From the Field to the Foundation

When I transitioned from the NFL to real estate development, people often asked why. The answer is simple: I wanted to build something that lasts. I’ve always believed that purpose follows passion. After football, my passion became community-building, and real estate became my way to make a long-term impact.

At Kingsley + Co., we’re focused on revitalizing neighborhoods that have been overlooked for decades. These are places filled with potential but weighed down by decades of disinvestment. I believe one of the most powerful ways to support these areas is through mixed-use developments. They combine housing, retail, office, and public space—all in one location—and they have the power to reshape how neighborhoods live, grow, and thrive.

What Makes Mixed-Use So Powerful?

Mixed-use development isn’t a new idea, but it’s more important than ever. It blends residential, commercial, and sometimes even civic or cultural uses into a single space. You might have housing on the upper floors, shops or restaurants at street level, and community gathering spaces in between.

In underserved neighborhoods, this kind of thoughtful development can be a game-changer. It brings much-needed amenities and services closer to home, supports small businesses, and creates a sense of vibrancy that can be felt block by block. More than that, it builds density and walkability—key ingredients in creating a more connected and livable community.

But the real power of mixed-use developments isn’t just in the buildings themselves. It’s in the way they connect people—to opportunity, to resources, and to each other.

Closing the Gaps in Underserved Communities

A lot of neighborhoods across the country have been left behind when it comes to development. These areas often lack access to healthy food, safe housing, job opportunities, or even just a good cup of coffee. Basic services like banks, pharmacies, childcare, and clinics are miles away. That distance creates a barrier—a gap between what people need and what they can access.

Mixed-use projects help close that gap. They don’t just drop a building into a neighborhood—they bring life into it. They introduce jobs, encourage entrepreneurship, and improve quality of life. At Kingsley + Co., we’ve seen firsthand how one well-planned mixed-use space can reignite an entire corridor. It’s about creating something that works for the community, not just for investors.

We focus on including small, local, and minority-owned businesses in our commercial spaces. That way, the economic benefit stays in the neighborhood and circulates within the community. When residents have both jobs and housing in the same development—or even in the same building—they’re more invested, more connected, and more empowered.

Building With, Not Just For, the Community

One lesson I’ve learned over and over in this work is that you can’t build for people—you have to build with them. Community engagement isn’t a box to check; it’s a foundation for success. When you listen to residents and involve them in the planning process, you get better outcomes. You build trust. And you make sure the development reflects the needs and character of the people who live there.

In underserved areas, that’s especially important. These neighborhoods often have long histories of being promised revitalization that never comes—or worse, development that displaces instead of uplifts. Mixed-use development, when done right, can break that pattern. It creates a place where people can live, work, gather, and build a future—all without having to leave their own community behind.

Long-Term Impact Over Short-Term Gains

I’ll be honest: mixed-use development isn’t always the fastest or easiest kind of project to take on. It takes coordination, creativity, and capital. You need buy-in from stakeholders across sectors. But the long-term impact is worth it.

Instead of focusing on short-term returns, we think about long-term community wealth. We think about resilience. We think about how a development will affect the next generation. Because what’s the point of building something flashy if it doesn’t serve the people who need it most?

That’s why we emphasize sustainability, affordability, and access in our projects. We want families to grow in these spaces. We want kids to see opportunity right outside their front door. We want neighborhoods to feel proud of what’s being built—not nervous that they’ll be priced out of it.

The Future We Want to Build

I got into real estate because I saw what happens when opportunity is unevenly distributed. I saw neighborhoods full of potential being ignored. I saw talented, hardworking people forced to leave the places they called home. I couldn’t sit on the sidelines anymore.

Mixed-use development is one of the tools we use to change that. It’s not a silver bullet—but it’s a start. It’s a way to stitch communities back together, to give people options and ownership, and to show that progress can be inclusive.

At Kingsley + Co., we’ll keep pushing for that kind of development. We’ll keep listening. We’ll keep building. And we’ll keep believing that underserved doesn’t mean undeserving—it just means it’s time for someone to show up and invest.

That’s what we’re here to do.