A Conversation with Tom Watson and John Laliberte of Reveler Development

Tom Watson, Founder of Reveler Development and John Laliberte, CEO of Reveler Development, sit down with MEREDA President Craig Young for the twelfth episode of MEREDA Matters – the podcast that puts you in the room with the people who are driving responsible development in Maine. Watson shares how he got his start in real estate development with a four-unit building and talks about why, after earning degrees from Stanford and Boston University, he chose to be a sheetrocker in Boston. Watson goes on to discuss how buying The Metropolitan in downtown Portland in the late nineties was a turning point in his career, marking a shift into managing bigger buildings. Laliberte discusses his career trajectory as well, from professional hockey player to real estate, and talks about the Riverdam project, his first project with Watson.

The group goes on to talk about the evolution of Biddeford, how close to 50% of people renting their units are from out of state, and how renters are hungry for amenities in their buildings. Watson and Laliberte also share what is happening in the first phase of their West Bayside development project, which includes 201 affordable housing units.

What is Tom Watson’s favorite vacation spot? Listen to the episode to find out!