Handshakes still mean something to us. We earn trust by prioritizing our people, families, communities, places, and partners over the easy path.
Success comes from genuine partnerships. We are committed to building relationships because connection leads to real collaboration and progress. Our relationships outlast our projects.
We’re committed to the long term. We listen to understand, respect context, and act decisively to create lasting value.
Challenge creates opportunity. We are an experienced team that combines local presence with a global perspective to deliver projects that drive progress.
Arriving in Dallas in 1994, Jack Matthews brought years of experience leading major Canadian developments and a conviction that real estate could be a force for genuine community transformation. Establishing Matthews Southwest Headquarters in Lewisville with seven investors who believed in his bold new vision, Matthews set out to build something different.
As a newcomer without local biases, Matthews immediately noticed something others had overlooked: the dramatic lack of investment in the Cedars neighborhood, despite its close proximity to downtown. While land there was selling for "five cents on the dollar" compared to those north of the area, Matthews saw opportunity where others only saw risk.
In 1997, he made his signature early bet—purchasing the historic 1913 Sears Roebuck building on Lamar Street in the Cedars. The Dallas real estate community was convinced he'd made a catastrophic mistake.
"People were so sure I had done something stupid, they would tell me to my face—over and over again."
— Jack Matthews, Founder
Banks were "completely nervous" about financing anything in the Cedars. But Matthews understood the stakes: "I have to succeed in the Cedars, because otherwise, people won't believe in the Cedars."
When South Side on Lamar opened in 2000 as a $300+ million investment, it transformed perceptions of the entire area, creating 2,000 jobs and sparking interest from other developers. Over twenty years of patient investment, Matthews helped increase Cedars' land values from "5 cents on the dollar" to "50 cents on the dollar."
That pioneering spirit—seeing opportunity where others see only risk, committing to the long term, and building projects that genuinely enrich communities—has guided Matthews over 30 years.
We pursue projects that align with our values rather than chasing quick returns. This conservative approach enables us to take on complex, transformative projects that require patience and genuine community commitment.
In the United States, we partner with municipalities and minority developers to create pathways for community wealth-building and equitable development. In Canada, we've built transformative relationships with the Squamish First Nations on generational legacy projects and with CN Rail on infrastructure development. In the United Arab Emirates, we prioritize deep cultural understanding, ensuring our developments respect and enhance local context and practices whilst supporting innovation, creativity, social progress and technological advancement. These aren't merely transactional relationships—they're long-term commitments that outlast any one single project.
We combine AI-driven design optimization and advanced analytics with old-fashioned relationship building. From pioneering full 3D BIM modeling in the Middle East to using algorithmic approaches for complex developments, we leverage cutting-edge technology—but handshakes still mean something to us. Innovation amplifies our capabilities, but trust and integrity remain at the core of every partnership.
From The Bow to the Museum of the Future, our projects consistently earn international recognition from the most respected organizations in the industry. But awards matter less to Matthews than the communities they serve and the lasting value they create.
