Michael Phillips
Chairman and president at Jamestown
What’s the strategy for Jamestown for 2027?
Our 2027 strategy is to be where complexity creates opportunity.
As lenders and debt vehicles take back properties they weren’t built to operate, our third-party services business is primed for that work across retail, office and mixed-use properties. And as sports and entertainment districts continue to evolve, we believe our experience creating dynamic, mixed-use communities is well suited for this growth category.
Earlier this year, we secured entitlements to transform North Point Mall outside Atlanta into a sports and entertainment district aimed at an NHL expansion franchise, and we will continue building our sports and entertainment business in 2027.
In retail, where are the markets squarely in favor of owners, and where is the momentum more variable?
For us, it’s less about markets than about whether a place gives people a reason to show up.
Experience-led retail and hospitality, built around a distinct sense of place, is where we see the momentum. The generic, transactional center is where it’s more variable.
In Rotterdam, the Groot Handelsgebouw has added Echo, a Japanese-style listening bar, and Grand Café Do, which restores a grand cafe to one of the most prominent corners in the heart of the city. In New York, Chelsea Market keeps welcoming new food and beverage concepts, and One Times Square has become a destination in its own right. This summer, with America 250, it hosted the first ball drop outside New Year’s Eve, and it now offers the Skywalk Viewing Deck and a full-service wedding business. And, in Atlanta, Buckhead Village includes first-to-market names like Jeffrey [Kalinsky].
Different cities, same idea: Give people somewhere worth going.
What interests the European investor right now in U.S. real estate, and where are they leaning away?
Many European investors are sitting on the sidelines right now, but those still active in U.S. real estate keep gravitating to retail, particularly needs-based, grocery-anchored centers, which tend to be more durable through market cycles.
While most owners take a passive approach to the asset class, we have a more active management strategy. We implement aspects of our signature placemaking playbook focused on improving the customer experience, tenant performance, sustainability and revenue generation.
Who’s the restaurateur you’d most like to nab in a Jamestown property?
Jeremy King or Robin Birley.
Lightning Round:
Your AI platform of choice? Claude.
Jalen Brunson or Aaron Judge? Jalen Brunson.
“Oppenheimer” or “Odyssey”? “The Odyssey.”
Last book you read? European Waterways, Map and Directory.
Borrowing costs — up or down in 2027? Ready for whatever happens.
The Stories Behind the List
