Dirk Melton

Biography

Dirk Melton manages the day-to-day operations for MarketStreet Enterprises, a privately held real estate investment and development company based in Nashville, Tennessee. He is responsible for all real estate investment and development activities, including the management of commercial, residential, retail and mixed-use projects for the firm’s portfolio. Melton is actively involved in the commercial real estate community, having served on the NAIOP National Board of Directors and as chapter president for NAIOP Nashville. He currently serves on the Advisory Board for ULI Nashville and the Board of Directors for the Nashville Downtown Partnership.

Impact

Commercial and residential buildings in the United States account for almost 40 percent of the nation's energy use, whereas responsible land use policy and real estate development can positively impact the built environment in a sustainable manner. In his current role with MarketStreet, Melton spearheaded the designation of the firm’s urban redevelopment project The Gulch as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Neighborhood Development (LEED ND-Silver, 2009) by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), the first LEED ND project in the southern United States and the fourth LEED ND-Silver project in the world. Melton has been a LEED Accredited Professional with the USGBC since 2004, when there were fewer than 100 LEED certified projects (more than 100,000 exist currently), and has participated in the development of several LEED projects in multiple states.

Teaching

Melton teaches MGT 6438 - Real Estate Development at Vanderbilt.

Research Interests

Melton's experience covers the entire life cycle of real estate investment and development, from initial concept/acquisition to stabilization/disposition. Key skillsets include project feasibility and market analysis, zoning and entitlements, concept design, project underwriting and financing, execution and delivery and asset management. In addition to holding a master’s degree in real estate development, Melton holds a professional degree in architecture, which facilitates the ability to balance a project's economic potential with its contribution to the built environment and to the community.

Education

B.A., Architecture, Ball State University

B.S., Environmental Design, Ball State University

M.S., Real Estate, The Johns Hopkins University