Why Dallas Is Just Getting Started with Chris Kleinert

Terry Montesi and Chris Kleinert explore the complexities of large-scale real estate development in one of the country's fastest-growing markets. Kleinert, CEO of Hunt Realty Investments, shares how his background in banking workouts and private equity prepared him to lead major projects with permanent family capital. The conversation moves through the evolution of downtown Dallas, the strategic choices behind mixed-use development, and what it means to plan projects with a 20-year horizon. They discuss: How Hunt acquired the 2,500-acre Fields development in Frisco and landed the PGA of America headquarters Why Goldman Sachs chose the North End site in Dallas and what it signals about corporate migration The challenge of activating downtown Dallas beyond office buildings and addressing vagrancy alongside homelessness Why energy infrastructure and power availability will determine whether DFW can sustain its growth trajectory How Ray Hunt's philosophy of fewer, deeper relationships shaped the company's approach to partnerships This episode offers practical insight for anyone working in urban development, real estate investment, or regional economic strategy. 00:00 - Intro 00:56 - Welcoming Chris Kleinert to the show 02:06 - Chris's path from General Mills to Hunt 06:54 - Key lessons learned from Ray Hunt 08:36 - More dreams than memories 10:24 - Evolving Hunt into a world-class institution 11:34 - Reunion Tower plans and challenges 16:42 - The Fields acquisition story 24:30 - Fields West development details 27:11 - Long-term underwriting at the Fields 29:08 - North End and the Goldman Sachs campus 38:36 - The state of downtown Dallas 44:18 - Hunt's bullish view on DFW 47:45 - Big trends for the next decade 50:28 - Giving back and Ashley's Ruthie's Cafe 55:48 - Ray's question turned on Terry Chris on LinkedIn -   / chris-kleinert-903190   Hunt Realty Investments - https://huntrealty.com/ Trademark Property Company - https://trademarkproperty.com/ Terry on LinkedIn -   / terry-montesi