Edge Development

Edge Development brings real estate development and general contracting under a single roof. The multifaceted firm has been serving the greater Portland, Ore., metro area for 14 years. “We’re a medium-sized local developer,” shares Scott Elliott, founder and president of Edge Development. “We build projects that make sense for the community and us. As an opportunistic investor and developer, we don’t build the same widget over and over. We adapt to each individual project.”

Elliott, who’s been in real estate for the better part of his life, established Edge Development in early 2000. “I’ve been in real estate for more than 22 years,” he recalls. “I got into the brokerage side back in the 1990s and in 2000 I started in the residential development world.”

Rapid success

Since its inception, Edge Development has rapidly grown and established a presence in the greater Portland area. “We were voted as one of the top 25 fastest growing companies in Portland by the Portland Business Journal, coming in at No. 25 in 2013,” states Elliott.

Edge Development now employs five people, but the company tackles a range of commercial projects. “Our projects vary from $1 million to $10 million,” says Elliott. “We started in residential but have grown into the commercial market with expertise in for-sale office space, medical, retail and multifamily development. We have a particular niche in developing business parks.”

The company servers end-users, from investors to operators, and as a local real estate developer and general contractor, Edge Development works with subcontractors to deliver creative floor plans and innovative layouts for economical properties. “We don’t self-perform anything, we sub out our work, but we’re there all the way through completion,” explains Elliott. “Edge Development acquires and develops a range of properties. We determine the land use and break up the area into larger or smaller lots, followed by site development, financial structures, entitlements and site contracting management.”

Spotlight commercial projects

Portland is growing, especially in the commercial sector. Therefore, Edge Development is gaining alongside the boom, selling out commercial properties left and right. The company is currently underway at the Raleigh Hill Professional Center just outside of Portland.

“We’re developing the 14,000-square-foot site into four buildings and leasing one to Legacy Medical, a large hospital group in this area,” notes Elliott. “The other three buildings will be sold to individual users, from a medical response center to an attorney’s office and a physical therapy office.”

In Hillsboro, Ore., Edge Development is invested in a substantial commercial project. “At West Union Crossing, just outside of Portland, we’re developing a commercial subdivision,” details Elliott. “One is sold to McDonald’s and another to Arco for an AMPM /Arco gas station. We came back on as the general contractor and constructed the gas station.”

Moving forward and rebuilding

Despite a slowdown through 2009 and 2010, where Edge Development was forced to cut back to just two employees, the company’s backlog and potential for new projects are on the up. “We had 14 employees at the peak before 2008,” reveals Elliott. “We shrunk down to just two people on staff through 2009 and 2010, so at this point we are in the rebuilding phase. The biggest challenge is capital, but we’re an opportunistic investor and developer – we’re known for our innovation, because we don’t build the same thing over and over. We adapt to each individual project.”

Elliott says the company has a lot to look forward to in North Portland, including a medical complex and an apartment complex. “North Portland is a booming area with lots of room for development,” he adds. “We have seen pretty substantial growth in 2013. I expect us to grow another 25 to 30 percent in 2014.”

Moving into the commercial sector has allowed Edge Development to gain a leg up in the area. “We want to grow and leave a footprint behind as we grow,” explains Elliott. “The goal is to continue to build great, high-quality projects that make sense for the community and for us professionally. While our roots are in residential development, I see opportunity in the investment arm of the business.”

From acquiring properties to land-use evaluation, site development, construction management and more, Edge Development merges real estate development and general contracting to deliver a high-quality product from start to finish.