Reid J. Boren, James W. Harpel, Taylor Collins, and Brad Meltzer (Two Roads Development)

Two Roads Development hired Brad Meltzer as partner and president, a move that is geared to give the South Florida real estate firm an advantage in a challenging construction environment.

Meltzer, who spent most of his career with Plaza Construction until earlier this year, will focus on design, development and construction of Two Roads’ projects, and bring on new business.

West Palm Beach and Miami-based Two Roads, led by James Harpel, Reid Boren and Taylor Collins, has been growing its portfolio of projects. They include the waterfront Forté condo project in West Palm Beach, which is under construction; the yet-to-be-named three-story Edgewater condo development on the site of Biscayne 21; a joint venture development on the Carlton Terrace property in Bal Harbour; and a project in the Bahamas.

“[Two Roads] has four significant projects all happening at the same time,” Meltzer said. “From an execution standpoint, the near term is going to be very important to Two Roads, so I’m diving in head first.”

Meltzer interned for the Fisher family, which previously owned New York-based Plaza Construction, in 1989, and joined Plaza in the early 1990s. Fisher Brothers sold the company to China Construction about seven years ago. Last year, Meltzer was promoted to Plaza’s CEO and chairman.

While at Plaza, Meltzer worked with Two Roads on its Biscayne Beach luxury condo development in Edgewater. Plaza’s projects in South Florida also included the Zaha Hadid-designed One Thousand Museum and Related Group’s four-tower Paraiso district, also in Edgewater. Meltzer said he grew the firm at one point to 250 employees, up from the original three.

Contractors and developers have been grappling with delays caused by supply chain issues during the pandemic, as well as a limited labor pool of construction workers.

Contractors and developers have been grappling with delays caused by supply chain issues since the pandemic began, as well as a limited labor pool of construction workers.

Meltzer, who has a background in architecture, said the timing worked out for him following his departure from Plaza. He was looking to focus more on waterfront luxury condo and hospitality developments.

“They needed me, and I needed them,” he said. “That’s how relationships really work.”