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Significance to Society is Now Key for Atlantic Station Developer
Jim Jacoby, Founder Of Jacoby Development, says he "went from being
Paul Bunyon to Johnny Appleseed." The man who developed Atlantic Station, Atlanta’s multi-purpose
property at the nexus of Interstates 75 and 85, started his real estate career in rural Georgia building
and remodeling retail centers. Eventual his company would build 40 Wal-Marts around the state.
But for Jacoby, the idea of creating environmentally sensitive projects was always on his mind. In 1997,
he contracted to purchase the Atlantic Steel property and later, 1999, partnered with AIG Global Real
Estate Investment Corp. to complete financing of the purchase. This gave him the opportunity to put his
thoughts into action in a very big way. He calls it going from "success to significance," a term
taken from Bob Buford’s book Halftime; Changing Your Game Plan from Success to Significance. It
also marked a major shift in his company’s philosophy from cutting down trees to planting seeds.
 While Atlantans and visitors alike are in awe of this one-of-a kind super village—a 138-acre city within
a city—Jacoby sees it as much more. In many ways it is a "green" laboratory, an example of
taking contaminated land and turning it into an environmental utopia. The project is so successful in
that regard that in September 2004, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded Atlantic Station the
prestigious Phoenix Grand Prize for Best Brownfield Redevelopment Project in the United States. Last year
it was awarded the Leadership in Energy and Design (LEED) Core and Shell Development Silver certification
by the U.S. Green Building Council. The project was also given the first LEED campus certification in the
country.
The very nature of the complex makes it energy efficient. Having housing, retail, and office space in
close proximity cuts down on the need to drive. A shuttle system and nearby MARTA station make getting
around without a car all the more practical. Then there is the chilled water system that provides air
conditioning throughout the entire project, reducing utility costs and the "heat island" effect
of the development.
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