Jeff Blackard

Jeffory Blackard is a real estate developer working in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. His developments include Adriatica,^[1] in which he intends to reproduce the look and feel^[2] of an old-world southern European village^[3] (most notably, an Adriatic coast Croatian village) in Texas.

Real Estate

After graduating from Northwestern University, which later named him as a notable alumnus,^[4] in 1981, Blackard moved south and worked for Cambridge before being made partner at age 26 and eventually leaving to develop over 15,000 single home lots through the completion of projects like Lakes on Legacy,^[5] Griffin Parc^[5] and Pirates Beach and Cove^[6] in Galveston, Texas. After buying interest in properties on the coast of Croatia, Blackard has focused much of his work on the evolution process of a village.^[7] Adriatica, a $350 million vertically integrated, mixed-use development,^[8] is located in McKinney, Texas. Adriatica takes its inspiration from the Croatian fishing village of Supetar on the island of Brač.^[9]

In the time since the Great Recession, in addition to advising other real estate developers, Blackard has undertaken another village in Westlake, Texas called Entrada. It began construction in Summer of 2014.^[10] Blackard Global also recently began plans to build its third village in Corpus Christi, Texas; called Barisi.^[11]

Political Activism

Blackard is also a political activist, who supported 2012 United States Presidential candidate Rick Santorum. The Dallas Morning News quoted Bud Kennedy saying of Blackard, "He helped plan Santorum’s euphoric visit to staunchly evangelical Collin County."^[12]

Personal

Blackard holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Northwestern University with a major in communications (c.81), attending the university on an athletic scholarship in both basketball and track (decathlon). He is an evangelical Christian.

References