TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Alex Baker, the president of the company that manages the Centre of Tallahassee, has passed away at age 63.
Officials have not yet released details on how or when Baker passed away.
Commission Gil Ziffer spoke fondly of Baker, saying that his passing is a "real loss" for the city.
"Once you met Alex, be it for the first time or the last time, you felt a tremendous sense of optimism. He's just one of those people who had an idea and followed through with it no matter what," said Ziffer. "It's a real loss for Tallahassee and also the cities that Alex has influenced. We're confident that the company will continue to grow in his absence, and that the Centre of Tallahassee will live up to his goals and vision."
The Centre of Tallahassee is managed by Blackwater Resources, where Baker was president.
According to the company's website, Baker developed, leased and managed his first shopping center in Birmingham, Alabama in 1982. Since he built that first shopping center, Alex has been responsible for the development and management of over 25 million square feet of retail space throughout the United States.
He formed Blackwater in 2010 to continue his successful career in commercial development. Since forming Blackwater, he and his team have developed, re-developed and managed over 5 million square feet of retail space.
We will update this story as we confirm more details.
