"We regularly are being approached by city officials from across the US who want to create vibrant 'Main Street' districts like those we've spearheaded in California," CIM co-founder and principal Avi Shemesh explains. "Charlie's experience in urban investing and his knowledge of East Coast urban markets will allow us to quickly identify projects." Garner--who has held positions ranging from CPA for PricewaterhouseCoopers, to vice president of Federal Realty Investment Trust--has more than $850 million of various real estate transactions under his belt.

For its part, CIM draws its development and acquisition funds from its position as manager of the multi-million dollar CIM California Urban Real Estate Fund, which consists of the California Public Employees' Retirement System and the California State Teachers' Retirement System.