SMPS May 12, 2022 Program: Breathing Life into Dying Malls: A Unique Look into the Changing Suburban Retail Landscape

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SMPS May 12, 2022 Program: Breathing Life into Dying Malls: A Unique Look into the Changing Suburban Retail Landscape

May 12, 2022
11:30 AM - 1:30 PM

City Springs
One Galambos Way
Sandy Springs, GA 30328
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Session Overview

The suburban shopping mall as we know it is no more. Many major cities, including Atlanta, are trading sprawling monuments to consumerism for walkable lifestyle destinations.

It is no secret that malls have struggled for years with the rise of large e-commerce platforms and the changing in consumers' attitudes towards retail. Mall vacancies are at an eight-year high, and one in four U.S. malls is expected to close this year.*

Investors, however, are breathing life into some of these dying spaces by spending millions to reinvent, revitalize, and reconstruct. This panel comprises thought leaders experienced in designing, building, developing, and researching the new mall experience.

Join us for a unique look into the changing suburban retail landscape as we discuss the importance of placemaking, branding, cultural and community immersion, creating an eco-district, and more.

*Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/11/22/malls-are-dying-only-these-ones-have-figured-out-secrets-success-internet-age/

Event Agenda

11:30 AM – 1:30 PM EST – EVENT TIME

11:30 – 11:50 AM – Registration and Networking

11:50 – 12:30 PM – Luncheon and Networking

12:30 – 1:30 PM – Panel Discussion

CPSM CEUs: 1.0 hour
Domains: 1 - Marketing Research, 3 - Business Development

featured speakers

Moderator:

Monica Fenderson, AIA, NCARB, LEED GA
Owner & Senior Architect
MOSA Design Studios

Monica Fenderson, AIA, NCARB, LEED® GA is the CEO and Founder of MOSA Architects, an MWBE, DBE, and WOSB design firm located in Snellville, GA and specializing in multi-market and sustainable architecture, interior design, and real estate throughout the United States and Latin America. Monica established the firm in 2009, and today, MOSA’s portfolio of work includes higher education, assembly/mixed-use spaces, offices, restaurants, industrial, commercial and residential projects.

She is also a member of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA). NOMA was formed for the purpose of minimizing the effect of racism in Architecture. The Atlanta Chapter is the National Organization of Minority Architects. They pride themselves on inspiring a new generation of architects.

She was born in Brooklyn, NY, and raised in Long Island. Her family immigrated to the United States from Costa Rica and Panama. Monica attended Tuskegee University, 5-year Architecture program and graduated in 1996 with a Bachelor of Architecture degree. Early in her career, it took some time to figure out how to balance a career and family and it took her a while to pass the ARE exams – but she didn’t give up and passed the exams. Prior to starting MOSA, Monica worked for The Haskell Company, Turner Associates, Gwinnett County, and AECOM, where she was the Senior Architect of Aviation.

In her 11 years at Gwinnett County doing plan reviews for commercial projects, she observed many challenges that clients had to overcome in managing the disconnect that often happens between architects, realtors, and contractors. Many of these clients had never gone through the building process before and she would do my best to try and help bridge the communication gap to help them get ahead of an impending issue that could derail their project. This really frustrated her, and it was the main motivation for me to start her own firm. She wanted to offer these clients one firm that could manage the whole process – from real estate decisions through obtaining the Certificate of Occupancy – helping them to find success in their building project so that they can continue to grow their business.

Panelists:

Ryan Woods
Associate Principal, Commercial Practice Leader
The Beck Group

Ryan Woods is an Associate Principal and Commercial Practice leader with The Beck Group and is passionate about producing high-quality designs. Ryan’s skills and passion for design have afforded him the opportunity to lead the design on a variety of different project types including retail, mixed-use, sports, commercial office, hospitality, and healthcare. Ryan’s portfolio includes the award-winning Hub at Peachtree Center, Lenox Mall and the redevelopment of Simon Property Group’s Phipps Plaza. Prior to joining Beck, he was a key member of the design team for the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium. His design work and leadership skills have been recognized by many organizations including the AIA, DBIA, NAIOP, and The Atlanta Business Chronicle 40 under 40.

Geoff Koski
Real Estate Market Analyst/Consulting Firm Owner & Leader
KB Advisory Group

Born in the small town of Sullivan, Missouri, Geoff Koski studied history and received his Master’s Degree in American History from Western Carolina University. Geoff credits his mother working in Sullivan City Hall for most of his childhood for his interest in how the government works with its people and the built environment. Before transitioning to the real estate and market analysis industry, Geoff taught history, politics, and economics at the high school level—he uses the local politics and economic concepts he taught to his students in his everyday work.

At KB Advisory Group, Geoff enjoys being part of the growth and development of our city, region, and state. As the President of KB Advisory Group, he also enjoys creating and leading the team and helping the staff find professional growth and satisfaction.

Some of Geoff’s personal career achievements include being part of the early planning efforts for many successful developments and redevelopments around the Southeast. Some of his personal favorites include the Turner Field, now GSU Stadium, area revisioning, as well as the creation of the new portion of Alpharetta’s new downtown area, and the creation and evolution of Sugar Hill’s downtown area in Gwinnett County. His biggest highlight was playing a leading role in the creation of the Westside Atlanta Land Use Action Plan in 2016.

Darren Meyer
Principal
MKSK

Darren Meyer is a Principal with MKSK and leads the firm’s work in the Southeast US. With over 20 years of professional practice in planning and design, Darren has deep experience in working with communities to solve complex urban challenges. Darren’s work has been recognized with national design, planning and engineering awards and he is a regional and national speaker on urban design and public open space.

Vandana Aggarwal
Director of Operations
American Management Services, Inc.

Vandana Aggarwal is the Director of Operations for American Management Services, Inc. (AMS), an Atlanta-based firm focused on investing in, managing, and leasing CRE properties. Vandana has fifteen years of commercial real estate and consulting experience working alongside the executive teams of Fortune 100 companies.

Vandana specializes in operational efficiency, revenue generation, and strategic planning. She currently manages 3+ million SF of retail space in the southeast with over 700 tenants. Her signature project includes helping redevelop the Global Mall, North America’s first and largest indoor South Asian mall and community hub.

Before joining AMS, Vandana was a Senior Manager at A.T. Kearney, an international strategy consulting firm. Vandana was responsible for designing and implementing strategic initiatives and conducting real estate assessments and she co-authored the research study - On Solid Ground: Brick-and-Mortar is the Foundation of Omnichannel Retailing.

Vandana is a native ‘Atlantan’ who graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in Finance and Marketing. She is a certified yoga and meditation teacher, an avid hiker who recently summited Mount Kilimanjaro, an award-winning classical Indian dancer, and a public speaker/emcee.