Brant Hill, Director of Construction for the Retirement Systems of Alabama (RSA), joined the Gulf South Mastermind Group on May 17 to discuss the impact the RSA’s development of downtown Mobile has had on the local landscape. The RSA began investing heavily in real estate in downtown Mobile in the early 2000s, constructing the RSA Tower and acquiring other properties such as the Riverview, the old First National Bank Building (now the RSA Trustmark building) and the Van Antwerp Building. At first, some developers were not happy, fearing the RSA would steal away tenants. However, the RSA projects spurred a new interest in downtown development, while leading other developers to improve their own properties as part of a renaissance in downtown Mobile, particularly in the office space area. With Mobile’s hot downtown market, there’s no doubt that RSA has been a catalyst for development and renovation.

Pictured above: Brant Hill (left) and Rob McGinley (right)