desk designing buildings. My vision of my work was more dynamic, it would involve the building of communites which require more then technical skills, it would require people skills and business skills. I looked around at UCLA to change my major to better prepare me for my refined vision of my future and discovered only Urban Planning or Economics. You see this was 1976 and discipline were limited in what I wanted to accomplish and I discovered UCLA was what they called a theory school, where I needed a pratical education for what I wanted to do. So I left UCLA without a degree and started taking Real estate, business, communication, accounting classes at various local Junior colleges. I finally figured out I wanted to be a Developer, I never knew what a developer did or even existed, but he is the person the is the initater or manager of the development of a piece of real estate from the acqustion of the land to lease up and operations of the property. During that portion, the developer is involved in the design of the building, use of the building, financial analysis of the project, discussion with community and government entities.
Now that I know the career I wanted I just have to prepare the pathway, because in 1976, no such degree was called Real estate development. I went to the University of Redland and received a degree in Business Management. Now I was ready to pursue a career in Real Estate Development and more precise Community Development.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Certainly, gaining experience in field is challeging. But, persistance and luck can help. I was lucky in that my first job was a community development officer for the gaslamp quater association and I was on their first staff, of couse I intern the first year without pay and paid for the CETA program my second year. It was hard, but it was exciting, because at the time the Gaslamp Quarter was run down red light district and as a child I was fobibben to south of market street. I would catch the bus to work at 542 Fifth avenue and to walk around people sleeping on the sidewalk. For 22 year old, the unhoused was not a known quanity at the time. But the energy of the young Architect and to be a part of their vison for the restration of that community was the most exciting experience in my life up to that time. So the passion for community restoration was natured and contionue to grow and provide me a platform to seek other community revitalation opportunities.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about URBAN WEST DEVELOPMENT?
I was able to turn a passion into a business, Founded 1996, Urban West Development provide technical real estate development and construction mangement services to non-profits and community based organizations. UWD was the first firm in San Diego to recognize many Non profits required addtional technical services to accomplish thier goals or were more efficient if they outsoured technicla services because they were not allways in the real estate development business. UWD over 45 years of experience in community and real estate development which includes feasibility analysis, project budgeting, site selection and acquisition, project consultant/contractor selection and coordination, project monitoring and cost controls, scheduling, change orders management, submittal and pay application systems administrations and project financing. His expertise includes government agency negotiations, regulatory compliance and enforcement and the development, construction and asset management of affordable housing, multi-family housing, senior housing, single family tracts, condominiums and commercial/retail centers.
Contact Info:
- Email: cdavis@urbanwestdevelopment.net
