The Southeastern U.S. is full of mixed-use projects underway and in the works. And with the demand showing no sign of slowing, Transwestern Development has brought in industry veteran Jeff Harris to identify and complete projects across the region.
Harris started last month as regional partner in Transwestern's office in Charlotte, North Carolina, with responsibility for “sourcing and executive development projects” that focus on multifamily and a mix of other uses, the company said.
With the office market in flux, many commercial real estate investors are looking for different segments to place capital. Transwestern Development sees mixed-use projects that rely on a base of multifamily units as a good place to park money.
Transwestern Development, headquartered in Houston, has spearheaded projects nationwide and especially in Texas, notably 3400@CityLine in the Dallas suburb of Richardson.
But competition for new projects in the Southeast is fierce, especially in the largest cities in North Carolina. Some of Transwestern Development’s rival projects include the Childress Klein and Ascentris development Apex SouthPark in Charlotte and Grubb Ventures' and Jamestown’s Raleigh Iron Works in Raleigh.
Harris will help Transwestern Development “deliver on what the market is demanding” and demographic trends indicate that will continue to be multifamily and mixed-use projects,” company President Carleton Riser said in a statement.
Before joining Transwestern, Harris was the Carolinas division president for multifamily at homebuilder Lennar, where he organized the development of $775 million of projects, including The Ellis in Charlotte. Harris worked for Lennar's subsidiary Quarterra.
He also previously worked in acquisitions and development for Post Properties, an Atlanta apartment developer that was acquired by MAA in 2016.
Harris has a long history in the Tar Heel State. He’s an alumnus of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, where he obtained his undergraduate degree in business. His graduate degree is in real estate finance from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.