Industry veteran jumps ship to rival.
Dotan Zuckerman,who spent the past four and a half years with North American Properties, most recently as Vice President of Leasing, has left for rival firm Fuqua Development. Zuckerman, seen by many as the right-hand man to Mark Toro of North American Properties, accepted the position of "Vice President of Leasing" with Fuqua, led by founder Jeff Fuqua, days ago.
Zuckerman joined North American in 2011 following a stint as an independent broker.
Many would not yet consider Zuckerman at a level where he would be seen as an "impact player," but his departure from NAP is still intriguing. It's widely believed Zuckerman was being groomed as a protege to Toro, so his abrupt departure was likely not welcome news to his former boss. (Zuckerman told me by phone this week that his departure was "amicable.") I thought better than to seek comment from Mark Toro.
Zuckerman joins Fuqua at a busy time for the firm, as the company is actively developing seven mixed use projects around metro Atlanta with two others slated to begin soon.
Fuqua's active projects in metro Atlanta include The Battery Atlanta at SunTrust Park, Decatur Crossing, Glenwood Place, Kennesaw Marketplace, Lindbergh Place and Sugarloaf Marketplace. Work on Fuqua's Northside & 17th and Peachtree Corners Town Center is expected to accelerate soon.
I spoke with Zuckerman briefly this week at which point he said much of his immediate work will be on The Battery Atlanta. The project, which is slated to open next spring, has deals in place with a number of restaurants and venues but has reportedly had difficulty in landing the higher end retail sought for the project. Zuckerman will reportedly be charged with securing leases with some of the "Avalon-level" retailers that opened in the Alpharetta project. Zuckerman also indicated he will be working on the new Leggett & Platt redevelopment on Memorial Drive.
Whose developments do you prefer: North American Properties or Fuqua Development? Would you rather work for Mark Toro or Jeff Fuqua? What retailers would you like to see do you think will open in The Battery Atlanta?
Please share your thoughts below.