Sunbelt Developers

David Marvin has played a major role in shaping downtown Atlanta through projects like the Embassy Suites at Centennial Olympic Park, the Glenn Hotel, Ventanas, and Restaurant Row. 

Along the way, he transformed a career that started in engineering and construction into one of the most influential hospitality and mixed-use development careers in Atlanta.

In this episode we cover:
• Building nuclear submarines before transitioning into real estate
• Moving to Atlanta through the 1996 Olympic Games and investing around Centennial Olympic Park
• Developing the Embassy Suites and helping catalyze downtown Atlanta’s revival
• Transforming the historic Glenn Hotel into Atlanta’s first modern boutique hotel
• Creating Ventanas, one of the city’s premier rooftop event venues
• Building Restaurant Row and launching concepts like Stats and Twin Smokers BBQ
• Lessons learned from hospitality, placemaking, and developing through multiple market cycles
• David’s outlook on downtown Atlanta and the future of urban 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

Egbert Perry is the Chairman and CEO of Integral Group.

He’s behind some of the most consequential urban developments in the Southeast — from Centennial Place to Assembly Atlanta to the redevelopment of Five Points and Atlanta Medical Center. He also pioneered the model for affordable housing.

In this episode we cover:

• Growing up in Antigua
• Coming to America at 15
• Becoming VP at HJ Russel & Co. at 24.
• Pioneering mixed-income housing with Centennial Place — and why most cities couldn't replicate it
• Transforming a shuttered 165-acre GM plant into Assembly Atlanta
• The truth about affordable housing
• Chairing the Fannie Mae board through conservatorship after the 2008 financial crisis
• The Five Points / Two Peachtree project and why bringing it back is inseparable from saving downtown Atlanta
• Where Egbert sees opportunity in today's market

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

Kevin Duvall has spent over two decades shaping one of the most important campuses in the Southeast. As CEO of the Georgia World Congress Center Authority, he oversees 200+ acres, 4.3 million square feet, and a pipeline of projects that are redefining downtown Atlanta.

We cover:
• Building the $550M Signia hotel from a state-owned parking plaza
• The Georgia Dome demolition and Mercedes-Benz Stadium negotiations
• Competing with Chicago, Orlando, Nashville, and Dallas for convention business
• Expanding the Savannah Convention Center and its new headquarters hotel
• The vision for International Plaza — downtown Atlanta's next entertainment district
• Preparing the campus for FIFA World Cup 2026
• Kevin's 24-year journey from the Alamodome in San Antonio to leading the GWCCA

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

Pope & Land has been transformational in the Cumberland submarket of Atlanta. From office to mixed-use to transforming a dead coliseum into City Park, Mason shares the story behind some of the most consequential development projects in Georgia.

We cover:
• Partnering with the Atlanta Braves on the Battery
• Converting the Charlotte Coliseum into a mixed-use community
• Navigating the Great Recession with Dutch capital partners
• The vision for downtown Atlanta's entertainment district
• Mason's 40-year journey from Texas to leading Pope & Land

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

Mason Zimmerman is the CEO of Pope & Land.

Pope & Land has been transformational in the Cumberland submarket of Atlanta. From office to mixed-use to transforming a dead coliseum into City Park, Mason shares the story behind some of the most consequential development projects in Georgia.

We cover:

• Partnering with the Atlanta Braves on the Battery
• Converting the Charlotte Coliseum into a mixed-use community
• Navigating the Great Recession with Dutch capital partners
• The vision for downtown Atlanta's entertainment district
• Mason's 40-year journey from Texas to leading Pope & Land

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 unlimited resources through our global Cushman & Wakefield network to help with any need you have.

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

Another episode is out now on the Sunbelt Developers Podcast with Matt Bronfman, CEO of Jamestown. From Ponce City Market to Chelsea Market, Matt shares the thinking behind some of the most iconic mixed-use developments in the country.

We cover:
-Negotiating with Google
-The story behind Ironworks
-Navigating zoning
-The impact of AI on real estate
-Matt’s journey to leading Jamestown

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’re looking for commercial real estate in Atlanta, give me a call — I’d love to connect.

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

Travis Garland is the Chief Development Officer of Portman Holdings. Portman is a legendary company and their real estate industry was founded by the visionary architect John Portman. Travis has been involved in pivotal projects like CODA, Amsterdam Walk and Spring Quarter.

In this episode we cover Travis's journey from navigating a brutal brokerage market after the dot-com bust to leading major development projects across the Sunbelt. He also pulls back the curtain on Portman’s fascinating history and gives us a masterclass on where the modern office is heading next. From the bustling pedestrian walkways of the Atlanta Beltline to the new "urban edge" of the suburbs, this conversation covers the strategies shaping the cities we live and work in.

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’re looking for commercial real estate in Atlanta, give me a call — I’d love to connect.

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

In this episode, Herbert Ames, Managing Director at EDENS shares the story behind Lulah Hills, the major mixed-use redevelopment of the former North DeKalb Mall site on Atlanta’s east side. We discuss his background and the projects that shaped his career, including major retail developments on Atlanta’s west side.

A big focus of the conversation is how Lulah Hills came together. Herbert explains the long history of the North DeKalb Mall property, EDENS’ acquisition process, and the vision to transform an outdated enclosed mall into a modern, community-oriented destination.

🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube for a behind-the-scenes look at the Lulah Hills redevelopment and what it means for Atlanta’s east side.

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’re looking for commercial real estate in Atlanta, give me a call — I’d love to connect.

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

Jerry Cooper is a living piece of Atlanta’s architectural history.

In this episode, the founder of Cooper Carry reflects on nearly a century of life and design — from his early years at Georgia Tech and a formative Fulbright scholarship in Rome, to helping shape some of Atlanta’s most influential buildings and developments.

We talk about Atlanta’s transformation in the late 1950s and ’60s, the rise of suburban office parks, garden apartments, and mixed-use projects, and how developments like Riverbend, Cumberland Mall, Piedmont Center, and Executive Park helped define a generation of growth. Jerry also shares how he thinks about real estate cycles, why phased development matters, and how Cooper Carry stayed relevant through decades of change.

From designing the College of Architecture at Georgia Tech to integrating buildings with the Chattahoochee National Forest, reimagining corporate campuses, and pioneering pedestrian-focused places like Underground Atlanta and Mizner Park, this conversation is about architecture built to last — and to mean something.

🎥 Watch the full episode for a rare, firsthand look at architecture, development, and the evolution of Atlanta.

Big thanks to our sponsors for supporting this series:
✨ Songy Highroads – songyhighroads.com
✨ Corporate Environments – corporateenvironments.com
✨ USA Cabling – usacablingtech.com

If you’re looking for commercial real estate in Atlanta, give me a call — I’d love to connect.

⏱️Timestamps 
0:00–3:06 Intro + Early Life
3:06–4:09 Sponsorship Break
4:09–7:23 Architectural Influences
7:23–12:38 Early Career & Turning Points
12:38–13:16 Sponsorship Break
13:16–15:52 Rome, Fulbright & Going Independent
15:52–19:54 Atlanta’s Growth & Early Projects
19:54–20:36 Sponsorship Break
20:36–26:00 Civil Rights, Cities & Sprawl
26:00–30:54 Suburban Growth & Cooper Carry
30:54–37:27 Residential & Early Commercial Work
37:27–40:51 Garden Apartments & Riverbend
40:51–45:54 Mixed-Use & Corporate Expansion
45:54–51:50 Market Cycles & Legacy Projects
51:50–54:55 Designing with Purpose
54:55–1:06:28 The Future of Cooper Carry
1:06:28 Outro

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

FEATURING SPECIAL GUEST - RYAN WOODS FROM BECK GROUP

**

Atlanta has hosted Super Bowls, Final Fours, and College Football Playoff Championships—but the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be on a completely different scale.

In this episode, I sit down with Dan Corso, President of the Atlanta Sports Council, to break down how Atlanta is preparing to host the world. Also joining the conversation is Ryan Woods, who stopped by with donuts and ended up jumping on the mic—bringing a fan’s perspective and keeping the conversation flowing on everything from sports to city growth.

We dive into FIFA’s “clean site” rules at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the 20-day Fan Fest planned for Centennial Olympic Park, and what brands, fans, and the city can expect as we head toward 2026. Dan also shares how Atlanta’s continuity of hosting mega events gives the city a massive advantage, how the city manages overlapping global events, and what’s next in the pipeline—including the Super Bowl in 2028, the Men’s Final Four in 2031, and future World Cup bids.

Big thanks to our sponsors for supporting this series:
✨ Songy Highroads – songyhighroads.com
✨ Corporate Environments – corporateenvironments.com
✨ USA Cabling – usacablingtech.com

If you’re looking for commercial real estate in Atlanta, give me a call — I’d love to connect.

#Atlanta #FIFAWorldCup2026 #AtlantaSportsCouncil #SportsBusiness #AtlantaEvents #MercedesBenzStadium #CRE #podcast 


⏱️Timestamps
0:00-4:27 Introduction and Atlanta Sports Council Overview
4:27-5:23 Ad Break (Songy Highroads)
5:23-7:32 World Cup Branding and "Clean Site Principle"
7:32-10:46 Lessons from Past Events and Community Collaboration
10:46-12:05 Challenges in Event Hosting
12:05-13:26 FIFA Club World Cup as a "Dress Rehearsal"
13:26-14:08 Ad Break (USA Cabling Technologies and Solutions)
14:08-15:11 World Cup Volunteer Program and FIFA's Local Presence
15:11-19:23 Pop-up Shops, Fan Engagement, and Centennial Olympic Park
19:23-21:35 Hotel Bookings and Atlanta's Infrastructure Advantages
21:35-24:44 World Cup Ticket and Watch Party Regulations
24:44-26:55 Coordination with Centennial Yards and Downtown Development
26:55-29:06 Future Events: Super Bowl 2028 and Beyond
29:06-30:07 Ad Break (Corporate Environments)
30:07-35:34 New Sports Development: RIVAL Foundation 
35:34-43:11 Outro

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