The players: Who’s bringing us Columbia Common

BOB HUGHES

President of Hughes Development Corporation

http://hughesdevelopment.com/

Hughes, of Greenville, has been professionally active in real estate development for more than 35 years with experience in virtually every property type. He started in property management, but has spent almost his entire career doing complex, innovative real estate projects. Notable projects include Poinsett Plaza, RiverPlace and ONE, all on Greenville’s Main Street. In addition, Hughes received statewide and regional acclaim for the NEXT Innovation Center, a home for fast growing technology companies.

In 2001, Hughes created and oversaw the execution of a $1 billion school financing and construction program permitting most schools in Greenville County to be renovated or rebuilt within five years without a tax increase. The financing and construction plan won much recognition and has been copied in other states.

Hughes is a cum laude graduate of Duke University and has a law degree from the University of South Carolina.

SOURCE: Hughes Development

Chief Operating Officer, Hughes development

http://hughesdevelopment.com/

After many years away from home, Robert returned to the family business in May 2012. Prior to joining Hughes Development, Robert worked in sales and trading in New York City for Lehman Brothers Investment Bank and Barclays Capital. As an assistant vice president in Barclays Equities Division, he oversaw relationships with more than 200 institutional clients. In 2011, Robert left Barclays Capital to pursue a Masters of Business Administration at Columbia Business School. His focus was on real estate, taking courses at the business school and at Columbia’s School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. He graduated with honors in 2012.

He also is a graduate of Duke University. He serves on the Academic Advancement Council for the USC School of Medicine-Greenville and the board of directors for Junior Achievement of Upstate SC.

SOURCE: Hughes Development

President of Hughes Commercial Properties

http://www.hughescommercial.com/

Hughes has worked in real estate and development since his graduation from Wofford College in 1976. Over the past 35 years he has developed more than 30 commercial properties and more than 1,000,000 square feet of retail and office properties throughout the Southeast. His portfolio includes large retailers such as Trader Joe’s, The Fresh Market, Academy Sports and Outdoors, Starbucks, Bonefish Grill, Hobby Lobby, Toys “R” Us, Ross, Marshalls, Walgreens, BI-LO and CVS.

He is president of the Carolinas Golf Association. In September 2008, he was named as an Upstate entrepreneur of the year, given by Greenville Technical Foundation Entrepreneurs Forum.

SOURCE: Hughes Commercial

Chairman and CEO of Hardball Capital

http://www.hardballcapital.com/

Freier is an attorney by training and owner of the Savannah Sand Gnats and Fort Wayne TinCaps. Prior to founding Hardball, he specialized in complex business matters and sports law, representing owners and potential owners of MLB, NFL, NBA and NHL teams. He has appeared in courts at all levels, including the U.S. Supreme Court. Following law school, he worked with former U.S. solicitor general and Harvard Law professor Charles Fried and practiced law in Washington, D.C., and Atlanta.

Freier serves on the board of directors of the Midwest League of Professional Baseball and the South Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He is a member of the South Atlantic League’s executive committee.

He is a graduate of Harvard College and the Yale Law School, where he was elected to the Yale Law Journal. He lives in Atlanta.

SOURCE: Hardball Capital

Co-founder, regional president of Lennar Commercial

http://lennarcommercial.com/

Cohn has extensive experience in commercial real estate, starting as an attorney in the Commercial Real Estate department of Troutman Sanders, an international law firm.

In 2002, Cohn was named senior managing director of Faison Enterprises, where he was responsible for the Southeastern United States. In 2010, he returned to Cousins as executive vice president until joining Lennar in April 2013. Throughout his career, Cohn has participated in or procured the development of more than 15 million square feet of retail and mixed-use projects, valued in excess of $2 billion.

Cohn received a BBA in Accounting and Finance from Emory University and is a graduate of the University of Florida College of Law. Mike also has served on numerous not-for-profit boards.

SOURCE: Lennar Commercial

This story was originally published February 21, 2015 at 7:19 PM with the headline "The players: Who’s bringing us Columbia Common."