Owner’s Representation and Development Management
Built as Promised.
Legate stands in for the owner from the first site visit to the final keys. We protect your budget, your schedule and your standards, and we tell you the truth about all three every month.
25 yrs
U.S. Army service, private to lieutenant colonel
$365M
Facility assets managed and transferred in Iraq, 14 days ahead of schedule
5
Combat deployments leading complex operations under pressure
10 yrs
Law enforcement, including fraud and financial crimes investigation
The leadership record of our President and Chief Executive Officer, Matthew “Z” Zavaglia.
Why Legate
A legate was trusted to act with the full authority of the one who sent him.
We carry that same responsibility for every owner, sponsor and lender we represent.
Most projects don’t fail because of one big mistake. They drift: a change order nobody priced, a draw nobody checked, a schedule slip nobody reported. Legate exists to catch the drift early.
We don’t design your building and we don’t build it. We sit on your side of the table, manage the architects, engineers and licensed contractors you hire, and keep every decision tied to your budget, your schedule and your return.
Services
Six ways we protect a project.
Engage Legate for the full project lifecycle or for a single phase. Every engagement has a defined scope, a clear fee and reporting you can hand straight to your lender or investors.
01
Owner’s Representation
Full representation from site selection through closeout. We assemble and manage the design and construction team, run the meetings, review every pay application and hold every party to its contract.
02
Feasibility and Pre-Development
Before capital is committed, we test the site, the entitlement path, the budget and the schedule so you know what you’re really buying and what it will really take.
03
Construction Draw Oversight
For lenders and capital partners. Independent review of every draw request against work in place, lien waivers, stored materials and budget remaining, so funds follow progress.
04
Delivery Reporting
A clear monthly owner report covering budget versus actual, schedule versus plan, open risks and the decisions we need from you. No jargon, no surprises.
05
Closeout and Turnover
We drive the punch list, collect warranties and as-builts, reconcile the final budget and hand you a building that is ready to occupy, lease or sell.
06
Capital Coordination
Through the Phoenix Capital Solutions family, Legate can connect qualified projects with financing partners and keep the construction side lender ready from day one.
The Legate Method
Five phases. Five gates.
Nothing moves forward until the gate is cleared. Each phase ends with a written decision record, so you always know what was approved, by whom, and why.
I
Qualify
Define goals, budget limits, authority and risk tolerance. Verify the site and the numbers.
Gate: Project charter
II
Plan
Assemble the team, set the master schedule and lock a budget the lender can underwrite.
Gate: Approved budget
III
Procure
Competitive bids, leveled side by side. Contracts written to protect the owner.
Gate: Executed contracts
IV
Build
Weekly site presence, draw reviews, change control and a monthly owner report.
Gate: Substantial completion
V
Close
Punch list, warranties, final reconciliation and a clean turnover package.
Gate: Final acceptance
On site, on record, and on your side.
Matthew Zavaglia
Leadership
Matthew “Z” Zavaglia
President and Chief Executive Officer
Z leads Legate the way he led soldiers: clear objectives, honest reporting, and no tolerance for loose ends.
Over 25 years in the U.S. Army, active duty and reserves, Z rose from private to lieutenant colonel and completed five combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. In Iraq he managed a 54 acre facility holding more than $365 million in assets and led its transfer to the Iraqi government, finishing every task 14 days ahead of schedule. He was later handed a rare third command to turn around a struggling organization and raised every key performance indicator by double digits while keeping 99 percent of his people.
After active duty, Z spent a decade in law enforcement, on the street and as a state investigator working fraud, tax evasion and financial crimes, including a money laundering case with the U.S. Secret Service. That experience shaped how Legate works today: verify first, document everything, and follow the money.
Z went on to build a career in real estate finance as a mortgage loan officer and the owner of Z Finance Solutions, helping developers structure entities and financing for residential, commercial and land projects. He serves as Chief of Staff, Senior Partner and Director of Construction Lending at Phoenix Capital Solutions, where he brings lending discipline to every project Legate touches.
Now
President and CEO, Legate Project Development. Chief of Staff and Director of Construction Lending, Phoenix Capital Solutions.
2021 to 2024
Owner, Z Finance Solutions. Commercial and construction finance; mortgage loan officer.
Law enforcement
State investigator. Fraud, tax evasion and financial crimes; top 15 percent of his branch for case closure.
1999 to 2025
U.S. Army, Lieutenant Colonel. Five combat deployments; Texas National Guard operations leadership; recognized by U.S. and Afghan commanding generals.
Education
B.A. in History, Texas A&M University Corpus Christi. U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.
“If it isn’t verified, it isn’t done.”
Who We Serve
Built for the people who carry the risk.
Private Owners
Families, founders and investors building a single significant asset who need an experienced professional on their side.
Sponsors and Developers
Teams running multiple projects who need extra delivery capacity and reporting their capital partners trust.
Lenders and Capital Partners
Construction lenders, private credit and equity partners who need independent eyes on every draw.
Institutions
Churches, schools, nonprofits and corporate users building facilities once a generation who can’t afford to learn on the job.
The Owner Report
One page. Every month. The whole truth.
Every Legate engagement includes a monthly owner report you can forward to your lender or investors without editing.
- Budget versus actual, with contingency remaining
- Schedule versus plan, by milestone
- Change orders: requested, approved and rejected
- Open risks and the decisions we need from you
Illustrative example only. Not a real project.
Measured twice. Delivered once.
The Phoenix Family
Development backed by a capital group.
Legate is the development and owner’s representation arm of Phoenix Capital Solutions. Clients get a dedicated project team with access to a wider group built around funding, advisory and settlement services.
Titan Consulting
Advisory
Atlas Capital Partners
Global funding
Prometheus Ventures
Sponsor origination
Odyssey Holdings
Capital preservation
Meridian
Giving
Legate
Development
Start a Project Review
Tell us what you’re building.
Share a few details and Z or a member of the Legate team will follow up to schedule a 30 minute project review. There’s no cost and no obligation.