CAP President A.J. Robinson Wins Henry H. Robinson Award

January 9,2014

The Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors’ Henry H. Robinson award is presented to an individual, institution or firm outside the board’s membership who has made a significant contribution to the general real estate community.

This year’s winner is a former real estate executive and ACBR member who has, for many years, been dedicated to promoting and building downtown Atlanta. A.J. Robinson (no relation to Henry, who was a major part of Atlanta’s commercial real estate scene in the 1940s) is president of downtown booster organizations Central Atlanta Progress (CAP) and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District (ADID). With a board of directors of downtown’s top business leaders, CAP is funded by businesses and institutions.

Central Atlanta Progress founded ADID in 1995 as a public-private partnership funded through a self-taxing mechanism.

Before joining CAP in 2003, Robinson had a 22-year career at Portman Holdings, a real estate company founded by the world-renowned architect John Portman.

“He’s an extraordinarily intelligent guy, very pleasant and effective as a leader, and a great facilitator,” said Bob Mathews, another Portman alum and president and CEO Atlanta for Colliers International. “A.J. has been a terrific bridge-builder and team-builder, growing an organization that has, among other accomplishments, brought the business community into the discussion about what is happening in downtown Atlanta.”

Robinson’s past experience gives him a unique perspective on commercial real estate, said Bilijack Bell, ACBR awards chairman and partner with Wilson, Hull & Neal.

“He’s proven that he is not afraid to tackle the big challenges and tough decisions most public leaders would try to avoid,” Bell said.

Asked to name his major accomplishments at CAP/ADID, Robinson said, “We’ve made notable progress during my tenure to keep the central city relevant to all users, and especially attractive to private capital investors.”

What’s unfinished? “At the most basic level, enticing Atlantans to truly care about the most vital part of the city is our biggest challenge,” Robinson said. “Undeniably, downtown is the heart of the region; yet, it sometimes gets overlooked, despite all that it has to offer ...” including several new attractions opening in 2014.