Culturally Connecting People & Place

Gene Kansas — as a company — is about the development of culture as achieved through transformative ideas, knowledge, enlightenment, and the sharing of it. We have an interest in art, film, music, food, literature and people. We combine these interests with know-how and the goal of making a positive difference in the world. Some of our inspiration is found in the built environment — our city — and some of it is more ethereal — a feeling, a cause, a calling. Whatever the provenance, all of our developments are done with consideration, conservation, protection, and care for the communities we work in, and for the history and heritage we work to preserve.

Our work takes a variety of talent — in fact, a universe of it. We’re a network of trusted advisors, real estate professionals, thinkers, consultants, educators, artists, event planners, designers, writers, community builders and developers with a common denominator — to excel for our clients and our communities. We believe every project is unique and requires a distinct roster of talent to bring it to life. We’re resourceful, creative, and tactical, and we meld experience, expertise, and precision.

Here’s what others are saying about our leadership. Gene Kansas | Commercial Real Estate is a team of super talents, with Gene Kansas leading the way. Atlanta Magazine named him a Groundbreaker in 2017. He was recognized by Crain’s as a leader in historic preservation. He was lauded in Hypepotamus for creating “a shared workspace and community hub for social changemakers.” Georgia Tech recognized his award-winning efforts to save the Atlanta Daily World Building. And in an AJC op-ed, Gene challenged the city to “build on our history, not over it.” With exciting new projects in the works, Gene Kansas | Commercial Real Estate continues to remain at the forefront of our collective conversation on responsible urban growth, preservation, adaptive reuse, difference-making, and the value of creative marketing and storytelling.

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Gene Kansas

In his 23+ years in Atlanta commercial real estate — and inspired by a colorful, deep-fried, parade-filled, culturally rich upbringing in New Orleans, LA — Gene Kansas has garnered a reputation as a champion of historic preservation, adaptive reuse, community building, and storytelling through the built environment. Each Gene Kansas project aims to blend an appreciation of culture and history with creative, responsible, and vital refashioning that brings new relevance to space and how it is used by clients, neighborhoods, and the city.

The founder and president of Gene Kansas | Commercial Real Estate, Gene leads with passion and purpose, with the ability of looking forward and a mindset of giving back. Company accomplishments include: the historic preservation of the Atlanta Daily World Building in Sweet Auburn, named the #2 Preservation Win by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 2014; the catalytic marketing and design contest that helped save the Clermont Hotel; and his creative repositioning, value creation, and leasing for Amsterdam Walk, Historic Commercial Row, and Sweet Auburn Curb Market.

Gene is also the creator and founder of Constellations, “where stars come together to shine,” a civic and socially-based shared workspace in the reimagined Southern Schoolbook Building on Auburn Avenue. Through that, Gene Kansas | Commercial Real Estate is the only firm in the city of Atlanta to serve as owner, operator, broker, and developer of a shared workspace. (Constellations also gives Gene the opportunity to serve people two of his favorite things: free coffee, and free fresh-baked cookies.)

Among many accolades, Gene received an Atlanta Magazine Groundbreakers Award in 2017, as well as the 2016 Ivan Allen, Jr. Legacy Award from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He was also named an Atlanta Business Chronicle “40 Under 40.” As the creator and host of the award-winning radio program Sidewalk Radio, Gene spent five seasons exploring life in the modern city through the lens of history and the context of community. Gene holds a Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship from University of Arizona, and a Masters of Science in Digital Media from Georgia Tech. He lives with his family — wife DeAnna and son Levi — in Ansley Park.