Redtree Properties LP is the kind of property owner every community wishes it had: deep family roots and a long local business history; aggressive managers that are at the leading edge of development trends; a dedication to long-term investments and the wellbeing of the communities in which it works. It was selected as Business of the Year for 2008.

Redtree is the successor to the Santa Cruz Lumber Company (SCL), founded in 1923 by a small group of Santa Cruz residents to manufacture and sell lumber. In 1972 SCL manufacturing business was closed. The company diversified and in 1986 became Redtree Properties LP, and continues as a real estate investment partnership.

The Delaware Addition is a prime example of what a community-centered property owner can do. The Delaware project reflects the creative design, intelligent and patient development processes, social values and smart business planning of Redtree’s work thoughout Santa Cruz and neighboring counties.

Business offices are located at: 1362 Pacific Avenue in downtown Santa Cruz.

Mark Primack holds a BFA in architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design (1973) and a Masters Degree from the School of the Architectural Association of London (1975). Mark has worked in offices in Providence, Limerick, London and Santa Cruz. He has maintained his practice in Santa Cruz since 1978.

"My work has always been inspired by creative regionalists, architects trained 'globally', who nonetheless devoted themselves to a particular place and people. Gaudi, Mackintosh, Maybeck and Wurster confined their work to the places they knew best, neglecting fame for a deeper satisfaction and a worthier product. I have chosen this path, here in Santa Cruz."

In an effort to understand his community, Mark has involved himself in its governance and its protection in ways that employed his architectural and planning skills to the greatest effect. Mark has received local recognition for his work in historic preservation and has served as chair of the City’s Historic Preservation Commission. Mark was also a member the City’s Earthquake Recovery Task Force (Vision Santa Cruz), helped draft design guidelines for the reconstruction of downtown Santa Cruz and chaired the City’s Zoning Board. As an elected member of the Santa Cruz City Council, Mark took an active role in promoting alternative, socially responsible development for Santa Cruz.

"Accommodating the needs and desires of the people who inhabit my architecture is my first responsibility as an architect. Doing so in a way that enhances the natural environment is the second. Making those plans a reality in the context of local government and local resources (i.e., raw materials, trades people, etc.) is the third. These are the skills that I have honed these past thirty years in Santa Cruz."

"My architecture extends well beyond the building's walls. Siting buildings on the land is the first and most critical decision in the design process. Outdoor 'rooms' are as vital to a comfortable life in Santa Cruz as interior spaces. My wife Janet Pollock is a licensed landscape architect. A Watsonville native, Janet graduated first in her class at UC Berkeley in 1976. We collaborate closely, from site planning through to construction observation."