There’s no doubt that the COVID-19 crisis created unexpected challenges for the commercial real estate industry in 2020.
Despite the uncertain environment, there were many bright spots at Ackerman & Co. throughout the year, thanks to the hard work of our experienced and diverse team of brokers and professional advisors.
From industrial and office leases to building and land sales to deals for restaurant and retail space, our brokers completed a steady flow of transactions.
Some of our major transactions during the year included a 710,962-square-foot lease of an e-commerce distribution facility in Florida; a 325,000-square-foot build-to-suit project at Ackerman’s Rockdale Technology Center for a regional distribution center; and a 75,205-square-foot lease with Goodwill of North Georgia for their new distribution and donation center.
Our Ackerman Retail brokers had a successful year completing a number of high-profile restaurant and retail leases. These included lease signings that will bring gourmet food market Savi Provisions and workout studio Twisted Cycle to Crabapple Market in Milton, Ga., this spring; a 17,850-square-foot lease for a new Shoe Gallery store in Cumming, Ga.; lease signings that added Henri’s Bakery & Café, Siete Tacos + Tequila, and The Original Hot Dog Factory to Marietta Square Market; and a lease for a new location of the upscale brunch spot Gocha’s Breakfast Bar in Fayetteville, Ga.
Also, our Investment Sales team was busy in 2020, with transactions that included a 30,000 square foot medical office building in Newnan, Ga., where Ackerman Medical also completed lease extensions to maintain 100 percent occupancy.
These represent just a sampling of our transactions.
And Ackerman & Co. and its partner MDH Partners are moving forward with the $85-million redevelopment and expansion of the Lee + White mixed-use project in Atlanta’s West End. The next phase of development at the popular entertainment destination will include loft offices, a food hall, public spaces, additional retail options and multifamily units.
Congratulations to our brokers of the year
Continuing an annual tradition, Ackerman & Co. also recognized the achievements of our brokers with our Broker of the Year and Young Broker of the Year awards.
The leader of our Land Group John Speros enjoyed another banner year, earning him the Broker of the Year honor – for the second year in a row. The dollar value of his deals exceeded $100 million. John works closely with his colleagues Kyle Gable and JT Speros in the Land Group.
“John really didn’t skip a beat this past year in his deal-making, which is a testament to his experience and the proven process he and his team have developed to complete land sales on behalf of their clients,” said Kris Miller.
In 2020, John’s biggest deal was the sale of 14.8 acres at Sandy Plains Marketplace for $42 million. Another major deal, completed with David Branch of SSG Realty partners, was the sale of a 4.6-acre parcel for $15.8 million that will become Porter on Peachtree, a mixed-use project featuring 291 multifamily units and 17,600 square feet of ground-level retail.
Other significant transactions for John included the sale of 67.9 acres for $5.8 million for a Meritage Homes development of 152 single-family homes and 20.37 acres for $5.6 million for the next phase of the Exchange at Gwinnett mixed-use project.
In addition to recognizing the top producer, Ackerman is also excited to announce that our Young Broker of the Year for 2020 is Will Goff.
Will’s main focus is brokering raw land and redevelopment sites, along with providing site selection services. Since joining Ackerman in 2017, Will has been involved in brokering land transactions for a wide range of uses, including residential, retail, mixed-use and industrial projects. His transactions during that time total nearly $40 million.
“Will is one of our hardest-working brokers. He can often be seen in his office at 7:30 in the morning to get started on his work, and he always has a positive attitude,” said F. Keene Miller. “In addition to his commitment to helping his clients achieve their business goals, Will is always trying to expand his knowledge. These qualities will serve him well as he grows his career in commercial real estate.”
A large portion of Will’s business is currently focused on representing developers to identify sites for multifamily and industrial projects. Will has carved out a niche in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) and outside storage space, with current projects spanning across the Sunbelt from Atlanta to Houston and Charlotte to Tampa.
Will is pursuing a Master of Real Estate Development at Georgia Tech and is a CCIM candidate, having completed all course work and portfolio requirements for the designation. He plans to take the final qualifying exam at the next availability.
Read more about our brokerage group here: https://www.ackermanco.com/real-estate-services/overview/