Meet Michael McAtee | Real Estate Developer / Architect / General Contractor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Michael McAtee and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michael, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Our business started from our passion for design and construction. Prior to starting our business, I had practiced Architecture in a few different firms. I knew being in an office and working for someone wasn’t for me. Although I learned a lot from those jobs, it also confirmed what I wanted to do.  I had always felt a desire to develop real estate as an Architect who would prioritize design. I knew we would have a unique skill set from other developers.  As designers, we would put design as a decision leader, even if that meant longer construction time, or less profit.  We believed that would set us apart.   Starting our business when we did was a leap of faith, as we started in early 2009.  That was when the great recession had a large impact on real estate and the economy. However, we believed in our strengths and that we could provide unique houses that were well crafted in design and construction. We knew our drive and talent could transcend a bad economy.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Our business is primarily in residential real estate development and custom homes. Today, we build single family houses, townhomes, apartments, and custom homes. We started by fixing up houses and have since been developing multifamily ground up over the last 13 years. From the beginning, we believed every development is unique and should not be repeated. Our tag line represents our intent, which is – “Your home, as unique as you.” We are proud of taking the time to design and develop a home that is unique to the context, person, and time. We think all of those are special and should be embraced. We also recognize our projects will be around longer than we will, and we want to leave this place better than we found it. We are not driven by the bottom line, as much as we are driven by being the best at what we do and building something we are proud of. By focusing on that, our product showcases that we care about design, service, and quality. That focus turns into satisfied customers, neighbors, employees and owners. We face challenges every day, but if we stay true to what drives us, we are always able to overcome them with focus. I have learned it is the journey along the way that we should embrace, even if it comes with difficulties.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We live in the best City and State in the world. When we have visitors, I first tell them to visit the RINO district. Over the last 8yrs or so, it has grown into one of the most eclectic neighborhoods around. It was (and still is) an art district. Over the last 8 yrs it has seen significant growth in restaurants, bars, apartments, and shopping. It has everything I need for entertainment. In addition, it is close enough to walk to everything else the city has to offer, such as the Rockies stadium, Avs / Nuggets arena, 16th street mall, Union station, and so much more. Outside of the downtown areas, every other neighborhood in Denver is special. They all have unique parks, history, restaurants, etc. My favorite neighborhood also has my favorite spot to eat. Platt Park is my favorite neighborhood which is home to Sushi Den. The other obvious places to check out, are Red Rocks Amphitheater, Coors Brewery in Golden, and any other craft brewery. The music scene is great as well. A show at the Ogden or Bluebird is a must. Both are quaint venues with top acts. All of this doesn’t even consider a visit to the mountains. There are countless activities and adventures you can have in the short drive out of the city up into the Rockies.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My shoutouts –

1) Wife – Paula McAtee
2) Mom – Mary McAtee
3) Advisor / Dad – Bruce Hestad
4) Business Partner – Joel Levy
5) Project Manager – Lindsay Massengale

Website: lhdenver.com

Image Credits
Kylie Fitts