Sunbelt Developers

Steve Nygren has spent decades influencing how people experience Atlanta and how communities can be built differently. From launching the Pleasant Peasant and growing a restaurant company across eight states to helping shape the early vision for Midtown and ultimately founding Serenbe, Nygren’s career has centered around creating places that bring people together.

In this episode we cover:

• Building the Pleasant Peasant and growing from one Atlanta restaurant into a major hospitality business
• The early transformation of Midtown Atlanta and the creation of the Midtown Alliance
• Leaving city life behind and the unexpected story of discovering the land that would become Serenbe
• Creating a development model that combines density, preserved green space, agriculture, walkability, and community
• Steve’s vision for the future of development and why connecting people with nature could shape the next generation of communities

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Sunbelt Developers is in partnership with Northspyre.

Northspyre's platform is built to modernize the development process, replacing outdated spreadsheets and error-prone processes with automation, analytics, and AI.

Check them out at northspyre.com

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If you have any commercial real estate needs, please reach out.
Tim Wright
770-990-6180
[email protected]

More info: https://linktr.ee/timwright.cre

Kasim Reed helped shape a transformational period in Atlanta’s growth during his eight years as mayor. From Mercedes-Benz Stadium and Centennial Yards to the Atlanta Beltline and State Farm Arena, Reed shares the stories behind some of the projects and decisions that helped position Atlanta for its next era of growth.

In this episode we cover:

• The behind-the-scenes story of Mercedes-Benz Stadium and keeping the Falcons in Atlanta
• The relationships and negotiations behind Centennial Yards and the redevelopment of the Gulch
• Restructuring the Atlanta Beltline’s finances to keep the project moving forward
• Major development, corporate investment, and economic growth during his time as mayor
• Kasim’s perspective on Atlanta’s future, including the potential for high-speed rail to Savannah

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Sunbelt Developers is in partnership with Northspyre.

Northspyre's platform is built to modernize the development process, replacing outdated spreadsheets and error-prone processes with automation, analytics, and AI.

Check them out at northspyre.com

--

If you have any commercial real estate needs, please reach out.
Tim Wright
770-990-6180
[email protected]  

More info: https://linktr.ee/timwright.cre

What separates standard real estate transactions from legacy developments that stand the test of time?

In this episode of the Sunbelt Developers Podcast, we sit down with Allen Morris, Chairman and CEO of The Allen Morris Company, to break down the core philosophy behind his firm's multi-billion-dollar portfolio—including the iconic $1.5 billion Star Metals district in West Midtown Atlanta.

From turning down profitable deals that lack soul to spending "ridiculously expensive" capital on hotel-style amenities and cantilevered architecture, Allen reveals how building for human experience creates landmark developments that outperform the market even during severe economic headwinds.

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Sunbelt Developers is in partnership with Northspyre.

Northspyre's platform is built to modernize the development process, replacing outdated spreadsheets and error-prone processes with automation, analytics, and AI.

Check them out at northspyre.com

--

If you have any commercial real estate needs, please reach out.

Tim Wright

770-990-6180

[email protected]  

More info: https://linktr.ee/timwright.cre

Mike Plant has spent his career at the intersection of sports, business, and development. From competing as an Olympic speed skater to helping bring the 1996 Olympic Games to Atlanta, Plant eventually joined the Atlanta Braves and played a pivotal role in the team’s move to Cobb County and the creation of Truist Park and The Battery Atlanta.

In this episode we cover:

• Competing in the Olympics and building a career in the Olympic movement

• Moving to Atlanta to work for Ted Turner and eventually joining the Atlanta Braves

• Building Truist Park and The Battery Atlanta in just 30 months

• Creating a mixed-use model that has attracted sports organizations from around the world

Sunbelt Developers is in partnership with Northspyre.

Northspyre's platform is built to modernize the development process, replacing outdated spreadsheets and error-prone processes with automation, analytics, and AI.

Check them out at northspyre.com

--

If you have any commercial real estate needs, please reach out.

Tim Wright

770-990-6180

[email protected]  

More info: https://linktr.ee/timwright.cre

Thank you for following along with our journey!

It doesn't feel real that this project has made it this far.

These interviews have been a passion project of mine that continues to gain attention, and as long as people enjoy what we put out, we'll keep going.

This season we'll be doing multiple hardhat tours, experimenting with live events, and taking things to new levels.

We've partnered with Northspyre an incredible Real Estate Development Management Software - https://www.northspyre.com/

As shared in the video, if you'd like to join the Sunbelt Developers community, please reach out to [email protected]

More info: https://linktr.ee/timwright.cre

Why did an active freight rail corridor turn into Atlanta’s most sought-after urban district? 

Long before Howell Mill Road became a bustling hub for dining and luxury retail, Chris Faussemagne, Partner at Westbridge, was pioneering West Midtown’s industrial transformation. From converting historic meatpacking plants like White Provision and Stockyards into landmark adaptive reuse projects, to engineering the famous pedestrian bridge over active train tracks, Chris shares two decades of insight into scaling walkable urban districts.  

This episode breaks down the real estate strategies that shaped West Midtown—including the hard pivot away from office space at West Side Paper, preserving local institutions like Northside Tavern amid high-rise developments like Star Metals, and solving parking and restaurant friction. Chris also explores how upcoming BeltLine infrastructure and projects like "The Hill" at the Waterworks will impact future property values.  

For developers, investors, brokers, and urban planners, this conversation provides a practical masterclass in Sunbelt real estate development, asset pivots, and urban revitalization. 

If you have a commercial real estate need, please reach out. My team and I have incredible resources through Cushman & Wakefield to help with any need you have.

More info: https://linktr.ee/timwright.cre

What does it take to turn a cardboard prototype into a $2 billion business movement? 

In this episode of the Sunbelt Developers Podcast, hosts Tim Wright and Zach Bean, Executive Managing Director at Cushman & Wakefield, sit down with Jason McCann, Co-Founder and CEO of Vari. 

Famous for creating the sit-stand VariDesk movement and growing into a full-scale workspace innovation leader serving 98% of Fortune 500 companies, Vari is fundamentally reshaping commercial real estate.  

The conversation covers the evolution of workplace real estate: how flexible spaces, hospitality-first amenities, modular design, and AI-driven efficiency are redefining the modern office landscape. Jason breaks down his journey from consumer products like Big Mouth Billy Bass to scaling Vari into a multi-asset landlord. He reveals how VariSpace converted a 90% vacant 22-acre campus into an 80%+ occupied community hub, why 10- to 12-year office leases are making a comeback in DFW, and how AI visualization is helping tenants execute 45-day move-ins.  

Whether you are a commercial developer, broker, investor, or business owner navigating the future of work, this masterclass offers actionable insights into capital efficiency, space-as-a-service models, and resilient leadership.  

Key Highlights:
• The cardboard box origin story and the flight that changed everything
• How Vari scaled into a workspace solutions giant with 300+ products
• The Space-as-a-Service model: turning distressed assets into vibrant communities
• Why modern office tenants are locking in 7- to 12-year leases
• How Vari uses Claude and AI tools to save time on financial modeling and sales test fits
• The role of hospitality, biophilia, and energy in driving office occupancy
• Leading through crisis, maintaining workplace culture, and giving back  

#CommercialRealEstate #OfficeDevelopment #Vari #PropTech #SunbeltDevelopers

More info: https://linktr.ee/timwright.cre

Colin Connolly has spent 15 years at Cousins Properties — 8 of them as CEO — steering one of the premier office REITs in the country through a merger, a pandemic, and what may be the most consequential reset in office real estate history.

As the Sunbelt office market tightens and new supply seems frozen until at least 2030, Cousins is gearing up for offense.

Inside the episode:
• Leading Cousins through Covid — and why the first call was guaranteeing no layoffs before making any strategic decisions
• Doubling down in the pandemic: selling $1.3B of lower-quality assets and reinvesting in trophy product at the bottom of the market
• The Houston bet that went wrong — watching OPEC's Thanksgiving Day announcement blow up 40% of the company
• Merging with Parkway Properties and spinning out the Houston portfolio into its own publicly traded company
• Why there will be no new office supply of any size delivered in Atlanta until after 2030 — and what that means for rents
• Dallas as the canary in the coal mine: net rents climbing from $50 to nearly $90
• Why companies relocating to the Sunbelt care far less about office rent than the cost of housing for their employees
• Where Cousins sees opportunity today — and why the absence of competing capital has made trophy acquisitions unusually attractive

Big thanks to our sponsors for supporting this series:
• Songy Highroads – songyhighroads.com
• Corporate Environments – corporateenvironments.com
• USA Cabling – usacablingtech.com
• Scott Contracting – scott-contracting.com
• The Beck Group – beckgroup.com

If you have a commercial real estate need, please reach out. My team and I have incredible resources through Cushman & Wakefield to help with any need you have.

More info: https://linktr.ee/timwright.cre

Episode 21 is unlike anything we've done before.

David Rubenstein — co-founder of The Carlyle Group, owner of the Baltimore Orioles, and one of the great interviewers of our time — joined us for a wide-ranging conversation about business, history, and a life spent asking better questions.

The son of a Baltimore postal worker, David went from the Carter White House to founding Carlyle at 37 with just $5 million — and a simple insight: if you're stuck in Washington, make Washington your edge.

Inside the episode:

• Building Carlyle from $5M to a global powerhouse
• Passing on Facebook — a $30K stake now worth $53B
• Selling SpaceX too early
• His take on data centers, AI, and secondaries
• Restoring the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials
• Collecting original copies of the Declaration of Independence
• His interviewing playbook after 1,000+ conversations
• Two new books on the way
• His recent wedding at the Supreme Court, officiated by Chief Justice John Roberts

Watch the full story on Sunbelt Developers Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

Big thanks to our sponsors for supporting this series:

• Songy Highroads – songyhighroads.com
• Corporate Environments – corporateenvironments.com
• USA Cabling – usacablingtech.com
• Scott Contracting – scott-contracting.com
• The Beck Group – beckgroup.com

If you have a commercial real estate need, please reach out. My team and I have incredible resources through Cushman & Wakefield to help with any need you have.

More info: https://linktr.ee/timwright.cre

Chris Eachus has spent over two decades rising through the ranks at CP Group — from analyst to partner — and is now leading one of the most ambitious adaptive reuse projects in Atlanta's history: the transformation of CNN Center into The Center, a mixed-use destination anchored by an 11-concept food hall, the largest bar in Georgia, Michelin-starred chefs, World Cup activations, and a renewed vision for downtown Atlanta.

In this episode we cover:

• Rising from analyst to equity partner at CP Group over 20+ years
• Acquiring CNN Center and reimagining it as The Center
• Building a world-class food and beverage program with Michelin-starred chefs
• Hosting FIFA's World Cup volunteer headquarters and the ATL Culture House 
• Preserving Ted Turner's penthouse and honoring the building's media legacy
• Chris's outlook on downtown Atlanta and the future of urban mixed-use development

Watch the full story on Sunbelt Developers Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

Big thanks to our sponsors for supporting this series:

• Songy Highroads – songyhighroads.com
• Corporate Environments – corporateenvironments.com
• USA Cabling – usacablingtech.com
• Scott Contracting – scott-contracting.com
• The Beck Group – beckgroup.com

If you have a commercial real estate need, please reach out. My team and I have incredible resources through Cushman & Wakefield to help with any need you have.

More info: https://linktr.ee/timwright.cre