Former longtime Hines executive Ben Brewer was woken up by tornado sirens before 6 a.m. in his Dallas neighborhood of Lake Highlands on what was supposed to be his first day as chief operating officer at Hall Group.
Instead, he dealt with property damage and wasn't able to make it on Tuesday to Hall Group's office in the Dallas Arts District. On Wednesday, he hopped on a flight as planned to Palm Springs, California, to visit a hotel property owned by Hall Group that is expected to open this fall.
At Hall Group, Brewer will oversee the Dallas-based firm's $1.5 billion real estate portfolio in the United States and serve as a member of the firm's strategic planning group and Hall Structured Finance loan committee.
Brewer, who had spent 18 years at Houston-based Hines, was not looking for a new job.
But Craig Hall, chairman and founder of Hall Group, reached out to Brewer about the chief operating officer role. Hall had heard about Brewer, who was serving as Hines' market leader in Dallas, and his reputation through mutual friends in the industry.
"Mutual relationships brought us together in an organic way," Brewer told CoStar News, adding he's interested in seeking opportunities for what's next for office and mixed-use projects and bringing new collaboration spaces to these areas.
Hall said the company is experiencing "a period of significant growth" with the completion and opening of several developments this year. Brewer will "help manage our growing portfolio and ... facilitate new future opportunities," Hall said in a statement.
Brewer will oversee the firm's real estate portfolio, including the 162-acre Hall Park in Frisco, Texas; the Hall Arts Hotel and Residences in the Dallas Arts District; and the 168-room Thompson Palm Springs hotel in downtown Palm Springs. Hall Park is undergoing a mixed-use renovation, bringing a new hotel, residential tower, restaurant and retail space and a big park for visitors and residents.
The Tower at Hall Park, a 16-story office tower at the re-imagined 6-acre Hall Park, now called Kaleidoscope Park, and various restaurants and retail offerings are expected to open later this year in Frisco, Texas, a northern suburb of Dallas.
During his time at Hines, Brewer led development and redevelopment projects across several product types, including office and residential, as well as zoning and entitlement projects, refinancing and acquisitions.
Brewer told CoStar News he was looking forward to being part of such an esteemed team working to continue the Hall legacy for decades to come. He serves on the board of directors for The Real Estate Council, White Rock Lake Foundation, Dallas Regional Chamber and Klyde Warren Park Corporate Council.
Brewer earned bachelor's and master's degrees from Baylor University and is a certified public accountant.