Skyline Views

Surprise! Atlanta Office Sales Surged in Q1

By Tony Wilbert, CoStar News

For full story, click here.

A funny thing happened on the way to the expected decline in Atlanta office sales volume in the first quarter. The aggregate value of trades increased 75 percent - even as the number of transactions dropped dramatically.

 

Charlotte Ups Ante in Battle with Atlanta for New Jobs

CHARLOTTE (Nov. 18, 2014) - I wouldn't be surprised if Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed places a congratulatory call to Bill Cronin today, though the mayor wouldn't be wishing him good luck in much success in Cronin's new venture.

That's because former Invest Atlanta VP Cronin - who played a key role in the city of Atlanta's economic development efforts under Reed - yesterday was named head of economic development in Charlotte. Cronin will leave his position as executive director of the American Red Cross' outpost in Columbia, South Carolina, and head a little bit north next month. In photo above, Cronin (right) celebrates the expansion and opening of a new headquarters of gaming company Thrust Interactive with Mayor Reed and Thrust CEO Jesse Lindsley.)

During his tenure in Atlanta, The Wilbert Group served as Invest Atlanta's public relations agency of record. I saw firsthand and got a behind-the-scenes look as Cronin helped woo major companies to the city of Atlanta - both from outside the metro area (PulteGroup) and inside (athenahealth). He used knowledge gained during economic development stints in South Carolina and Florida to best position Atlanta when the city competed with those states for new jobs.

We suspect the savvy Cronin will do the same and leverage what he knows about Atlanta and how the city and state incentive plans work to help Charlotte. Cronin discusses this overall strategy at this in an article in the Charlotte Observer.

“Having been a competitor to Charlotte in my previous roles, I understand the city’s strengths and challenges.

“I love Charlotte,” said Cronin, in a statement. “I am very excited about working with the business community.”

As for the Atlanta mayor, he's made it perfectly and publicy clear on several occasions that Charlotte is a second-tier city striving to be an Atlanta when it grows up. It will be interesting to watch things play out when Charlotte and Atlanta compete for the same headquarters relocation or new job-creating tech endeavor.

 

 

Local Commercial Real Estate Expert Kirk Rich Joins Invest Atlanta Board

ATLANTA (Aug. 18, 2014) - Invest Atlanta, the city's economic development arm, knows first hand that real estate is at the heart of most of what it does. So, it makes total sense that local real estate executive and expert Kirk Rich has been appointed to its board of directors.

The Atlanta City Council already has approved Rich's addition to the board of Atlanta Development Authority, whose dba is Invest Atlanta. In photo above, Rich is on the right. He is with Paul Aase of Roberts Commercial Real Estate Services and Jeff Pollock of Pollock Commercial.

The Invest Atlanta board will approve its fiscal year 2015 directors at Thursday's meeting.

There's also an item about bonds for the National College Football Hall of Fame on the agenda, so I bet Mayor Kasim Reed, who chairs the Invest Atlanta board, will be there to join in affirming the City Council's action. Plus, we were the first to call Reed the "Real Estate Mayor," and now that the local paper of record seconded, it must be true.

Kirk founded Rich Real Estate Services in 2001. His commercial real estate credentials stand up against anyone in the city, and his knowledge will help Eloisa Klementich, Kevin Johnson, Ernestine Garey and whomever is chosen to replace former President and CEO Brian McGowan, who left earlier this year to be COO at the Metro Atlanta Chamber. He now also heads economic development efforts at the Metro Chamber.

McGowan shifted Invest Atlanta's focus to one centered on attracting companies and people prepared to make investments in the city. The Wilbert Group helped communicate the organization's new mission during the years we served as Invest Atlanta's public relations agency of record.

Commercial real estate brokers play a key role in corporate relocations, expansions and development, so Rich's insight will be especially helpful to Invest Atlanta's board, which includes ex official members from local governments (City Council, Atlanta mayor's office, Fulton County Board of Commissioners, Atlanta School Board) who likely are not in commercial real estate.

According to his bio, "Kirk has completed more than 1,100 commercial leasing, property acquisition and disposition transactions during the past 23 years. He currently serves as Board President of the Georgia Chapter of The Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR). SIOR is a prestigious global organization of the top 2% of commercial Realtors. Kirk also is a Director with the Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors and is a member of CCIM, NAIOP, NAR and the Atlanta Board of Realtors. He has consistently ranked in the NAIOP and ACBR Million Dollar Clubs annually throughout his career."

Here's the official word from Councilman Alex Wan's Facebook page: "Congratulations to my friend Kirk Rich for being unanimously confirmed by Atlanta City Council to serve on the board of Invest Atlanta! You're going to be great, and thank you for your willingness to serve the City of Atlanta."

In turn, Rich responded (via Facebook, of course):  "I look forward to serving and doing my part to keep Atlanta the best city ever! Very excited and honored to be appointed!!!"