Much of Sizemore’s success over the last four decades is due to its commitment to developing leaders within every level of the firm. But the investment isn’t just internal, as the firm understands that the lifeblood of the industry is the next generation of leaders who will better their communities.
Sizemore served as an advisor to a team of six Georgia State graduate students who were competing in NAIOP’s Georgia Chapter 2020 Annual School Challenge. The annual event challenges students at Atlanta’s graduate business schools to respond to a hypothetical real estate project and pitch a deal that involves the most profitable yet feasible project, maximizing value with achieving the high risk adjusted return. Five universities participated, including Georgia State, Georgia Tech, University of Georgia, and Emory.
The assignment centered around a fictional fund that was looking to acquire underperforming Atlanta office and industrial properties to reposition them. The teams were charged with directing the equity investment – developing a plan with recommended sub-markets and specific office and industrial properties within them, anticipated acquisition costs, improvement plans, marketing strategy, financing approach, and expected return on investment.
Sizemore believes so strongly in supporting the development of young leaders that it devoted time of over numerous weeks to support the Georgia State team. The students proposed a $171.5MM five-acre mixed-use office and apartment redevelopment overlooking the BeltLine in Eastside Atlanta, for which Sizemore produced a conceptual master plan and developed renderings and other graphics. The redevelopment was designed to be a visual landmark for the area with its timber, steel, and concrete construction. The natural materials were chosen to provide a warm, stylish, and environmentally friendly setting, replicating the effects of spending time outdoors and improving wellbeing. Additionally, the newly acceptable blended commercial construction materials (hybrid timber-steel or timber-concrete construction) offer a means for investors and tenants to differentiate among competition.
Following a labor intensive and challenging three-month project, Georgia State’s students won first place. Sizemore’s guidance throughout helped them to better understand design inspiration, implications, and potential – and helped to develop young visionaries who will surely shape the future of development.
Sizemore participants include: Bill de St. Aubin, Tulia Scott, Deanna Murphy, Chirag Date, and Jonne Smith