Classic Lake Overview
Classic Lake, LLC (“Classic Lake”) is a community and economic development, investment, and advisory firm. Classic Lake specializes in utilizing creative capital structures to support the development of real estate and the growth of businesses within low-income communities. The firm serves clients that generate positive economic, social, and environmental returns.
Classic Lake commonly works with municipal agencies, real estate and housing developers, small businesses, healthcare and education institutions, non-profits, and financial services firms. Since its inception, the firm has facilitated the placement of over $650 million of investment into communities throughout the United States. Classic Lake commonly assists clients with Federal and State tax credit subsidies, public and private grants, taxable and tax-exempt bonds, market rate and below market rate debt, senior and subordinate debt, and equity.
Classic Lake has provided guidance and the means for these projects to attain critical gap financing while maintaining a targeted focus on the inclusion of minority-owned and woman-owned businesses and minority hiring goals. Black, Hispanic and Latino business owners face systemic barriers when it comes to growing and scaling their small businesses. Through our investments, we are working to create opportunities that support and uplift minority entrepreneurs. Access to opportunities and advancement for these groups are critical to innovation as well as to creating an equitable workforce.
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We are excited to learn about your project and support your team. We look forward to identifying strategies to maximize your community impact!
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Kyle Walton
Founder And President
Kyle Walton has over 15 years of experience in community and economic development finance and real estate development. Mr. Walton founded Classic Lake, a community development advisory and real estate development firm in 2014. The firms’ advisory practice was established with an emphasis on supporting women- and minority-owned or led businesses impacting marginalized communities and communities of color. The firms’ real estate development practice focuses on new construction and rehabilitation opportunities within low-income communities and emerging domestic markets, with an emphasis on developing and preserving affordable and workforce housing. Under Mr. Walton’s leadership the firm has facilitated the placement of over $650 million of investment into low-income communities throughout the nation. Common advisory clients include real estate developers, municipalities and government entities, financial institutions, academic and healthcare organizations, small businesses, and non-profits.
Prior to founding Classic Lake, Mr. Walton served as a Vice President within JPMorgan Chase’s Community Development Banking group and as Vice President with SDS Capital Group (formerly Strategic Development Solutions), a boutique private equity fund development and management firm.
Education
Washington University St. Louis, MO (Olin School of Business) M.B.A., 2007
Morehouse College Atlanta, GA B.A., Business Administration, 2002
Activities & Affiliations
Board Member, MLK Community Health Foundation (Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital)
Board Member, Living Rooms at the Border (Casa Familiar)
Advisor, DeNovo Healthcare, a Compton-based community clinic
Avid Skier
Jose Ometeotl
Managing director
As the Managing Director for Classic Lake, José Ometeotl’s work focuses on financial engineering, capital stack development and the management of all facets of real estate development. Mr. Ometeotl develops capital stack strategies, structures investments and implements financial strategies for public and private partnerships throughout the country. He has participated in the closing of transactions with total project costs exceeding $8 billion.
Mr. Ometeotl has over 20 years of experience in finance, real estate and corporate transactions, including private equity, structured finance, tax credit syndication, and business formation. José is a frequent speaker on tax credit financing, financial engineering and community impacts, with recent presentations at conferences hosted by Association of Pacific Ports, American Association of Port Authorities, International City Management Association, American Planning Association, State of Montana Economic Development Association, League of California Cities, and California State Municipal Finance Officers Association.
Education
University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA (Sol Price School of Public Policy)
Master of Planning, 2005
Cornell University Ithaca, NY (School of Architecture, Art & Planning)
B.S., City & Regional Planning, 2000
Activities & Affiliations
Member, International City Managers Association
Member, American Planning Association
Dedicated father to three amazing little Ometeotl’s