Manager discusses new mall
Jonesboro Sun
Brad McLelland
8/19/2005
JONESBORO -- Jason Whitley knows malls.
He managed a shopping mall in Panama City, Fla.; he was also general manager for large retail properties in Greensboro, N.C.
Now he gets to do it again in Jonesboro.
On July 1 Whitley and his family moved to Jonesboro from Panama City, his latest job that of general manager of The Mall at Turtle Creek. The job is a big one, he admits, but it's also exciting because the community is "abuzz" with the news of what's arriving in just a few short months.
"This project is going to do so much for this community," Whitley said Thursday, sitting in his office a few yards away from the Target construction site off Stadium Boulevard. "It's a win for the tenants, a win for the community, a win for everyone. It's very exciting."
When all the retailers are announced, he added, Jonesboro residents will be amazed at those who don't normally come to smaller markets -- tenants like Circuit City, Barnes & Noble, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Jos. A. Bank, a high-end menswear retailer.
"I think it's a first-class project. Construction is on schedule. And I think there will be elements to this center that you won't find in many malls."
Born and raised in Greensboro, Whitley started in retail with the Koury Corp., a company that owned Four Seasons Town Centre there. A few years later he became general manager of five smaller retail centers and worked in that setting until March 2003, when the properties were sold.
Whitley eventually moved to Panama City, where he went to work for CBL & Associates, the fourth largest mall owner in the U.S.
A year later David Hocker & Associates -- the firm that holds management responsibilities for Turtle Creek -- invited Whitley aboard, offering him the general manager position.
How does Whitley like Jonesboro?
"We love it," he said. "The growth here is incredible. When we do market research, we try to evaluate the past 10 and future 10 years. Realistically ... I foresee the same growth pattern you've seen the past 10 years. I just don't see it slowing down any."
As for his favorite thing about Jonesboro, Whitley said that "the genuine hospitality is unique here. From the first time we made the trip to see the area, everyone has been so genuinely friendly."
Whitley -- a real estate agent and certified shopping center manager through the International Council of Shopping Centers -- said he's always tried to stay active in his community, and Jonesboro won't be any different.
"We are thrilled to be here and look forward to calling this place home for many, many years," he said.
Whitley and his wife, Allison, have two children, Alex, 3 and Grayson, 1.
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