Michael Buckley is a Principal in Avison Young’s Boston office, where he leads the firm’s capital raising practice. Michael specializes in working with clients who are navigating through opportunities to create
and protect generational wealth via redevelopment, joint venture formation, property and partnership recapitalizations, and distress resolution. Michael also advises institutions on identifying opportunities and deploying capital into the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Eastern Europe.

Unlike advisors at competing firms, Michael is an accomplished principal investor with an extensive career in real estate investment, development and management prior to joining Avison Young. Through that experience, Michael delivers advisory services and end results built on years of hands-on experience managing the same risks and opportunities faced by his clients. His commitment to assignments does not end once the capital is arranged, as he remains involved in the negotiation and execution of every element of the transaction.

His experience as a principal investor extends across more than 150 transactions involving over $8B of debt and equity capital in both public and private markets in North America and Europe.

 

Recent Transactions:

119 Braintree Street, Allston -  2.1-acre land development joint venture to design, permit and construct a 375,000 SF life science building.

The client is a family-owned enterprise that acquired the property in the mid-1960’s to operate their manufacturing company. After selling the company, the family maintained this former meat-packing facility and converted the use to an income generating real estate investment. Located directly adjacent to the Mass Pike, the improvement of the neighboring New Balance project and construction of a new train station in 2017 opened up tremendous potential for redevelopment and value realization for the owners.

Dot Ave Assemblage, Dorchester Avenue, South Boston - 7-acre land development joint venture - targeting residential and life science space

This major assemblage falls under the Dorchester Avenue Plan that allows for (and promotes) approximately 15 million square feet of new construction between the Broadway and Andrew’s Square Red Line stops
in South Boston. The Client assembled the underlying parcels in a series of transactions; Avison Young
has assisted the Client since 2021 in the design, permitting and capitalization of this major, place-making development.

1600 Shawsheen Street, Tewksbury - 180,000 SF industrial property development

Owned by a specialized millwork company that operates from Massachusetts to Pennsylvania, the site offered a significant opportunity to unlock real estate value through an alternative use, while preserving the company’s long-term plan for operations.

Equity Industrial Partners Inc. - Partnership recapitalization and joint venture of 4 industrial property portfolios

EIP is a highly accomplished privately held industrial property investor, operating, developing and redeveloping portfolios across the U.S. Legacy partnerships required recapitalization to retire exiting investors and provide dry powder for continued investment. The assignment included over $500MM of asset value and resulted in a highly successful joint venture with a major strategic investment partner.

 

Credentials & Affiliations:

• Masters in Science, Business Administration, Duke University
• Bachelor of Science, Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst
• ULI
• NAIOP