Hello

It didn’t start with flex space. It started with frustration.

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For years, Brett Johnson developed thousands of units of housing and hundreds of millions in real estate across the Midwest. He knew how to find a site, structure a deal, assemble a team, and deliver a high-performing asset. But after the sale of his former company, he saw a new problem — and it wasn’t being solved by traditional developers.

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He kept hearing from people who were building businesses out of garages. Who couldn’t find clean, secure space to scale. Who needed room to work on cars, launch e-commerce, store inventory, or build their side hustle without overcommitting to office space or warehouse leases that didn’t fit their stage.

So he started listening. He spent time with tradesmen, small business owners, collectors, and operators — the kinds of people who take pride in their tools, their craft, and their space. And he realized they all needed something real estate hadn’t offered them yet: premium, flexible-use space that felt like it was made for them.

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That’s when Cave Development was born.

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But the spark may have started earlier. Brett once owned and built out The BoatCave — the ultimate man cave — a space that blended function, fun, and flexibility in a way few had seen before. Eventually, someone made him an offer he couldn’t turn down. He sold it... and regretted it ever since.

Cave isn’t about categories — it’s about creating something that doesn’t exist yet. We develop from the ground up with intention, building for the people who don’t need a desk and a view — they need a roll-up door, clean finishes, and room to grow. It’s a new asset class for a new kind of economy, one that respects grit, design, and ownership equally.

And FlexCaves? That’s just the beginning.

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At Cave, we’re not following trends. We’re carving space for what’s next.