– Prominent Denver real estate investment and development executive selected to lead Rockefeller Group’s Rocky Mountain Region
NEW YORK AND DENVER – July 19, 2021 – Rockefeller Group announced today that veteran Denver real estate investment and development executive Jay Despard has joined the company as senior managing director and head of the firm’s new Rocky Mountain Region. Mr. Despard was previously a senior managing director in Colorado for Hines.
Based in Denver, Mr. Despard will have responsibility for Rockefeller Group’s real estate acquisitions, new developments and operations throughout Colorado and the greater Rocky Mountain Region. Rockefeller Group established the region, its sixth in the United States, in concert with its recent acquisition and planned joint venture development of 1055 19th Street in downtown Denver – the 2.5-acre site of the former Greyhound bus terminal. The joint-venture, with Golub & Company, is planning a large-scale, mixed-use development on one of the last undeveloped full-block sites downtown.
“We are highly-focused on investment and growth in Colorado and the greater Rocky Mountain Region,” said Tom Weeks, Rockefeller Group’s executive vice president and head of Development for the company nationally. “Denver is central to our growth strategy, and to have someone with Jay’s experience and track record join our platform to lead us in this region and grow our team is just an extraordinary opportunity for Rockefeller Group, our partners and stakeholders.”
Mr. Despard spent more than two decades with Hines in Colorado, including the last 17 years in Denver in positions of increasing authority. Since 2014, Mr. Despard held the senior-most regional officer position for the firm in Colorado, responsible for all real estate development, acquisition and leadership initiatives throughout the state. Among his most notable projects, Mr. Despard led the development and leasing for 1144 15th Street, the nearly 700,000 square foot, 40-story trophy office tower completed downtown in 2018. He also completed the lease-up of 1601 Wewatta and arranged the building’s sale at record pricing for the Denver market, among many other prominent local projects.
“Rockefeller Group has a long history, ambitious growth plans and strong leadership, all of which position the company well to bring extraordinary projects to Denver and the greater region,” said Mr. Despard. “I’m looking forward to working with our partners on existing projects, growing our pipeline and our team to further broaden our platform.”
In addition to senior advisory and committee roles at Hines, including the Hines Global REIT Advisory Board and U.S. Strategy Committee, Mr. Despard has served in outside real estate and civic leadership roles, including as an International Advisory Board Member of the University of Colorado Real Estate Council, Executive Board Member of the Downtown Denver Partnership, and Executive Member of the Denver Metro Commercial Association of Realtors.
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About Rockefeller Group
Rockefeller Group develops, owns and operates extraordinary properties across the U.S. For nearly a century, the company has delivered exceptional experiences and value creation through its dedication to quality in the built environment. The company’s portfolio spans the development of office, multifamily, industrial and mixed-use projects across six geographic regions as well as significant ownership interest in and management of approximately six million square feet of world-class office space in Manhattan. Visit RockefellerGroup.com.