Arsean Maqami, Co-President, DC Partners
In an interview with Invest:, Arsean Maqami, co-president of DC Partners, reflected on a year of momentum marked by the opening of the Thompson Houston and Residences at The Allen. The firm also broke ground on a 200-plus-key Kimpton Hotel in Fredericksburg, extending its luxury portfolio beyond Houston. Maqami underscored DC Partners’ focus on wellness-driven design and its long-term confidence in Houston and Texas’ growth.
What were some key milestones for DC Partners in the past year?
DC Partners has had great traction over the past year. In early 2024, we opened the Thompson Houston hotel and Residences at The Allen. This was a major achievement for our team, led by co-president Roberto Contreras IV and COO Acho Azuike. Our team is bullish on the Allen Parkway submarket, given its central location and incredible views.
Our team did not rest there. We recently broke ground on our next luxury mixed-use development in Fredericksburg, which features a 200-plus-key Kimpton Hotel and 70,000 square feet of curated retail space.
Our team is also looking to expand its footprint in Houston and take on our first major endeavor outside of Texas.
What makes Houston a strategic home base for DC Partners?
Houston is a vibrant and diverse city that has unique differentiating attributes.
Having recently moved here from New York, the first thing I noticed was how many young people can afford homes and start families here — that’s not the case in many major U.S. cities.
What trends are you seeing in the luxury segment, and how are they influencing your projects?
Luxury is a word that gets thrown around a lot, but we approach it by asking: what’s the customer experience? Who are we building for? We are leaning into health and wellness. We have been seeing a trend of people allocating more discretionary income to health and wellness activities. This new trend will evolve, but thematically we expect it to stay for the foreseeable future. That means the ability to exercise, play sports, tan, cold plunge, sauna, etc.
How does DC Partners approach creating a sense of community in your developments?
Each project has its own journey and story. The journey to take a 22-acre site in Fredericksburg and transform it into a Kimpton Hotel and destination retail center is a different process than how a tower in Houston is envisioned.
While each project is unique, we have guiding principles to create our vision. Our team creates an internal book annually called “The DC Partners Way,” which outlines our process, our learnings, our goals, and our aspirations.
How are broader economic trends impacting your business?
Economic trends are immediate, but our view on the economy is longer-term. We are building three years in the future, and we are bullish on Houston, Texas, and beyond.
What challenges are you seeing in labor and construction, and how are you building your internal team?
DC Partners is a tough place to work. We have high standards, and everyone on our team knows they’re part of a high-performing team. That attracts the right people. In the broader construction world, there’s uncertainty — especially with potential tariffs. No one knows where pricing will land, and that makes planning a bit tougher. But we adapt.
How is DC Partners leveraging technology to increase efficiency?
Our chief development officer is always pushing us to use new tools, and our CEO always pushes us to leverage AI. We are probably not leveraging AI to its full potential yet, and we are working through the best tech stack as we enter the AI age.
What’s your outlook for DC Partners over the next two to three years?
Our team is excited for what lies ahead in our pipeline in Houston, in Texas, and elsewhere.
