EDC Investor Categories: Commercial Real Estate

BDG Architects

BDG Architects, formed in 1994, is a 130+ person full service Architectural, Space Planning, Interior Design and Program Management practice providing creativity in design and production of architectural and interiors projects. Their headquarters is located in downtown Tampa, Florida in Rivergate Tower, with offices in Birmingham, Alabama, Charlotte, North Carolina and Jacksonville, Florida and remote staff in Miami and Memphis.

Licensed in 31 states, BDG Architects has built a practice based on producing creative architecture and interior design for a variety of clients and project types. In 2013, BDG Architects merged with Urban Studio Architects, a Tampa based firm formed in 1989 and PKA Associates in Birmingham Alabama enhancing BDG’s experience in interior architecture/space planning, corporate interiors,  multi-family residential and hospitality.

In 2020 BDG formed a strategic partnership with FleischmanGarciaMaslowski (FGM), founded in Tampa in 1972. The firms were brought together to utilize the strengths, experience and expertise that each has to offer to create a unique new firm structure capable of design and production for an expanded variety of project types and sizes. And most recently, in 2022 BDG forged a partnership with Sarasota firm Parker Walter Group (PWG) to enhance its ability to continue to serve the multifamily market and beyond.




Chris Kirschner, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP

Chris Kirschner is President of BDG Architects with over 30 years of experience in providing professional architecture services on a variety of project types including sport and entertainment venues, retail, commercial office, hospitality, multi-family, and mixed-use. He is well versed in development considerations including long range planning, finance strategies and incentives, LEED and WELL design certification, and facilities planning.

He obtained his Architecture degree from the University of Notre Dame, where he spent a year in Rome, Italy studying urban planning, historic construction technology, and classical architectural theory. After founding BDG Architects in 2000, he has grown the company, including its subsidiary firms, to over 150 people and ten offices across the southeast.

Mr. Kirschner is actively involved in numerous civic and industry organizations including USGBC, AIA, ICSC, NFPA, CSI and serves as a board member and chair of the property committee for the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA.

Chris is currently licensed to practice architecture in multiple states, NCARB certified, a LEED Accredited Professional with the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), and the principal partner of BDG Architects. He currently lives with his wife and two children in Tampa, Florida.

Chris Kirschner, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP
President

Casa Ybor

Casa Ybor is proud to be one of the driving forces behind the exciting revitalization of the Ybor City National Historic Landmark District of Tampa, Florida.

For decades, Ybor City has enjoyed a reputation as a nationally renowned entertainment district. Casa Ybor is focused on contributing to “The Renaissance of Ybor City” as a diverse, vibrant and sustainable business and residential community.

Our properties include a former cigar factory, 7th Avenue storefronts, new mixed-use properties, historic office and retail spaces, warehouse spaces, and contemporary apartment homes for rent and lease in ideal, walkable locations throughout the District.




Darryl Shaw

Darryl Shaw is a developer and investor who is the driving force behind Ybor City’s Gas Worx development – a mixed-use project that will link downtown Tampa, the Channel District and the Latin Quarter.

Named to the Florida 500, as well as the Tampa Bay Power 100 by the Tampa Bay Business Journal, Shaw was the Co-founder and former Chief Executive Officer of BluePearl Veterinary Partners.  Shaw led the company starting in 1996 when he and his brother Neil, a board-certified veterinary internist, opened their first specialty animal care hospital in Tampa.  Eventually the pair took BluePearl national, with more than 50 locations, before they sold the business in 2015.  In 2022, Shaw stepped down as CEO to focus solely on Ybor.  Darryl and Neil are recipients of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for the State of Florida.

Born in South Africa, Shaw is a graduate of Brown University with a degree in international commerce.  He also has an MBA in finance and marketing from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management. 

Darryl Shaw
Chief Executive Officer

East + Main

East+Main Company is a real estate owner and developer focused on transforming and maintaining urban neighborhood-oriented properties that contribute to the fabric of the communities in which they exist. Founded in 2021, East+Main Company’s first asset is a historic downtown mixed-use building in Wellfleet, Massachusetts.




James Nozar

James Nozar lives in Tampa, FL and is the founder and chief executive officer of East+Main Company, a real estate owner and developer focused on transforming and maintaining urban neighborhood-oriented properties that contribute to the fabric of the communities in which they exist. Founded in 2021, East+Main Company’s first asset is a historic downtown mixed-use building in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, where James is also restoring and renovating a waterfront mid-century home.   Through East+Main Company, James has also been engaged as an advisor and consultant to other landowners and developers seeking expertise in the planning and development of urban, mixed-use properties.

Before founding East+Main Company, James was the CEO of Strategic Property Partners, LLC (“SPP”), a full-service commercial real estate developer, owner and operator based in Tampa, Florida.  James joined SPP in March of 2016 as the company’s first Chief Executive Officer and was tasked with building a full-service development company while concurrently leading and overseeing the design and construction of the Water Street Tampa project.  As one of the largest active urban redevelopment projects in the United States, Water Street Tampa spans across 74 acres in downtown Tampa that formerly consisted of mostly blighted surface parking lots and features an entirely new urban street network that creates new connections to existing surrounding neighborhoods and the central business district.

Prior to joining SPP, James was a Senior Vice President with The JBG Companies (now JBG Smith) in Washington D.C. where he focused on the firm’s overall acquisition and development strategy, and was responsible for acquisition underwriting assumptions, the overall vision and conceptual program, entitlements, and community outreach efforts, as well as the design process on dozens of real estate investments within the Washington, DC metropolitan area. James also worked as a real estate consultant for Ernst & Young and RCLCo after receiving a B.S. in Building Construction and Certificate in City Planning from the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he was also a 4-year Letter winner on the men’s swimming team, a 2-year captain and All-American athlete.

James is a past chair of the Board of the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council and a member of the Board of Directors for the Georgia Tech Alexander-Tharpe Fund.

James Nozar
Founder and CEO

Strategic Property Partners

 

 

Strategic Property Partners, LLC (“SPP”) is a full-service commercial real estate developer, owner and operator based in Tampa, Florida. With a thoughtful long-term approach to real estate, the firm is focused on creating enduring, sustainable and high-quality experiential places. SPP’s first project, Water Street Tampa, is being developed on 74 acres of land in downtown Tampa. The phased Water Street Tampa development project commenced vertical construction in 2018 and is revitalizing a currently underutilized tract of land into an urban, mixed-use waterfront district consisting of approximately 9 million square feet of new office, retail, residential, hospitality, cultural, entertainment, and educational uses, totaling over $3.5 billion in private investment from SPP. Integrating principles of walkability, sustainability, connectivity, design quality, and wellness, SPP intends to own and operate this new world-class neighborhood in Tampa for the long-term, while also working to elevate the city’s national prominence. The company is owned and capitalized through a partnership between Cascade Investment LLC, and Jeff Vinik. For more information on Water Street Tampa, visit www.waterstreettampa.com.




James Nozar

James Nozar is the Strategic Advisor to the Board of Strategic Property Partners (“SPP”), the owner and developer of one of the largest active urban redevelopment projects in the United States – Water Street Tampa.

James joined SPP in March of 2016 as the company’s first Chief Executive Officer and was tasked with building a full-service development company while concurrently commencing design and construction on the transformational $3.5 billion, 9 million square-foot Water Street Tampa project. With its first new buildings delivering over the past year – the JW Marriott hotel, Sparkman Wharf waterfront offices retail, the Heron apartment buildings and the city’s first trophy downtown office tower in over two decades (Thousand & One) – the company is poised for several more building deliveries in the coming months as well as future phases of Water Street Tampa. In late 2020 James’ role with the company transitioned to a Strategic Advisor to the Board where he has shifted focus towards new investment and development opportunities for the firm.

Passionate about the built environment and how it can positively shape surrounding communities, James helped shape the vision of Water Street Tampa and the mix of building typologies, the various design collaborators, and the neighborhood’s interwoven relationship with its expansive public realm.

Prior to joining SPP, James was a Senior Vice President with The JBG Companies in Washington D.C. where he focused on the firm’s overall acquisition and development strategy, and was responsible for acquisition underwriting assumptions, the overall vision and conceptual program, entitlements, and community outreach efforts, as well as the design process on dozens of real estate investments within the Washington, DC metro area.  During his time at The JBG Companies, James managed the development of 25 multi-use real estate projects with associated development budgets totaling more than $2 billion and the entitlement of over 10 million square feet of new development.

James also worked as a real estate consultant for Ernst & Young and RCLCo after receiving a B.S. in Building Construction and Certificate in City Planning from the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he was also a 4-year Letter winner on the men’s swimming team, a 2-year captain and All-American athlete.

James is the incoming Chair of the Board of Directors of the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council and sit on the Boards of the Georgia Tech Alexander-Tharpe Fund, and the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay.

James Nozar
Strategic Advisor to the Board

Smith & Associates

Smith & Associates Real Estate provides a suite of services that has helped individuals and families acquire homes that both complement and accommodate their unique sense of luxury. Their Property Management Department relieves homeowners of the pressures that come with being a landlord. Relocation connects buyers who are unfamiliar with Tampa Bay with the expertise that 45 years in real estate brings. Smith & Associates’ New Homes & Developer Services Divisions provide unique insights into the benefits of new construction. They provide clients a quality experience from beginning to end by including title and closing services in their suite of services. Smith & Associates isn’t all business. As a market leader, they know the importance of giving back and investing in the community. They are proud to support the community through involvement in a variety of charities and sponsorships of the arts in Tampa Bay.




Robert Glaser

Recognized as a true visionary spirit, Robert Glaser’s impact on Tampa Bay’s real estate market for the past 28 years is largely due to his driving ambition to run the most customer-centric real estate companies in the area. His desire to build a company that was multi-faceted, modern and innovative has turned Smith & Associates Real Estate into Tampa Bay’s preferred total solution company providing 6-star service to its clients. Glaser is a very “hands on” broker/owner. With 28 years of real estate experience, he has watched Tampa Bay evolve into one of the real estate industry’s most prolific markets. In addition to serving several industry-related organizations, he is Chair of the Morean Arts Center/Chihuly Collection, Palladium Advisor and serves on the Tampa Theatre Foundation and Blue Ocean Advisory Board. He also served as President, Vice President, Secretary and Director of the Greater Tampa Associates of Realtors®, is a Graduate of Leadership Tampa and a member of the Certified Brokers Managers Council.

Robert Glaser
President and CEO

Cousins Properties

Founded in 1958, Cousins Properties Incorporated has developed over 32 million square feet of office, retail, and medical space. Cousins’ commitment to excellence is reflected through its dedicated professionals recognized on numerous occasions for their outstanding customer service. On two occasions, Cousins Properties Incorporated was honored with the International Office Building of the Year Award by the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), the commercial real estate industry’s most coveted and prestigious award, and numerous other awards of distinguished service. Detailed information about Cousins Properties Incorporated is available on its web site www.cousinsproperties.com and the NYSE symbol, CUZ.




Kyle Burd

Kyle Burd, who joined Cousins in 2016 to lead the Tampa regional team, has more than 30 years of real estate experience. His responsibilities include the oversight of all day-to-day operations for the region including asset management, leasing, investments, and business development. Prior to joining Cousins, he was Vice President and Managing Director at Parkway Properties, joining the company following its acquisition of EOLA Capital. Before his time with Parkway and EOLA, Kyle spent 20 years at CBRE leading an investment sales team.
Kyle Burd, who joined Cousins in 2016 to lead the Tampa regional team, has more than 30 years of real estate experience. His responsibilities include the oversight of all day-to-day operations for the region including asset management, leasing, investments, and business development. Prior to joining Cousins, he was Vice President and Managing Director at Parkway Properties, joining the company following its acquisition of EOLA Capital. Before his time with Parkway and EOLA, Kyle spent 20 years at CBRE leading an investment sales team.

Kyle Burd
Senior Vice President and Managing Director

Colliers International

Colliers International’s history in the Florida markets began when Arnold & Associates was founded in Tampa Bay in 1974 and later joined Colliers International in 1995. Colliers International is a full-service commercial real estate firm dedicated to providing exceptional services, including leasing, sales, property management, valuation and project management, to their clients. With offices in Tampa, Orlando, Fort Myers and Clearwater, together with their Colliers International partners in Jacksonville, Miami, Fort Lauderdale and globally, they offer world-class commercial real estate services to virtually every Florida market. For four decades, the Colliers International Florida offices have been market leaders in transaction volume and client satisfaction. They continue to drive sales and lease deals, finding creative solutions to complex real estate situations. Colliers International’s innovative strategies and in-depth local market knowledge give them an advantage over competitors and enable them to accelerate the success of their clients.




Joanne LeBlanc

Joanne LeBlanc is a Director at Colliers International, based in Tampa Florida. Joanne specializes in leasing and sales of office properties throughout the Tampa Bay market. Joanne has more than 15 years’ experience working in the commercial real estate industry. Joanne joined Colliers International in 2008 and has leased over 5 million square feet for local and multi-market clients.

 

When working with clients, Joanne uses a clear and concise understanding of past, present and future market trends to advise her clients regarding cost efficiency, location, demographics, expansion and contraction, government incentives and more. Joanne consults with her clients on construction costs, selection of contractors, engineers and architects, marketing plans and positioning of properties within a marketplace to achieve the best results.

Joanne LeBlanc
Director

Highwoods Properties

Highwoods Properties, a member of the S&P MidCap 400 Index, is a fully integrated real estate investment trust (“REIT”) that provides leasing, management, development, construction and other customer-related services for its properties and for third parties. As of December 31, 2013, the company owned or had an interest in 32.2 million square feet of in-service office, industrial and retail properties, 0.9 million rentable square feet of office properties under development and approximately 600 acres of development land. Highwoods is based in Raleigh, N.C., and its properties and development land are located in Florida, Georgia, Missouri, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Highwoods Properties is structured as an UPREIT, or umbrella partnership real estate investment trust. The company is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol HIW.




Dan Woodward

A 25-year commercial real estate veteran, Dan Woodward is directly responsible for day-to-day operations in Highwoods Properties’ Tampa Division, overseeing all acquisition, leasing, management and development activities. With Highwoods since July 2006, he was formerly with Trammell Crow Company as Senior Vice President, responsible for the oversight of development activities in Central Florida. He has also held similar positions with The Pizzuti Companies in Orlando and The Vantage Companies in Tampa. Woodward holds a bachelor’s and master’s in business administration from the University of Florida and a master’s in real estate development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A licensed Florida Real Estate Broker, he is active in a variety of professional and civic organizations. In addition to his role as President of the Westshore Alliance, he serves in various roles with the Real Estate Investment Council (REIC), CoreNet and the Advisory Board for the Bergstrom Center for Real Estate Studies at the University of Florida.

Dan Woodward
Vice President, Tampa

Cushman & Wakefield

Cushman & Wakefield is the world’s largest privately‐held commercial real estate services firm. The company advises and represents clients on all aspects of property occupancy and investment and has established a preeminent position in the world’s major markets, as evidenced by its frequent involvement in many of the most significant property leases, sales and management assignments. Founded in 1917, it has approximately 250 offices in 60 countries, employing more than 16,000 professionals. It offers a complete range of services for all property types, including leasing, sales and acquisitions, equity, debt and structured finance, corporate finance and investment banking, corporate services, property management, facilities management, project management, consulting and appraisal. The firm has nearly $4 billion in assets under management globally. Cushman & Wakefield is a recognized leader in local and global real estate research that publishes its market information and studies online.




Larry D. Richey

Managing Principal Larry D. Richey is responsible for the Cushman & Wakefield’s offices in Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville, which consistently rank at or near the top of the competitive commercial real estate services industry in their respective markets. Before joining Cushman & Wakefield 32 years ago, Richey was a Certified Public Accountant with the accounting firm of Coopers & Lybrand in Atlanta. Richey was the 2008 Chairman of the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation, is a past Chair of the Board of the Tampa Downtown Partnership, and currently serves on the Board of Neighborhood Lending Partners, Inc. He is active on the Board of The Friends of the Tampa Riverwalk and is the most recent past President of the Board of the Florida Gulf Coast Association of Realtors. Richey received his undergraduate degree in accounting from Florida State University and his law degree from Georgia State University.

Larry D. Richey
Managing Principal, Florida

Bromley Companies

 

 

Since its founding in 1972, The Bromley Companies has built a diversified portfolio of real estate across the country. Their senior management team, with collectively over 120 years’ experience at the firm, have successfully collaborated on a broad range of property investments, development and dispositions. With their sharp focus on developing compelling tenant spaces and highly personalized service, Bromley has developed many loyal relationships with both global Fortune 500 enterprises as well as individual residential tenants. Through the years, their financially conservative investment style has generated consistently superior returns for their financial partners and long term value to the communities in which they operate.




Nicholas Haines

Nicholas Haines is Chief Executive Officer at Bromley Companies, a national real estate owner and developer focused on mixed use, office, retail and college housing. As CEO he has overseen over $1 billion of development and investment transactions, including the 20 acre, 1.7 million square foot Midtown Tampa development. In addition, Nick has led the leasing of over 1 million square feet of office, retail, and residential projects in New York, Florida and Illinois.

Previous to Bromley, Nick ran marketing and business development at Vaultus, a mobile software company. He served as a founding member of Merrill Lynch’s Principal Investment Group and was an investment analyst at Brown Brothers Harriman. He received an MBA from Stanford University and a BA from Duke University.

Nick is a member of the Executive Committee of the Tampa Economic Development Council, the Real Estate Board of New York, the Executive Committee of the Union Square Partnership, and Executive Board of Tampa Urban Land Institute.

 

Nicholas Haines
CEO