Neighborhood Series: Atlanta's Urban Core

Matt Knisely joined Shorenstein in 2006. He is responsible for sourcing, evaluating, negotiating, and closing capital transactions for the Eastern United States. He serves as the Asset Team Lead for designated properties with responsibility for developing and executing asset strategies. Prior to joining Shorenstein, Mr. Knisely was a vice president with Trilyn, LLC where he worked on the formation, fundraising and investing of a mezzanine debt fund. Previously, he was a vice president with L&L Acquisitions, LLC, where he was responsible for acquisitions, fundraising and portfolio management, and prior to L&L Acquisitions, worked as an associate in the Acquisitions Group for The Carlyle Group’s real estate opportunity funds. Mr. Knisely graduated from The University of Richmond with a B.A.

Thomas Kramer is a Director of Property at Drapac Capital Partners, an international real estate investment firm that expanded into the United States in 2011. Drapac’s U.S. portfolio includes 12,000 acres of land representing a development pipeline of over $8B. In his role at Drapac, Thomas works across the business, including investment strategy, asset management, acquisitions, disposals, investor relations, and business development. Prior to joining Drapac, Thomas led the Atlanta office of The Concord Group, a national real estate consulting firm. In addition to work in nearly all major US markets, Thomas has Property experience in over 20 countries around the world across all asset classes. Thomas is a member of Urban Land Institute and serves on the Advisory Board. Originally from Maryland, Thomas attended Stanford University, where he graduated with a BA in Political Science.

There’s so much to say about Morris Kaplan. He’s definitely a man of high energy. Also one of engineering knowhow, family closeness, spiritual conviction, keen insights, operational acumen, land discoveries, constant integrity, vanguard achievements, widespread generosity, worldly travel, New Jersey roots and a Florida address. That’s the CliffsNotes bio. Here’s the longer one. It all started in 1976 when Morris graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in civil engineering. Educated, eager and motivated, he applied his energies to gaining hands-on experience. Morris’ roots began by learning construction from the ground up during 25 years in the field. Over the next two decades, his development expertise blossomed into all the various disciplines of real estate – closely following the career path of his revered father. It’s not surprising. Family is and always has been universally central to Morris. A dad of three and grandfather as well, he’s married to the wise and lovely Sandra Lisman Kaplan, who puts it this way: “My biggest and most important titles are Daughter, Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Sister, Aunt, and Friend. For me, my family is what always comes first.” Besides being occupied with the responsibilities listed above, Sandra makes it her business to support Morris and provide exceptional insight on issues that sometimes frustrate him. She has been a great sounding board for the whole Kaplan team. Her passion to see the firm’s projects succeed is evidenced by her participation in various aspects of communities that have been developed and ones currently on the drawing board. Behind every successful man is a great woman . . . that is Sandra. Morris is wholeheartedly thankful to have a great partner like her. Ranking second in devotion is the couple’s love of community. Giving back is instinctive, their service to Jewish organizations undeniable. He’s a past president of Young Israel of Bal Harbour, KSpace, Bris Avrohom and Monmouth Torah Links and is active in these and many more. On top of that, he’s built four synagogues, two in Florida and two in New Jersey. Sandra has also been actively involved for 35 years in Women’s International Zionist Organization (WIZO). With religion such a huge part of his life, integrity is a credo without boundaries for Morris. He’s resolute about doing the right thing. All the time. Regardless. In and outside of work. His track record is an eye-opener. Kaplan has developed 30,000 homes and 3 million square feet of non-residential projects over the last 46 years as a family company. Very focused on big dreams, Kaplan has a long-term goal of developing a billion dollars of real estate on a bi-annual basis. On the way to that target, he’s accomplishing some very daunting feats. From developing master-planned communities, working through environmentally challenging sites to build apartments, implementing new technologies like lightweight steel framing and modular constructions, building in urban or suburban markets, Morris has overseen projects that would have stymied most large and national developers. Operating ahead of the curve, Morris has instituted a slogan – The Impossible is Possible. Following his 1986 move to open up new markets in the Southeast, his 450 Piedmont development made headlines as the first private development in downtown Atlanta. Soon more and more Kaplan Residential developments were rising up in cities throughout Georgia, Florida, the Carolinas . . . and the groundbreaking announcements just keep on coming. All of this has come full circle in that Kaplan Residential recently broke ground in downtown Atlanta on a 17-story high-rise utilizing a lightweight steel framing technology, the first installation of its kind in the U.S. Like we said, Morris Kaplan is definitely a high-energy guy.

Ari Glass joined Zeller Realty Group in 2002. As President of Zeller Realty Corporation, he is engaged in locating, analyzing and recommending potential acquisition opportunities for ZRG, including financing, equity sourcing and transaction structuring. Previously, Glass was Leasing Director and responsible for leasing and marketing the commercial space at 401 North Michigan Avenue and 211 East Ontario Street. In his acquisition/recapitalization role, Glass has been integrally involved in structuring and executing 15 transactions worth over $1.5B. Glass led the successful restructuring of the securitized first mortgage on Meridian Mark I & II with JE Roberts (now part of C-III Asset Management). In his capacity as Project Manager, he has led the award winning repositioning of The Wrigley Building which has included securing Landmark status; structuring equity co-investment in Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits; planning and executing a $125MM renovation and re-leasing strategy for the 22% leased project. Prior to joining Zeller Realty Group, Glass worked for Golub & Company as the Director of Marketing. During his four year tenure, he was responsible for leasing and marketing Golub’s downtown Chicago portfolio, completing 140 transactions for nearly 700,000 square feet of space in three and a half years. Glass also worked as a financial analyst and leasing representative for Jones Lang LaSalle in Chicago. Among the properties he was responsible for were 500 West Madison Street, 30 North LaSalle Street and One East Wacker Drive. Glass is a graduate of Bradley University, where he earned a BS in Business with a concentration in Finance. He earned an MBA with honors at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Glass is on the Board of Directors of Landmarks Illinois, and active in the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago (JUF). In addition, he is a past President of the board of FTC Chicago.

Jonathan Kalikow is Principal of Manager, Head of Real Estate and Class II Director of AFC. Mr. Kalikow is AFC’s Head of Real Estate as well as a member of the AFC Board. He is president and founder of Gamma Real Estate, a boutique commercial real estate firm based in New York City. The firm lends on real estate nationwide, owns a portfolio of approximately 5,000 apartments and several office properties in the Southeastern US, and developments real estate, including an 850 unit residential building on Sutton Place in Manhattan. Prior to co-founding Gamma Real Estate, Jonathan Kalikow spent 18 years on Wall Street investing across industries and asset classes as a proprietary trader at Morgan Stanley and then as a hedge fund trader and portfolio manager. Mr. Kalikow is a graduate of the Wharton School of Business with degrees in Real Estate and Finance. He also holds a JD from Fordham University School of Law and is a member of the New York State Bar Association.

Gene Kansas is a student and explorer of life, devoting his time to family and the city he adores, immersing himself in the arts, education and the greater Atlanta community. Benefitting greatly by an Honor’s Degree in Entrepreneurship from University of Arizona, Gene is Founder of Gene Kansas | Commercial Real Estate, leading with a creative voice, a passion for community building, and an expertise in difference-making. As a former Board Member of the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center (2008 – 2011), as a 15-year mentor and former Board Member with Big Brothers Big Sisters (2011 – 2014), as Creator & Host of both Sidewalk Radio & Building Memories, as an entrepreneur, and as a Masters in Digital Media from Georgia Tech, Gene takes great pride in giving back and looking forward. Gene is an Atlanta Business Chronicle “40 under 40” and Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles “20 Under 40”. The National Trust for Historic Preservation named his firm’s redevelopment of the Atlanta Daily World Building the #2 Preservation Win nationally for 2014, and the team was recognized by The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation with a 2015 Preservation Award for Excellence, and a 2015 Atlanta Urban Design Commission Award of Excellence. Gene is the proud recipient of the 2016 Alonzo F. Herndon Business Award as named by Historic South-View Preservation Foundation. And, at Georgia Tech, Gene was proudly honored as the 2016 Ivan Allen, Jr. Legacy Award winner, the highest graduate student honor awarded in the college. Launching in August of 2017, Gene’s most current venture, Constellations, is a civic and social shared workspace where stars come together and shine. Constellations is located in Atlanta’s Sweet Auburn Historic District, birthplace of MLK, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement. Gene’s focus on building up community and encouraging culture are both pursuit and passion, a direction he is happy to share.

Ken Kraft is the founder of the Parker Hudson Real Estate practice group. Over the course of his 40+ year career he has worked on billions of dollars’ worth of real estate transactions and more than 25,000,000 square feet of leases, in deals at all levels of complexity. His experience, judgment and reputation ensure that his clients are in the optimum position to achieve their objectives. A former senior executive for Atlanta developer Taylor & Mathis and The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, Ken truly understands and is oriented to the business of commercial real estate. He represents owners, lenders, and developers in the purchase, sale, financing, and development of office, industrial, residential, and hotel real estate. In addition, Ken regularly represents clients in large national headquarters leases and leasing of retail locations throughout the United States. Ken is steadfastly committed to seeing his clients’ deals through to a successful conclusion. The breadth of his experience over the commercial real estate landscape enables Ken innately to understand not only the needs of his clients, but also those of his clients’ counterparties, and thereby devise solutions that work without compromising client goals. One client described Ken’s leadership and creativity succinctly: "He cuts through the clutter" – Chambers USA 2017.

As the Vice President of Finance & Investments, Andrew is responsible for the investment and capital markets activities for Vision Hospitality Group. Andrew develops the investment thesis for each project, including market research, site acquisition, concept testing, site planning, proforma modeling, franchise application and equity/debt financing. Andrew also negotiates and structures all operating agreements, management agreements and joint ventures agreements. He is also responsible for evaluating and executing on any acquisition opportunities, refinancings and dispositions. Prior to joining Vision in 2010, he worked for the Raines Group, a Chattanooga-based Commercial Real Estate Brokerage. Earlier in his career, he worked as the Director of Operations for Jackson Hole Resort Lodging, the hospitality and property management arm of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Over the course of his career, he has sourced nearly one billion dollars in equity, mezzanine and senior debt financing for hospitality and mixed-use development projects. Andrew earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Behavioral Science from Green Mountain College in 1991 and later earned his MBA in Real Estate and Urban Land Economics from the James A. Graaskamp Center for Real Estate at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. While at the University of Wisconsin, he taught undergraduate courses in real estate finance and interned in the development department at Great Wolf Resorts.

Jim LaVallee has a multi-faceted background in real estate development and operations. His aptitude is focusing on and analyzing new real estate investment opportunities and asset repositioning analysis. With a background in real estate valuation in addition to formal education in finance, Mr. LaVallee has participated in a variety of consulting, valuation, due diligence and underwriting activities. Prior to joining EpiCity, he served seven years as a Vice President of Citicorp Real Estate, a division of Citicorp. His experience there was diverse, including loan workouts, loan portfolio purchases, and new loan originations. He has experience with both portfolio lending and real estate conduit financing. Before working with Citicorp, Mr. LaVallee worked in the Atlanta office of CB Commercial, a national real estate firm, where he was involved in consulting and valuation work. Mr. LaVallee received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Finance from Georgia State University. He holds a MAI (Member of Appraisal Institute) designation and is a certified appraiser in the State of Georgia. More than anything else, Jim loves spending time outdoors with his wife, Lyn, and their two kids. In the community, Jim is a parent volunteer for Atlanta Junior Rowing, a board member and former board chair for Georgia Avenue Community Ministry, and a support of Zoo Atlanta. Whether hiking, mountain biking or snow skiing, the family always enjoys quality time together.

Greg Ford, Senior Project Manager for DPR Construction, has dedicated the majority of his career making his mark in the commercial/multi-family, high-rise market working on large-scale projects as well as higher education, assisted living, and government projects for numerous developers throughout the Southeast. His experience includes roles as project manager and TI construction manager for clients such as (Portman Holdings, Novare Group, Sea Ranch Properties (Florida), Premier Developers LLC (Florida), GSFIC (Georgia State Financing & Investment Commission) , Health Systems Development LLC, US Army Corp of Engineers (Savannah Office), City of Atlanta, and Fulton County). Greg earned his B. of Arch from Tuskegee University and has been dedicated to serving & leading his teams and clients through sound judgement and thoughtful perspective utilized from his previous 16 years of experience in the construction industry.

As a Senior Vice President for CBRE’s Atlanta Brokerage Group, Jeff Keppen, oversees the marketing and leasing for a number of office projects located throughout the metro area including Piedmont Center 5-8, Wildwood Center, University Office Park, 201 17th Street, 271 17th Street, Royal Ridge and Peachtree Center. Since joining Asset Services in 2005, he and his team have completed more than 3.5 million rentable square feet of office leasing consisting of more than 600 transactions. Clients include CBRE Global Investors – Strategic Partners (CBREGI), Parkway Properties, KBS Realty Advisors, Granite Properties and DRA Advisors. Mr. Keppen began his career at CBRE as a Financial Analyst for CBRE’s Southeastern region Financial Consulting Group (FCG), a team comprised of more than 20 professionals located throughout the country. Mr. Keppen offers a unique combination of real estate and finance experience that has proven beneficial to CBRE’s clients. Since joining Asset Services, Mr. Keppen has helped to grow the team's portfolio consistently since 2005. Mr. Keppen is consistently recognized by the Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors and NAIOP as a top producer, including the 2nd overall in 2010. Lastly, Mr. Keppen was recognized in the top 225 nationally for CBRE in 2009. Prior to joining CBRE, Mr. Keppen was a professional baseball player spending time with the Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Dodgers organizations as well as stints out of the country including Korea, Mexico, and Canada.

Bisnow went back to find our Atlanta reporter. Waaay back. As in the 1980’s back. As far as we can tell, Jarred has not left the decade of pastel colored sport coats and crazy, wavy hair, and will regularly challenge all to 80s music trivia fights (we try not to provoke him). Outside of having the largest collection of cassette and VHS tapes in Atlanta, Jarred has been steeped in Atlanta media for more than a decade, most of the time focused on commercial real estate. You can also find Jarred spittin’ out lyrics with our Data Center and Denver newsletters.