Rick Hill is an experienced retail real estate developer who has overseen the development, redevelopment, management and leasing of over 30 million square feet of retail space over his 35 year career. Some of his notable projects include lifestyle centers, mixed-use developments, and entertainment destinations. He is known for his innovative approaches and has received several awards for his work.
2. J. RICHARD HILL
CURRICULUM VITAE - FALL 2015
OVERVIEW
Over his 35-year career, Rick Hill has successfully
directed the development or redevelopment of 36
national and international properties, directed the
management and operations of 10,000,000 square
feet of space, and leased over 6,000,000 square
feet of retail space. He has masterminded many of
the nations pioneering retail developments including
lifestyle, entertainment, resort, high streets, town
centers, and mixed-use centers. He is sought out by
owners of complex, strategic, and one-of-a-kind sites
that require innovation and creativity with predictable
and risk adverse returns. He has won numerous
national and international awards for his work.
Mr. Hill is known as a leading innovator in the
shopping center industry. His experience includes all
aspects of retail real estate strategy development,
implementation, and operations. Areas of expertise
include market research, financial planning, strategic
planning, concept development, site planning
and design management, merchandising, leasing,
development and construction management,
consumer marketing, and property operations.
Mr. Hill began his career with national mall developer,
The Rouse Company, where he spent eight years
directing the marketing, leasing, management, and
redevelopment of six enclosed malls. He founded
Hill Partners Inc. in 1983 to provide property
management services to institutional owners of
specialty centers in large metropolitan markets.
In 2001, he sold the management portion of his
business and created J. Richard Hill & Co. to focus on
new developments.
In recent years, he has directed conceptualization and
planning and served in key development management
roles for such noted projects as Gulfstream Village
in Hallandale, Florida; Atlantas 4,000,000 square-
foot Peachtree Center; and the 3,000,000 square-
foot Miami World Center in Miami, Florida. He is
now providing retail planning services to Haseko
Development for the 225,000 square-foot Wai Kai
Ocean Shops.
CRAFTER OF MAJESTIC MARKETPLACES 1
3. AWARDS
As a leading retail real estate innovator, Mr. Hill has been the grateful recipient of
prestigious awards. He achieved the honor of being in the first group of Senior
Certified Leasing Specialists (SCLS) by the International Council of Shopping Center,
and he served on a committee to write test questions for subsequent years.
He has also received several international awards from the International Council of
Shopping Centers (Best Consumer Marketing Campaign, Best Grand Opening, and
Best Redevelopment) and the Urban Land Institute (Best Redevelopment).
Award Summary:
ULI Award for Design and Development Excellence (Fashion Island)
ICSC Award of Merit (Fashion Island)
SADI Award (Fashion Island)
ICSC Maxi Award for Consumer Marketing (Worthington Square)
ICSC Maxi Award for Best Grand Opening of an Urban Retail Development (Cityfair)
ICSC Maxi Award for Consumer Marketing (Newmarket)
J. RICHARD HILL
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Mr. Hill is recognized by both mainstream and industry
media as a retail pioneer. Over the course of his
career, Mr. Hill has produced strategic plans for 146
properties covering virtually every major market in the
U.S. In total he has planned, developed, redeveloped,
leased, or operated more than 30,000,000 square feet
of shopping center space.
His redevelopment of Charlottetown Mall in Charlotte,
NC was recognized by the Wall Street Journal in 1982
as the first redevelopment of a U.S. regional mall
into an outlet and off-price mall. He obtained the first
commitment from IKEA to enter the U.S., and he was
the first to use the term, lifestyle center in an article
he wrote for Shopping Centers Today.
Between 1983 and 2001, Mr. Hill created, built, and
managed a highly successful third-party property
management team that operated approximately
10,000,000 square feet of retail space. Through this
work, he successfully redeveloped 33 retail properties
that obtained sales, rents, occupancies, and internal
rates of return substantially exceeding national
averages.
He was a partner at Barefoot Landing, one of the
nations first entertainment centers, which recently
celebrated its 27th anniversary. Notable nontraditional
retail projects include: the Sears Tower in Chicago; the
Northwest Atrium, Chicagos busiest train terminal;
sponsor pavilions of the 1996 Olympics; historic Coney
Island Amusement Park; 14 luxury resorts; and 11
National Parks.
CRAFTER OF MAJESTIC MARKETPLACES 32 RICK HILL
4. PROJECT OVERVIEW
Specialty Shopping Centers: Noted projects directed
by Mr. Hill include the redevelopment of the Jackson
Brewery located on Jackson Square in New Orleans;
the award winning redevelopment of Fashion Island
in Miami; the development of Barefoot Landing in
Myrtle Beach, SC as one of the oldest entertainment
centers in the U.S.; the merchandising strategy for
the redevelopment in New Yorks Coney Island; and
creation of the retail strategy for Miami World Center
and the Village at Gulfstream Park.
Nontraditional Shopping Centers: Outside of the
shopping center industry he has created strategic
plans for such notable non-traditional retail
environments as the Sears Tower in Chicago, 14 luxury
hotels, indoor water parks, train terminals, the sponsor
pavilions for the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics,
and retail plans for 11 U.S. National Parks. Resort
properties include Doral Country Club, Silver Star
Casino, La Costa Resort, Four Seasons Punta Mita,
Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay, and Ritz Carlton Laguna
Nigel.
Public Sector Projects: Public sector work included
the Fairlie-Poplar District, Atlanta, Georgia; The
Chairmans District adjacent to Tiananmen Square in
Beijing, China; Pellissippi Town Center, Oak Ridge, TN;
and Sun Valley Research Institute, Haley, ID.
Clients: His clients have included City of Beijing, China;
GE Investments; Stanford University Pension Funds,
Magna Entertainment; MSD Capital, New York Life;
Nike; Strategic Hotels & Resorts; TIAA-CREF; Thor
Equities; and Wells Fargo Bank.
PHILOSOPHY
Rick Hill brings a highly successful approach to client
developments. He provides a full basket of consulting
services to developers and owners of shopping
centers, mixed-use developments, main streets and
high streets, urban districts, hotels and resorts, and
destinations and attractions. His philosophy reflects
this comprehensiveness.
He believes that the world does not need more
shopping centers; it needs instead more experiential
destinations with remarkable opportunities for dining,
entertainment, socialization and community gathering.
He believes that innovation, imagination, and courage
are required to make meaningful destinations that are
vital and relevant in todays marketplace. However,
Mr. Hill also believes that sustainable retail real
estate developments can be best conceptualized
and designed through sound research and pragmatic
financial modeling.
Consequently, Mr. Hill personally conducts in-depth
market research studies of trade areas, consumers,
and competitive projects to define the markets
unmet needs and its demand for new retail, dining
and entertainment concepts. He uses his extensive
market knowledge to create the big ideas that make a
project unique, drive its basic look, and best position it
in the selected market. He then collaborates with the
owner, architects, and retail specialists to develop a
compelling vision that allows the propertys story to
be effectively communicated to architects, financiers,
municipalities, retailers, and contractors.
Finally, he coaches, directs, and leads the
implementation of the strategy from concept to
opening and through the operational phases.
J. RICHARD HILL
CRAFTER OF MAJESTIC MARKETPLACES 54 RICK HILL
5. 1996 OLYMPIC GAMES
Atlanta, Georgia
Project Size: 21 Acres
Services: Market Research, Financial Planning,
Concept Development
Owner: Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games
(ACOG)
Rick Hill was engaged by the Atlanta Committee for
the Olympic Games to develop an overall strategy
for the sponsor and spectator villages for the 96
Olympic Games. Less than 24 months before the
opening of the games, 43 sponsors had committed
to sponsoring the games, and 19 had agreed to
pay $40 million each for exclusive marketing rights
however, AGOG had not yet developed venues
for sponsors to create the brand experiences
and showcases that had been promised as part
of the sponsorship package. Rick Hill created
conceptual master plans for the sponsor villages,
projected attendance projections, and directed
the development of the richly illustrated marketing
package that assisted in finalizing agreements with
sponsors. The Centennial Olympic Village located in
downtown Atlanta was the primary venue.
CRAFTER OF MAJESTIC MARKETPLACES 76 RICK HILL
6. BAREFOOT LANDING
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Project Size: 280,000 square feet
Services: Market Research, Financial Planning,
Design Management, Leasing, Tenant Construction
Coordination, Property Management
Owner: Barefoot Landing, LLC
Rick Hill was one of the original partners in this
groundbreaking 280,000 square-foot, 100-store,
specialty retail center, which recently celebrated its
27th anniversary.
Mr. Hill directed the leasing, financial strategy, and
property management of this highly successful
specialty retail development. Located on an
elevated boardwalk surrounding a 40-acre lake and
adjacent to the intra-coastal waterway in Myrtle
Beach, SC, the property is anchored by Alligator
Adventure, House of Blues, a marina, a 2000-seat
live theater, a tiger habitat experience, and 15 dining
establishments. Barefoot Landing is one South
Carolinas most visited destinations.
CRAFTER OF MAJESTIC MARKETPLACES 98 RICK HILL
7. BRIDGES OF SAINT PAUL
St. Paul, Minnesota
Project Size: 500,000 square feet
Services: Market Research, Financial Planning,
Design Management, Leasing
Owner: JLT Group
Mr. Hill directed the retail merchandising and
leasing of Bridges of Saint Paul, which included
plans for 1,100 residential units, a Westin Hotel,
a museum, and 500,000 square feet of retail.
He secured leasing commitments for an 80,000
square-foot AMC Cinema, a 20,000 square-foot H
& M, a 121,000 square-foot Target, and 20 other
merchants to achieve a 55% leased-up milestone
before the project was put on hold because of the
2008 recession.
CRAFTER OF MAJESTIC MARKETPLACES 1110 RICK HILL
8. CONEY ISLAND
Brooklyn, New York City
Project Size: 400,000 square feet
Services: Market Research, Development Planning,
Design Management, Financial Planning
Owner: Various Entities
Rick Hill provided consultation for several owners
and public agencies over an eight-year period on
the,Coney Island Boardwalk, located on the seaside
of Brooklyn, New York. He created the leasing and
financial strategies, directed the development of
the overall masterplan, and created a vision for the
complete restoration and renaissance of Americas
first true amusement park, which dates back to the
1880s. The first two phases of the redevelopment
are completed and additional phases are underway.
Photography: Stephen Wilkes
CRAFTER OF MAJESTIC MARKETPLACES 1312 RICK HILL
9. FASHION ISLAND
Aventura, Florida
Project Size: 280,000 square feet
Services: Market Research, Development
Planning, Leasing, Construction Management,
Financial Planning, Entitlement Direction, Property
Management
Owner: Magana Entertainment and Development
Rick Hill directed the complete transformation
of this highly successful redevelopment, which
was awarded the Best Redevelopment of a Non-
Enclosed Mall by the ICSC. He managed all aspects
of the $20,000,000 redevelopment and personally
created the design concepts and negotiated lease
transactions for 150,000 square feet of new tenant
deals including AMC Cinema, Publix Supermarket,
Gap, Prezzo, Ruby Tuesday, and Loehmanns.
He created the strategic and financial plan for
the redevelopment and directed the architectural
planning, entitlement procurement, construction
management, leasing and successfully operated the
property upon completion.
CRAFTER OF MAJESTIC MARKETPLACES 1514 RICK HILL
10. FOUR SEASONS PUNTA MITA
Punta Mita, Mexico
Project Size: Seven shops
Services: Market Research, Concept Development,
Merchandising Strategy, Implementation
Owner: Strategic Hotels and Resort
Strategic Hotels and Resorts engaged Mr. Hill to
evaluate a portfolio of flagship properties including
Ritz Carlton, Intercontinental, and Fairmont hotels.
Major projects studied included the St. Francis
Hotel in Union Square in San Francisco, Ritz Carlton
Half Moon Bay, and Lowes Santa Monica Beach.
At the conclusion of the study, through a second-
phase assignment, Rick Hill created the concepts
for seven shops in the 280-room Four Seasons
Punta Mita, located on the Pacific Ocean in Mexico.
After creating the overall retail strategy and
macro merchandising plan, Hill then hired Gensler
and a former Hermes merchandising manager to
implement the plan with an onsite management and
buying team.
CRAFTER OF MAJESTIC MARKETPLACES 1716 RICK HILL
11. HOTEL DEL CORONADO
Coronado, California
Location: Coronado Beach, CA
Project Size: 19 retail shops
Services: Market Research, Leasing Strategy
Owner: Strategic Hotels and Resorts, and KSL
Resorts
Rick Hill provided a variety of consultation services
to the Hotel Del Coronado located in Coronado
Beach, California near the city of San Diego for
clients KSL Resorts and Strategic Hotels and
Resorts. This world famous 680-room resort was
built in 1888 and is a National Historic Landmark.
Mr. Hill provided retail enhancement strategies,
financial planning, entitlement consulting, space
planning, and overall asset advisory services
regarding the 19 retail shops and cafes.
CRAFTER OF MAJESTIC MARKETPLACES 1918 RICK HILL
12. JACKSON BREWERY
New Orleans, Louisiana
Project Size: 120,000 square feet
Services: Property Management, Leasing,
Redevelopment and Construction Management,
Rezoning
Owner: New York Life
Rick Hill directed the complete redevelopment
of Jackson Brewery located on Jackson Square
adjacent to the Mississippi River in the heart of the
historic French Quarter for client New York Life, He
created the redevelopment plan and all financial
models, directed the leasing, and served as the asset
manager overseeing the property management.
He recruited major anchor tenants, Virgin Megastore
and Planet Hollywood, to open flagship units and
negotiated leases for a total of 80,000 square feet
of new tenant space. He obtained variances and
permits to allow the redevelopment of this national
historic landmark property and directed the redesign
of the property to accommodate the new tenants,
several which operated multi-level spaces.
CRAFTER OF MAJESTIC MARKETPLACES 2120 RICK HILL
13. LA PAZ RANCH MALIBU SHOPS
Malibu, California
Project Size: 110,000 square feet
Services: Market Research, Development Planning,
Strategic Planning
Owners: Sterling Capital
Mr. Hill conducted the retail market research study
for La Paz Ranch a proposed 110,000 square-foot
mixed-use development located in the civic center of
Malibu, CA.
Malibu is a relatively long 21-mile strip and narrow
residential and commercial corridor located in West
Los Angeles County along the Pacific Coast Highway
and situated between the Pacific Ocean and Santa
Monica Mountains. With seasonal beach visitors, a
diverse residential population of only 12,700, and a
significantly constrained real estate market where
new development is virtually prohibitive, the owners
of a fully entitled site called upon Mr. Hill to define
and quantify the sites retail potential, opportunities
and challenges.
His research pointed out that the site was
surrounded by one of the most densely populated
high house income markets in the U.S., with over a
million people residing in households with incomes
in excess of $100,000. Yet, the Malibu market was
primarily driven by 15,000,000 annual visitors
that relax, explore and dine in area, but many local
residents spend at a prolific level. Research found
annual retail rental structures exceeding $200.00
a square foot, which could not be supported by
traditional retail. As such, Mr. Hill developed a
strategy to attract high gross margin retailers that
could support rents in the 20% of sales range.
CRAFTER OF MAJESTIC MARKETPLACES 2322 RICK HILL
14. LUXURY HOTELS & RESORTS
California, Florida, Arizona, and Mexico
Project Size: 14 hotels and luxury resorts
Services: Market Research, Development
Planning, Leasing, Construction Management,
Financial Planning, Entitlement Direction, Property
Management
Owners: KSL Resorts, Strategic Resorts & Hotels,
MSD Hospitality
Mr. Hill has directed the retail planning for numerous
luxury resorts and 4- and 5-star hotels. Noted
properties include the Lowes and the Fairmont
Miramar hotels in Santa Monica, California; Ritz
Carlton hotels in Laguna Nigel and Half Moon Bay,
California; the Doral Resort and InterContinental
hotels in Miami, Florida; the Hotel Del Coronado
in San Diego, California; Fairmont Hotel on Union
Square in San Francisco, California; and Four
Seasons Hotels and Resorts in Maui, Hawaii and
Punta Mita, Mexico.
He has also conducted the market research, financial
plans, operating income pro formas, merchandising
strategies, and design plans for numerous on-
property shops.
CRAFTER OF MAJESTIC MARKETPLACES 2524 RICK HILL
15. MIAMI WORLD CENTER
Miami, Florida
Project Size: 3,000,000 square-foot mixed-use
development with 900,000 square feet of retail
Services: Market Research, Design Management,
Master Planning, Leasing Strategy
Owner: Miami World Center Associates
Rick Hill produced the retail, dining, and
entertainment plan for Miami World Center, a
900,000 square-foot urban retail, dining, and
entertainment district currently under construction
on Biscayne Boulevard, adjacent to the Miami
Cruise Terminal and American Airlines Arena, north
of downtown Miami, Florida. The plan successfully
attracted Bloomingdales and Macys to the project
and allowed the land developer to close a deal with
the Taubman Company to develop the entire retail
plan.
CRAFTER OF MAJESTIC MARKETPLACES 2726 RICK HILL
16. OLD POST OFFICE
Washington D.C.
Project Size: 140,000 square feet
Services: Market Research, Development Planning,
Leasing, Property Management
Owner: Wells Fargo Bank
Rick Hill directed the property management and
redevelopment planning of this national historic
landmark property, which had been taken back by
Wells Fargo. The bank realized that it had a unique
asset and did not want to do a quick sales as is often
done in foreclosures. Rick Hill was engaged by the
bank to develop alternate redevelopment strategies
ranging from a luxury hotel to an orientation center
for the Walt Disney Company.
The property is currently under construction to
convert the property into a luxury hotel owned by the
Trump Organization.
CRAFTER OF MAJESTIC MARKETPLACES 2928 RICK HILL
17. U.S. NATIONAL PARKS
California, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, Washington
Project Size: 11 National Parks
Services: Market Research, Development
Planning, Leasing, Construction Management,
Financial Planning, Entitlement Direction, Property
Management
Owner: U.S. Department of Interior
Rick Hill was hired by the National Parks and
Conservation Association to assess the financial and
operating challenges of concessionaires working
in 11 western parks in the U.S. Concessionaires
had a long history of operating visitor services in
major western national parks such as Yosemite,
Yellowstone, Bryce Canyon, and Zion. Many
of the park concession operators enjoyed very
advantageous lease terms far below more typical
terms in the real estate industry.
Mr. Hill conducted a two-year study that proved that
many of the lease terms between concessionaire and
the National Parks were non-economic for the parks
and that the concessions could pay substantially
more in rental terms. He testified in both Senate and
Congressional Hearings, provided the rationale for
concession reform, and wrote large sections of the
concession reform act.
CRAFTER OF MAJESTIC MARKETPLACES 3130 RICK HILL
18. PEACHTREE CENTER
Atlanta, Georgia
Project Size: 8,000,000 square-foot mixed-use
development with 170,000 square feet of retail
Services: Market Research, Financial Planning,
Design Management, Asset Management, Leasing
Owner: Peachtree Center Associates
Rick Hill was engaged by the owner of Peachtree
Center, one of the worlds largest mixed-use
developments with over 8,000,000 square feet
of hotels, 2,000,000 square feet of office space,
and the Atlanta Merchandise Mart, to create a
redevelopment plan for the retail mall. Its major
tenants included Sun Trust Bank, Hard Rock Caf辿,
Hyatt Regency Hotel, Marriott Marquis, and the
Atlanta Hilton. Mr. Hill created the 10 year pro forma,
a detailed redevelopment plan, directed the redesign
of the property, and concluded deals with 16
tenants in less than 9 months, including restaurants,
quick-serve cafes, apparel, and gifts during a major
recession.
CRAFTER OF MAJESTIC MARKETPLACES 3332 RICK HILL
19. SEARS TOWER
Chicago, Illinois
Project Size: Observation deck and 50,000 square
feet of retail and restaurants
Services: Market Research, Financial Planning,
Strategic Planning, Concept Development, Leasing
Strategy
Owner: Sears Management
Rick Hill was engaged by Sears Management to
evaluate the market for retail shops, dining, and
visitor attractions for the Sears Tower, now renamed
Willis Tower, one of the worlds tallest buildings with
110 floors.. He developed strategies to enhance the
retail presentation for the visitor entry into the tower
and the observation deck on the 99th floor.
CRAFTER OF MAJESTIC MARKETPLACES 3534 RICK HILL
20. VILLAGE AT GULFSTREAM
Hallandale, Florida
Project Size: 400,000 square feet
Services: Market Research, Development Planning,
Leasing
Owner: Magana Entertainment and Development
Rick Hill produced the retail, dining, and
entertainment strategy for the Village at Gulfstream
Park, located in Hallandale, Florida on the site
of the world-famous Gulfstream Thoroughbred
Race Track. The plan for the 800,000 square-foot
project envisioned a new casino and the addition of
400,000 square feet of retail, restaurants, cinemas,
and entertainment. The casino opened in 2008,
and the retail opened in 2010. Mr. Hill directed the
master planning, design development, financial
planning, pre-leasing, and assisted the owner in
finding a development partner.
CRAFTER OF MAJESTIC MARKETPLACES 3736 RICK HILL
21. WAI KAI OCEAN SHOPS
Oahu, Hawaii
Project Size: 225,000 square feet
Services: Market Research, Strategic Planning,
Master Planning Consulting, Merchandising,
Merchant Recruitment
Owner: Haseko Development
Rick Hill produced a comprehensive strategic plan
for the retail portion of Wai Kai, a large destination
resort planned for the Ewa Plain of west Oahu. The
development will include up to 842 condos and has
entitlements for 950 hospitality units. The retail
portion of the development will have approximately
225,000 square feet of retail space including 12
restaurants and cafes, and 5 live experiences. Mr.
Hill is currently directing the pre-leasing of the retail
shops and restaurants.
CRAFTER OF MAJESTIC MARKETPLACES 3938 RICK HILL
22. WIGWAM VILLAGE
Phoenix, Arizona
Project Size: 300,000 square feet
Services: Market Research, Development Planning,
Financial Planning, Entitlement Direction
Owner: City of Litchfield Park and JDM Partners
Mr. Hill has advised the city of Litchfield Park on a
long-planned downtown city center and the adjacent
Wigwam Resort owned by JDM Partners. He has
advised the city and the Wigwam Resort owner on
land planning and master planning for a 35-acre
parcel located adjacent to the Wigwam Resort
slated to be the town center of Litchfield Park. He
has conducted all relevant market research, created
development plans, financial plans, and conceptual
master plans.
CRAFTER OF MAJESTIC MARKETPLACES 4140 RICK HILL
23. J. RICHARD HILL & CO.
105 Madison Avenue
Bardstown, KY 40004
502-417-4361
rick.hill@jrichardhill.com
www.jrichardhill.com