CENTENNIAL YARDS

The Challenge: Selling a $5 Billion Legacy

The Gulch—a 50-acre downtown void where Atlanta began—represented decades of failed development attempts and billions in stalled investment. The challenge wasn't just physical construction; it was creating a powerful, unifying brand identity that could persuade high-level financial stakeholders, city government, and the community to back a $5 billion, multi-phased project. The risk was immense: choosing a narrative that could shoulder the weight of Atlanta's history while defining its future.

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The Pitch:

Shifting the Narrative from "Void" to "Origin"

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My Persuasion Strategy:

I convinced ownership that the core idea wasn't about building something new, but about reclaiming the city's origin story. The new name, Centennial Yards, was built on the railroad's powerful history, serving as a conceptual framework for connecting commerce, culture, and community. This narrative elevated the project from a simple real estate development to a civic movement—a concept the stakeholders immediately bought into.​

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End-to-End Execution and Craft

• Concept & Storytelling: Developed the comprehensive brand book and core messaging that framed the railroad history as the genesis of the new urban district.

• Identity Architecture: Directed the full-scale launch execution: visual identity, brand guidelines, website architecture, OOH campaign, wayfinding system, and video production.

• Production Oversight: Oversaw all production from brand videos and brand books to OOH and office collateral. 

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The Result: Anchoring a City's Future

While the development is still in progress, the Cenntennial Yards brand has received:

– Immediate stakeholders, investors, government and community buy-in

– Positive reviews from the press across the board

– Successful brand launch from website to phased openings

– Fluid translation across the thousands of iterations across all media and building touchpoints