ABOUT US

Principals

Brian Mendelssohn

Brian has had overall responsibility for Botero Development since 2008. He has successfully directed many transformative neighborhood developments for more than 15 years.  He is an expert on neighborhood development, business district revitalization, historic renovation, interior design, film distribution, and pinball.

Previously, he led a 30 member team as the director of construction for Hawthorne Development, a Chicago-based condominium conversion company. Prior to that, he was a project manager at Ariba (FreeMarkets) in Pittsburgh. Brian earned a BS in Materials Science and Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, where he received the Senior Leadership Award.

Irwin Mendelssohn

Irwin joined Botero Development in 2015 and focuses on financing, new project development, and business operations. He is an expert on long-term investing, business district revitalization, experiential retail, and food system infrastructure.

Previously, he was Head of Institutional Investors at the World Economic Forum, managing the Forum’s relationships with long-term investors such as sovereign wealth funds and pension funds. He also oversaw global initiatives on long-term investing, infrastructure investment, and capital markets development. Prior to that, he was a project manager at Northern Trust in Chicago. Irwin earned an MBA from the Yale School of Management; an MA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from Oxford University; and a BA in Philosophy from the University of Florida.

Select Press

How This Duo is Turning Old Buildings in Pittsburgh Into New Foodie Experiences

01/02/2023

Brian Mendelssohn never starts a new real estate project on an empty stomach. Food is always a key element in each of his endeavors

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The Mysteries of Pittsburgh

09/08/2016

If you spend any time on Butler Street, you’re bound to run into Brian Mendelssohn, 39, an influential developer…. He is a developer with the soul of a preservationist. “I consider myself a neighborhood developer,… I want Lawrenceville to evolve, but I don’t want to change what it is fundamentally.”

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36 Hours in Pittsburgh

07/15/2015

Movie Madness. A quirky lineup of films is shown at the single-screen Row House Cinema while brews from Pittsburgh and beyond are stocked at the adjoining (Bierport), a beer shop featuring over 500 selections that you can buy and bring into the theater.

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Industrial action

04/01/2015

Convinced of the opportunities, Mendelssohn traded his lab coat for land and became a property developer and entrepreneur. He launched various projects throughout his adopted home including a gift-card boutique, a craft-beer shop and his latest endeavour, an independent cinema called Row House.

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