About RKP Group

Three divisions. One company.

RKP Group is a partnership of three divisions working in unison to rehabilitate and activate underutilized, vacant and blighted downtown properties. After joining forces to renovate the old Arbaugh’s Department Store in Lansing, Mich., Richard Karp and Kevin Prater founded the company in the early 2000s. Since merging Karp & Associates, Buildtech Ltd and Curator into RKP Group, they have developed an impressive portfolio of thriving downtown properties in Michigan and Ohio, including Flint, Detroit, Lansing and Toledo.

Meet our leadership

Richard M. Karp

Principal

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A Detroit native, Mr. Karp worked for the large institutional general contractor Quadrants of Livonia while attending Michigan State University’s Building Construction Management Program at the onset of his 30 years of experience. After founding Buildtech Ltd. Construction Development, he quickly was embraced as a leader in the revitalization of Lansing’s Old Town. Utilizing various combinations of Historic Rehabilitation, New Markets and Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, along with HOME funds and other programs, he proceeded to adaptively reuse millions of square feet of historic commercial buildings for several non-profit organizations and for‐profit entities, including projects for his own portfolio. Karp and Associates was formed to respond to growing demand for development consulting and general development, and has worked in conjunction with, and independently of, Buildtech Ltd. More recently, this has involved partnerships with quasi-public entities, universities and institutional banks. Mr. Karp’s award-winning development and general contracting work, which includes multifamily, office, retail and light manufacturing of both historic rehabilitation and new construction, has taken him throughout the Midwest. Mr. Karp’s commitment to community revitalization and historic rehab is further expressed in regular speaking engagements and lectures on the topics of historic rehabilitation, mixed use and adaptive reuse, affordable housing and development financing.

Memberships & Awards

2019 Michigan Historic Preservation Network Tax Credit Award (Capitol Park Lofts)
2018 Ohio Historic Preservation Merit Award (The Berdan)
2017 Cupola Award, Toledo Warehouse District Association
2012 Ohio Historic Preservation Merit Award (The Standart)
2011 CREW Detroit Impact Award (The Durant)
2011 Michigan Governor’s Award for Historic Preservation (The Durant)
2011 Michigan Historic Preservation Network Tax Credit Award (The Durant)
2011 Genesee County Historical Society Heritage Award (The Durant)
2011 nominated for National Trust for Historic Preservation Honor Award (The Durant)
2008 Michigan Governor’s Award for Historic Preservation (The Arbaugh)
2008 Michigan Historic Preservation Network Tax Credit Award (The Arbaugh)
1999 Lansing Historic District Commission Preservation Stewardship Award (Rork House)

Kevin J. Prater

Principal

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Mr. Prater has participated in a wide range of diverse, new and adaptive reuse development and construction projects throughout Michigan and northwest Ohio. After graduating from Michigan State University with a degree in Economics, he became involved in the early redevelopment of Lansing, Michigan. His first endeavor involved developing, building and operating a destination brewpub restaurant in a physically obsolete 30,000 square foot warehouse that was originally constructed in 1902. This development later spurred hundreds of new residential units, plus many pubs and restaurants. From there, he began to set his sights on loftier projects such as the redevelopment of a 315,000 square foot manufacturing facility into a premier live-work environment in Lansing’s north end. This redevelopment took nearly a decade to complete, the first phase of which involved an overwhelming amount of community outreach and negotiation to bring Lansing’s first police precinct to the development. This project alone changed the face and perception of one of the city’s most blighted and crime-stricken areas. His development and project management work includes office, retail, industrial and multifamily, with aggregate construction value of $132.3 million.

Memberships & Awards

2019 Michigan Historic Preservation Network Tax Credit Award (Capitol Park Lofts)
2018 Ohio Historic Preservation Merit Award (The Berdan)
2017 Cupola Award, Toledo Warehouse District Association
2012 Ohio Historic Preservation Merit Award (The Standart)
2011 CREW Detroit Impact Award (The Durant)
2011 Michigan Governor’s Award for Historic Preservation (The Durant)
2011 Michigan Historic Preservation Network Tax Credit Award (The Durant)
2011 Genesee County Historical Society Heritage Award (The Durant)
2011 nominated for National Trust for Historic Preservation Honor Award (The Durant)

Michael Grubisich

Chief Financial Officer

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Michael has over 19 years of high-level experience in the accounting and finance industries. After passing what was the last paper-and-pencil Certified Public Accountant examination in the spring of 2003, Michael started his career as a young staff auditor for Deloitte out of its Chicago office with a focus on real-estate and non-profit clientele. After three years of cutting his teeth in public accounting, Michael transitioned into a consultant within the Financial Disputes and Investigations arena where he led key initiatives and investigations for small, privately held organizations and non-profits, all the way up to Fortune 500 companies. In the fall of 2018, Michael undertook a career change and left the professional services field to become the CFO of RKP Group, where he returned to his real estate roots from his days as a young professional at Deloitte, to lead the finance and accounting team for an exciting and growing multifaceted real estate development organization. Michael holds a Master of Accountancy and Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Georgia.

Jennifer Burch

Director of Property Management

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Jennifer Burch joined RKP Group in June 2019 and serves as Director of Property Management, representing management operations of the company’s diverse mixed-use portfolio throughout Detroit, Lansing, Flint and Toledo. Jennifer champions RKP Group’s commitment to operate at the highest standards of excellence. These objectives are met through a constant focus on prospective and current resident experiences, strategic use of technology and software, and continuous honing of policy and procedure. Originally a Detroit native, Jennifer began her professional employment leasing apartments over sixteen years ago. Her love for multifamily was quickly rooted in place where it blossomed into a rewarding career based on harmonizing people and processes.

Michael Graham

Controller

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Mike embarked on his professional journey in manufacturing, progressively assuming roles of greater responsibility and showcasing his expertise in managing financial functions, implementing systems and streamlining processes. Mike has consistently prioritized continuous improvement and delivered outstanding results. Transitioning into consultancy, Mike excelled at providing strategic guidance, drive growth and adapting across various industries. As Controller, Mike oversees the day-to-day accounting of the company, manages payroll and benefits, produces financial reporting, ensures compliance and assists the team with operational budgets and construction accounting, as well as provides financial support to the managerial staff, CFO and owners. His dedication to excellence and collaborative approach make him a valuable asset, poised to continue making significant contributions at RKP Group. Mike graduated from Michigan State University in 2012 and became a licensed CPA in 2014.

William Goldberg

Director of Construction

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William has 10 years of experience in real estate development with RKP Group, focusing on construction. He has worked closely with the owners, architects, engineers, subcontractors and other industry professionals since he joined the firm as an intern in 2012. As Director of Construction, William focuses on all facets of construction projects from conception to completion, including firm-wide organization, predevelopment analysis, budgeting, contract negotiation, vendor relationships, commercial tenant improvement management and local, state and federal historic preservation compliance. William graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Finance.

Emily Juszczyk

Development Associate

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Emily has 10 years of experience within the real estate industry and brings a unique blend of skills to her high-demand hybrid role managing responsibilities associated with new developments, construction projects, compliance, commercial leasing, and personnel oversight and recruitment. Emily executes all phases of commercial leasing, from marketing to signing, including creation of marketing strategy, development of digital media, performing negotiation and sales, and scheduling and coordination with contractors, architects and the legal team.

Jake Lindke

Construction Project Manager

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Jake oversees the day-to-day operations onsite. Throughout his time with the RKP Group, Jake has played a significant role in the renovation of the Fort Industry Square project and is preparing to start the next RKP Group project, The Overmyer Lofts. Jake handles daily communication with the architect, engineers, owners and subcontractors to assure all parties have the appropriate information needed for projects to progress efficiently. Additionally, he has significant involvement in attending city, county and local meetings representing our company and bringing his experience to the table, as well as holding a board member position within the Downtown Toledo Improvement District. Jake plays a valuable part within the development, construction, leasing and management process on each project he is a part of. He also oversees the Bronze Boar Tavern and its day-to-day operations along with management of the financials with the on-staff accountant. Jake earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in 2019 from the University of Toledo with a major in sales and minor in finance.

Corey Haines

Director of Facilities

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Corey joined RKP Group in 2022 and serves as Director of Facilities. Corey joins us following a 12-year career in college athletics. As Director of Facilities, Corey focuses on facility management and maintenance of RKP Group’s portfolio of Class A properties. Day to day, Corey has oversite of the maintenance staff, including delegation of current and upcoming maintenance responsibilities as well as planning and management of capital improvement projects. He also works closely with the maintenance team, vendors, contractors and local municipalities to ensure the buildings are compliant. Corey graduated from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and earned a Master of Arts in Instructional Technology from Virginia Tech.

Divisions of RKP Group

RKP Group is a partnership of three divisions working in unison to perform end-to-end property acquisition, renovation and activation of historic downtown apartments and commercial space for rent.

Property Development

with Karp & Associates

Construction

by Buildtech

Property Management

by Curator

See our award-winning work.

View our portfolio