MCB Real Estate has appointed industry veteran David Germakian as senior managing director of retail development, adding an experienced leader to oversee the firm’s expanding mixed-use and retail pipeline. In his new role, Germakian is tasked with directing both ground-up development and redevelopment initiatives across neighborhood and community shopping centers, lifestyle projects, and large-scale mixed-use business communities on a national basis.
Germakian joins MCB Real Estate with more than 19 years of real estate and development experience. Prior to this move, he served as managing director at EDENS, where he led that firm’s Mid-Atlantic region. In that position, his work focused on the development and redevelopment of open-air retail and mixed-use centers, providing a foundation in repositioning existing assets and executing complex, multi-phase projects.
At MCB Real Estate, Germakian’s responsibilities span the full life cycle of retail and mixed-use projects. He will oversee site acquisition, including evaluating potential locations and aligning new sites with the firm’s broader development strategy. He is also charged with managing entitlements, guiding projects through planning and approvals processes that can be critical to keeping large, multi-layered developments on schedule.
In addition to front-end planning and entitlements, Germakian will direct design and planning efforts, coordinating among architects, engineers, and other consultants to shape projects that can support a mix of uses. His role covers construction execution and project phasing, ensuring that projects can be delivered in stages while maintaining continuity for end users and stakeholders. Merchandising strategy also falls under his remit, as he will help determine the mix and placement of retail uses within broader mixed-use environments.
MCB Principal Drew Gorman highlighted Germakian’s approach and track record as well suited to the firm’s current slate of work, noting that MCB Real Estate is involved in multiple high-profile and multi-layered development initiatives. The firm reports more than six million square feet of development projects currently underway, signaling a substantial pipeline of retail and mixed-use activity at various stages of execution.
Among these initiatives is VIVA White Oak, a $2.7 billion mixed-use development in Maryland. While specific program details are not outlined here, the project is cited by MCB Real Estate as one of its active developments. Germakian’s arrival is positioned within the context of this sizable pipeline, as the firm continues to advance large, complex projects that require coordinated management across acquisition, entitlement, design, construction, and merchandising functions.
