Developer Crosland Southeast announced that Barry James has been promoted to partner at the company, coinciding with the company’s fifth anniversary. James is responsible for the design, development and construction of Crosland Southeast’s wide-ranging and growing portfolio of projects, and oversees the design and construction project management team.
“Project management and construction is an essential piece of our company’s growth, and the fact that we have a partner with a high level of expertise in the field is a major asset,” said Tim Sittema, partner at Crosland Southeast. “Barry’s leadership and ability to manage our largest construction projects from conception to completion enhances our capacity to create projects more efficiently and economically.”
James is the first new partner named since the formation of Crosland Southeast. The five founding partners — Peter B. Pappas, Tim Sittema, Mike Wiggins, James Downs and Austin Williams — were all officers at Crosland LLC prior to forming Crosland Southeast in 2011.
During the four years James has worked at Crosland Southeast, he’s overseen the project management and construction of major projects including the 90-acre mixed-use Waverly development in south Charlotte at the intersection of Providence and Ardrey Kell roads that offers 250,000 square feet of retail, two six-story Class A office buildings, two medical office buildings, 375 upscale apartments and 150 single-family homes and townhomes. Additionally, James manages the design and construction of One Bellevue Place, a redevelopment of the Bellevue Mall in Nashville, Tenn. This $200 million project integrates 350,000 square feet of retail, 337 class A apartment homes, a 111-room Hilton Home2 Hotel and up to 300,000 square feet of office space. Both projects highlight the demand for walkable, mixed-use urban design in suburban locations.
“With our multi-use projects, we want to create something interesting — something memorable — that creates a sense of place,” James said. “These types of projects are poised to accelerate our growth at Crosland Southeast, but we also are careful to remain flexible; choosing projects that are diverse in scope, industry and use.”
Before joining the Crosland Southeast team, James spent 13 years with American Asset Corp. in Charlotte, most recently as executive vice president, where he was responsible for the development of 3.7 million square feet of retail, office and industrial property. James was also involved in planning 1,000 acres of mixed-use projects in North and South Carolina. Prior to American Asset Corp., James worked for Transwestern Investment Co., underwriting more than $250 million in acquisitions and $100 million in development projects. As an architect, he was a team member for RTKL Associates, the award-winning architectural firm that worked on the schematic design, design development and construction documentation for mixed-use and retail projects across the United States, as well as in China, Germany, Korea, Spain and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
James holds a Master of Business Administration degree in Finance and a Master of Science degree in Real Estate Finance and Urban Economics from the University of Wisconsin, as well as a Master of Arts in Architecture and Architectural Design from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
About Crosland Southeast
Crosland Southeast and its team have a long history of developing and leasing award-winning retail and mixed-use developments throughout seven southeastern states. Today, Crosland Southeast perpetuates excellence with its emphasis on retail acquisitions, advisory services, single-tenant development and the development of high-quality retail and mixed-use properties that epitomize placemaking at its finest. The company currently has $500 million of construction underway.
Five of the six Crosland Southeast partners previously served as officers of the 74-year-old Crosland LLC and have a combined 115 years of experience in the shopping center industry. During their careers, the executive team has developed more than 24 million square feet of projects. For more information, visit www.croslandsoutheast.com.
