CARY, N.C., Aug. 1, 2017 – Columbia Development Group LLC, a Columbia, South Carolina-based real estate development firm, has hired Dotan Zuckerman as a principal and vice president of leasing. He will play an instrumental role in bringing the future East Cary Gateway mixed-use development in Cary, North Carolina to life. The $1 Billion, development will consist of 95 acres located off Cary Town Boulevard and include up to two million square feet of retail, restaurant, office, hotel and residential space. Zuckerman’s goal is to curate an ideal mix of chef driven restaurants and specialty retailers that will be widely appealing to the Cary community and Triangle region, at large.

Prior to joining Columbia Development Group, Zuckerman served as vice president of leasing for Fuqua Development in Atlanta. His main focus in this position was The Battery Atlanta, a $2 Billion mixed-use development combined with the Atlanta Braves’ new SunTrust Park and known for its prestigious retail, food and entertainment businesses.

Zuckerman began his commercial real estate career in Atlanta in 2006 with a focus on landlord representation. As such, he managed the in-town portfolios of Dewberry Capital, Halpern Enterprises and the Atlanta History Center, among other major clients.

In 2011, Zuckerman joined North American Properties, where he led the leasing strategy for the turnaround of Atlantic Station Town Center, a major Atlanta destination consisting of 1.3 million square feet of retail space, anchored by several major tenants including Target, IKEA, Regal Cinema and Dillard's. Zuckerman successfully increased the development’s occupancy by 20 percent by adding more than 40 new national and local retailers and chef-driven restaurants. Zuckerman's next challenge was the acclaimed Avalon development in Alpharetta, Georgia, where he was instrumental in the pre-leasing of more than 400,000 square feet of retail space. Avalon opened with an unprecedented 98 percent occupancy rate, delivering an acclaimed mix of tenants like Whole Foods, Apple, Anthropology, Free People, Lululemon, & William Sonoma. Furthermore, Zuckerman strategically curated Avalon’s best-in-class, chef-driven restaurant mix, which many consider the cornerstone of the development. Upon stabilization, Atlantic Station Town Center and Avalon were sold for a combined profit of more than $200 million.

An Atlanta native, Zuckerman spent his high school years in Israel and later served in the Israeli Defense Force before returning to his home city in 2006. He is a graduate of Georgia State University, with Bachelor of Business Administration in real estate. He and his wife, Hilary, have two daughters, and he enjoys cycling and walking the Atlanta Beltline on weekends.

To view a 3-D rendering of the proposed Eastern Cary Gateway development, please visit https://youtu.be/Lz5Kcb7FtL4.

QUOTES:

“The East Cary Gateway development has such amazing potential to benefit North Carolina’s residents and visitors in many fresh, unexpected ways,” said Zuckerman. “I am proud to join Columbia Development Group and look forward to creating an exciting array of specialty retailers, restaurants and other businesses that is unlike anything else in the area.”

“Having Dotan join our team is a tremendous gain not only for Columbia Development Group, but also for the future of the East Cary Gateway development,” said Abbitt Goodwin Jr., a partner at Columbia Development Group’s Raleigh office. “His past involvement with incredible properties like The Battery Atlanta and Avalon are a testimony to the outstanding vision we can expect him to also bring to Cary.”

ABOUT COLUMBIA DEVELOPMENT GROUP LLC:

Columbia Development Group, LLC is a privately held real estate development firm based in Columbia, South Carolina, with offices in Charleston, South Carolina and Raleigh, North Carolina. The Columbia Development Group team is actively engaged in the development of mixed use-projects, regional and neighborhood shopping centers, and single tenant retail assets throughout the southeastern United States, with a primary geographic focus on the Carolinas. With a proficiency in multiple project types and numerous retailer relationships, the firm is well positioned to quickly and effectively adjust to and capitalize on changes in the retail marketplace. Columbia Development Group has vast experience in the areas of site selection, development, capital markets, finance, accounting, construction, marketing, and leasing. For more information, please visit http://www.columbiadevelopment.com/.

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