Molzer Development End of Year

This has been one of the most challenging, stressful, yet monumental years of my life.

2025 was the year Molzer Development leveled up.

Not just in deal size.
Not just in media reach.
Not just in capital raised, square feet touched, or historic buildings brought back to life.

This was the year the identity of Molzer Development crystallized.
Where the work, the brand, the community, and the momentum finally came together in a way that felt undeniable.

Below is a full, transparent recap of the year: wins, lessons, the messy middle, and where we’re headed next. While it might be lengthy, please note I cut it in half from where this originally started ;)

I. The Year of Building in Public

If there’s one phrase that defines us, it’s this one.

This year we didn’t just build real estate. We built in public. We shared the sourcing, the financing, the field trips to hundreds of buildings, the wins with lenders, the surprises during demolition, the problems no one else talks about, and the moments where most developers would hide.

That transparency created a snowball effect:

• 200,000+ followers across all of our platforms

• Averaging over 7M views a MONTH (yes, a month…)

• Unmatched deal flow (Analyzed approx. 95 deals)

• More investor interest

• More talented people want to work with or for us (500+ applicants!!)

• And most importantly: a community that feels invested in our projects before they even open

Molz Dev didn’t grow this year because of perfect execution.
It grew because of honest execution.

People can feel that.

II. The Aladdin: The Deal That Defined 2025

This was the project that changed everything.

A 16-story historic tower in the heart of Kansas City.
122 residential units.
A rooftop cocktail bar.
A ballroom activation.
Thousands of decisions, surprises, and discoveries.

What started as “a cool old hotel with potential” became the centerpiece of our brand & a case study in how to take on a $38M-plus redevelopment at 24 years old while showing the world.

Key Milestones This Year

• Completed major interior demolition

• Discovered 100+ years of architectural and cultural artifacts

• Navigated & closed on historic tax credit requirements

• Collaborated closely with Pluribus on design refinements

• Finalized mechanical + electrical strategies

• Coordinated with the city, utilities, and historic preservation groups

• Built momentum through content; some of our biggest performing videos came from this building

Where does the Aladdin sit now? 7 months away from completion. Rough-ins almost fully complete, framing done, drywall going in, tile being put down in units & much more. The Aladdin is taking shape to what will be its next chapter; A New History.

What the Aladdin really gave us, though, wasn’t views or attention.
It gave us belief.

It made us a real player.
It forced us to become better.
It taught us the patience, discipline, and vision needed to turn a distressed asset into a landmark Kansas City will be proud of.

The Aladdin isn’t just a project; it's a statement.
A line in the sand (or concrete!) that says: Molzer Development is here to build things that matter.

III. The Holtman Building: Precision, Grit, and Creativity

If the Aladdin was scale, the Holtman was precision.

A 40,000-sqft building in the Crossroads Arts District.

$8M redevelopment
Eight high-end lofts.
A rooftop bar/event space.
Retail and creative commercial on the ground floor.
A 10,000-sqft basement with untapped potential.

This was the year we:

• Closed on the building & financing

• Worked alongside our design team & GC to bring the vision to life

• Countless hours of value-engineering and revising the capital stack

• Closed on our bonds for a tax abatement with the KCATA

• Uncovered creative uses for every floor (not including the massive basement… open to ideas!)

• Conceptualized a rooftop experience that actually elevates the district

• Locked in tenant interest for ground-floor space

Oh, and I can’t forget about the Bus Bus Stop! (only Molzer Development would buy a decommissioned city bus and see a new kind of bus stop, community space, or retail activation)

This project represents the future of boutique urban redevelopment:
Intentional, local, experiential, and deeply connected to Kansas City’s creative identity.

IV. The People Behind the Momentum: Annie & Collin

Every great year has defining projects.
Every defining project has defining moments.
And every defining moment is created by people.

Two people in particular shaped the heartbeat of Molzer Development in 2025:
Annie Bogart, our Chief of Brand, and Collin Simmons, our Development Associate.

This was the year they both stepped fully into their lanes and became core pillars of what Molz Dev is now and what it’s becoming.

Annie: The Architect of the Molz Dev Brand

If Molzer Development is known today as a transparent, story-driven, build-in-public company… it’s because Annie made it that way.

Annie didn’t just “run our social media.”
She built a brand.

She turned raw construction footage into a narrative.
She turned chaotic behind-the-scenes moments into connections.
She turned a development company into a story people wanted to follow.

Behind every high-performing reel, behind every moment where Molz Dev felt elevated and intentional… Annie was there, shaping it, guiding it, sharpening it.

Her impact this year included:

• Establishing a consistent and recognizable Molz Dev voice

• Overseeing the content pipeline across multiple major projects

• Helping craft the storytelling strategy that took us past 200K+ followers across our platforms

• Running point on brand decisions across real estate, media, partnerships, and community

• Being the internal compass reminding us: “Tell the story. Show the work. Bring people with you.”

Most companies wait too long to invest in their brand.
We didn’t; because Annie stepped up and built something that amplified everything else we do.

She turned Molzer Development into more than a company.
She turned it into a platform.

Collin: The Development Associate Who Became a Force

Every developer needs a Collin.

Someone who works in the shadows of the chaotic early development process.
Someone who lives inside the spreadsheets, the pro formas, the loan quotes, the tax credit assumptions.
Someone who makes sure the deals we chase actually work.

This year, Collin became that force.

His fingerprints are all over 2025:

• The underwriting behind the Holtman Building

• Modeling refinance waterfalls and pref equity structures

• Running numbers on potential acquisitions in Midtown, the Crossroads, and the West Bottoms

• Supporting HTC analyses, construction budgets, and value-engineering

• Being the extra set of eyes that protects us from missing something

• Bringing the discipline that allows us to move faster while staying sharper

Collin turned raw opportunity into viable deals and viable deals into confidence.

More importantly, he embraced the Molzer ethos: Challenge the status quo.

The development world is full of analysts who push numbers around.
Very few grow into true operators.
This year, Collin crossed that line.

The Trio That Built This Year

2025 was the first year in which Molzer Development functioned like a real team.
Not a one-man show.
Not a patchwork of contractors.
Not a scramble.

A team.

• A Chief of Brand who built our identity

• A Development Associate who built our financial backbone

• A Founder who built the vision and momentum

That triangle of brand, development, and leadership created a cadence that made projects sharper, content stronger, storytelling more powerful, and operations tighter.

2025 was the year Molzer Development grew up.
2026 will be the year this team becomes unstoppable.

V. 2025 In a Nutshell

Something special happened this year that no spreadsheet can measure. A community formed.

People who show up consistently in the comments.
People who DM us saying they just walked past the Aladdin to see the progress.
People who send deals.
People who ask how to get into development.
People who tell us these videos made them want to build something too.

We didn’t chase virality.
We chased connection.
And it worked.

This community is going to be a major force in 2026 as we launch:

• Events

• Behind-the-scenes tours

• Investor Q&As

• Developer workshops

• Project milestone celebrations

Molz Dev isn’t just a brand… it’s becoming a movement.

VI. What’s Coming in 2026: The Year of Expansion

If 2025 was the setup, 2026 is the breakout.

2026 will be insane.

• Preleasing & opening both the Holtman & the Aladdin.

• Open 2 bars

• Continue refining our systems

• Actively searching for more opportunities

• Break ground on our townhome development (more on that soon!)

• Taking our brand to the next level

If you are still reading this, thank you. You helped play a huge role in what we are building.

Maybe you commented on a reel.
Maybe you sent a deal.
Maybe you invested.
Maybe you just watched from the sidelines and cheered us on.

But the truth is:
This all works because people believe in what we’re building.

Redeveloping old buildings isn’t easy.
Raising capital isn’t easy.
Telling the story isn’t easy.
Balancing the pressure, the expectations, the public visibility; none of it is easy.

But it is meaningful.
And that’s why we do it.

Thank you for being part of this journey.
Thank you for trusting a young developer with big dreams and a bigger mission.
Thank you for helping build something special in Kansas City.

We’re just getting started.

Godspeed,

Zach Molzer | Founder, Molzer Development
📱 Instagram – @molzerdevelopment
🐦 Twitter – @KCMolzer