Benjamin Munnerlyn “Ben” Carter, the commercial real estate developer behind St. Johns Town Center, died Sept. 15 at his farm in Madison, Georgia.
He was 70.
A funeral service is scheduled at 11 a.m. Sept. 19 at First Presbyterian Church, 1328 Peachtree St. NW. in Atlanta.
Carter was born in Atlanta on Dec. 26, 1953, to the late Jane Munnerlyn and Frank Carter Jr. He graduated from The Lovett School and then from American University in Washington, D.C., with a degree in political science.
Carter began his career in real estate as an industrial broker working with his father at Carter & Associates. After his father’s death, he started Ben Carter Properties with a few partners.
The company specialized in developing retail projects comprising more than 5 million square feet of mixed-use projects in the Southeast from The Mall of Georgia to St. Johns Town Center.
The Daily Record reported in June 2014 that Carter sold his 50% ownership of St. Johns Town Center, reportedly for more than $375 million.
Carter’s partner in the project, Simon Property Group, continues to manage the center.
In addition to suburban projects, Carter also was involved in the effort to revitalize Downtown, leading a task force studying the issue while Mayor John Peyton was in office.
“One of the things I said to the mayor is he needs to be going after technical schools, cosmetology schools, computer skills training and arts and graphics. All of those people are urban-minded and they’re in the right age bracket,” Carter said in an April 2010 interview in the Daily Record.
“I would love to see a focus on taking advantage of the recession and lower office rents and the availability of space to bring two or three schools Downtown. If there were three of those here, you’d have 900 young professionals who are spending all day Downtown and are more likely to stick around after work because they’re looking for entertainment.”
He also talked about areas of focus.
“I think there has been too much focus on Brooklyn, Southbank and Northbank. We need to focus on the city’s center. Southbank is successful. Brooklyn on the riverfront is successful. I think what we need to focus on is the urban core. That’s Laura Street, Bay Street and the river,” he said.
Carter is survived by his wife of 47 years, Patricia Reed Carter, and their two children, daughter Palmer Carter and her children, Willow and Skylar, of Atlanta; and Benjamin M. Carter Jr. (Elizabeth) and their children, Benjamin III and Mary Beth of Newnan, Georgia.