The visionary behind the Atlantic Station redevelopment, James (Jim) Jacoby has served as chairman and chief executive of Jacoby Development (JDI) since founding the Atlanta-based company in 1979. He oversees all aspects of JDI’s operations – including project design, construction, financing, brokerage, leasing and management – and is instrumental in the planning and execution of the company’s business strategy. Under his leadership, JDI has grown to become one of the top commercial real estate development firms in the nation.
Since JDI’s inception, Jacoby has specialized in retail center development. With more than 35 centers completed or under construction throughout the southeastern United States, JDI continues to be among the nation’s leaders in retail center development.
During the 1990s, Jacoby began pursuing non-traditional development opportunities in addition to retail. These involved the redevelopment of environmentally sensitive or impaired sites into valuable multi-use properties with retail, office, hotel, resort, and housing components as well as socially beneficial features. His eco-friendly, investor-builder approach to site remediation and reuse has earned him a reputation as “the business-savvy developer with a social conscience” and renown as an innovative leader in the industry.
For years, dreamers imagined what they would do with the Atlantic Steel site in Midtown Atlanta, given the opportunity. More than a few developers took a run at it. But it was not until Jim Jacoby – with a dash of environmental insight and a huge dose of guts – rolled the dice, that the dream of restoring this industrial site to its highest and best use for the community would begin to be realized.
In addition to Atlantic Station, Jacoby is involved in the following environmental projects:
- Marineland, Florida—47-acre historic aquatic park that is being transformed into an eco-resort
- Plantation Key, Florida—10-acre aquaculture farm
- Timonium, Maryland—Former limestone quarry being reclaimed for retail use
- White Marsh, Maryland—Former sand and gravel quarry being redeveloped into a mixed-use facility
- Waysons Corner, Maryland—Former sand and gravel quarry being reclaimed for re-development and green space preservation
- Frederick, Maryland—Former mining site reclaimed and redeveloped for retail use
- Summerlin Sands, Florida—700-acre property which includes wetlands and undeveloped beach area that will be preserved
A 24-year veteran of the commercial real estate industry, Jacoby has been one of Georgia Trend’s “100 Most Influential Georgians” twice and has been featured in numerous national, local and trade publications including the New York Times, National Real Estate Investor, Commercial Property News, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Atlanta Business Chronicle, and Georgia Trend among others.
An active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers, Jacoby has served on the organization’s governmental affairs committee. His other professional affiliations include membership in the Urban Land Institute and the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. He also serves on the board of the Georgia Aquarium and the Whitney Lab at the University of Florida.
