AECOM Capital, the investment and development arm of AECOM, announced the hiring of Bill Smith to serve as executive vice president of design and construction, responsible for managing the design and construction of all AECOM Capital developments nationally. Since AECOM Capital's founding in January 2013, it has invested in 14 projects across residential, commercial and mixed-uses in top-tier U.S. markets, with a development value of $3.5 billion and over 7.5 million-square-feet.

 

"As we continue to grow and develop mixed use projects, we need someone with Bill's experience and incomparable leadership in the industry to oversee design and construction," said AECOM Capital Chief Executive John T. Livingston. "His resume speaks for itself — he quite literally wrote the book on how to create a world-class mixed-use development."

 

Smith brings more than 25 years of experience in the real estate development industry with extensive expertise in conceiving and delivering complex mixed-use urban projects. Prior to joining AECOM Capital, Smith spent 17 years at MGM Resorts International as president of the MGM MIRAGE Design Group in Las Vegas, and led and completed the master planning, design and construction of the $9-billion, 18 million-square-foot CityCenter in Las Vegas. That project, completed in partnership with Tishman Construction, an AECOM company, is the largest privately financed project in U.S. history.

 

"Creating CityCenter," the book authored by Smith, details how Smith worked to create the complex, which includes the 4,004-room Aria Hotel and Casino with 590,000 square-feet of convention space, a 1,932-seat Cirque du Soleil showroom, a 5-star Mandarin Oriental hotel, The Crystals luxury retail facility, 2,647 luxury residential units and parking for 16,800 cars. Developed in just 60 months, CityCenter also achieved LEED Gold Certification.

 

Prior to joining MGM, Smith served as a partner with Rouse & Associates (now Liberty Property Trust), responsible for the design and construction of Liberty Place, a $810-million mixed-use project in downtown Philadelphia. That project included two 60-story office buildings, a luxury 400-room Ritz-Carlton Hotel, a major retail center and a five-level underground parking facility. 

 

He is a graduate of Temple University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture. He is a Registered Architect and member of the American Institute of Architects.