Current Responsibilities
Mr. Kastens is a Vice President in Jones Lang LaSalle’s Public Institutions group in Washington, DC. With the firm since February 2007, he has nine years of real estate experience and a background in construction management. Mr Kastens provides strategic commercial real estate advisory services to public sector clients in the U.S. and Germany, including site due diligence, market analysis, highest and best use studies, property marketing, financial analysis and feasibility assessments, use of alternative financing and public and private redevelopment based on available legislative authorities.
Experience
Mr. Kastens has successfully completed numerous assignments for the General Services Administration (GSA), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the Departments of the Air Force (AF) and Army and the German State of Rheinland-Pfalz. Sample engagements on behalf of GSA and other Federal clients are listed in the table below:
Disposition Projects:
- Bethesda Federal Office Building (GSA), Bethesda, MD, 127k GSF, $12.5M sale price
Asset Utilization and Repositioning Studies
- 49 L Street DC (GSA), Washington, DC, 0.7 acre, 33,000 GSF
- 1100 Pennsylvania Ave. (Old Post Office) (GSA), Washington, DC, 2.1 acres, 415,000 GSF
- Montrose VA Medical Center, Montrose, NY, 184 total acres; 350,000 total GSF
- Fort Howard VA Medical Center, Fort Howard, MD, 95 acres, 306,000 GSF
- VA Site Review Initiative, Nationwide, Due diligence at 18 VA sites; led to VA Mission Driven Homeless Housing Initiative
- VA Building Utilization Review & Reuse Initiative, Nationwide, Due diligence at 39 VA sites
Portfolio Strategy Projects and Portfolio & Asset Management
- Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO, 610 acres, 4.2 million GS
In addition to the assignments listed above, Mr. Kastens is advising the State Government of Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany on real estate issues related to the U.S. military in Germany. Mr. Kastens served as project manager supporting the State on structuring and conducting a Build-To-Lease solicitation for 271 military housing units for the U.S. Air Force at the Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany. He is currently supporting the State on several military housing initiatives for the U.S. Army at their installation in Baumholder, Germany. Mr. Kastens also led a marketing feasibility analysis with particular emphasis of renewable energy reuse potential for VA’s Knoxville, IA VA Medical Center.
Positions
Prior to joining Jones Lang LaSalle, Mr. Kastens was a Project Manager at The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company, where he managed several different types of complex commercial, institutional and industrial construction projects ranging in value from $2 million to $24 million. Projects included several facilities for Georgetown University and a new facility for St. Coletta of Greater Washington. His responsibilities included on-site supervision and project management, budgeting, scheduling and contract negotiations to successfully complete projects on time, within budget and to the highest quality standards.
Education and Affiliations
Mr. Kastens earned an M.B.A. from the Carey Business School of Johns Hopkins University and graduated with an M.S. in civil engineering from Virginia Tech’s Vecellio Construction Engineering and Management Program. A native of Germany, he also conducted extensive civil engineering studies at the Technical University of Braunschweig, Germany. Mr. Kastens is a U.S. Green Building Council LEED® Accredited Professional and member of the Urban Land Institute.
