Brandon Wheeless
There is no modest way to introduce Mr. Brandon Wheeless. His numerous accomplishments and remarkable history combine to form a story that is both inspiring and extraordinary. While professionally, Brandon is the next generation of real estate developers, personally, he is a shining example of what can be accomplished through perseverance.
Presently, Brandon is CEO and chairman of Alux Properties, an Atlanta, Georgia-based behemoth in the fields of luxury design, building, and construction management services. Founded by Brandon in 2017, with a mission to enhance the quality of life – one project at a time, Alux Properties has established a stellar reputation for innovative, tech-centric projects.
One of Alux Properties’ most recent successes is The Bailey, which was conceived of, purchased, developed, and orchestrated by Brandon. In his words, “The Bailey, set to break ground in January 2021, is a $160M mixed-use development, designed to be the ultimate live-work-play community in Alpharetta, Georgia. It includes retail, residential, medical, and hospitality components such as a rehab facility, exquisite hospitality suites, housing units, and a full list of amenities designed to redefine the look, feel, and meaning of mix used projects everywhere.”
When asked about his inspiration for this magnanimous project, Brandon replies that it was the culmination of the phases and experiences of his life. As a former D1 athlete for the Norfolk State Spartans, Brandon knew he wanted to include a sports training facility to cater to professional athletes but more than that, he wanted to incorporate body enhancement, agent selection, financial services, and healthcare in one location. Brandon’s father, Darryl R. Evans, who passed away from cancer in 2014, also had a profound impact on the project. Brandon had assisted his mom with his father’s care and saw firsthand, a broken healthcare system that he wanted to fix. His vision was a 50,000sf state-of-the-art facility, for which he hand-selected the medical personnel. Brandon believed that people needed more than just basic healthcare; they needed to minimize stress during treatment, access to comprehensive testing, rehabilitation services, and a surrounding conducive to healing. Being well-traveled, Brandon also saw an unmet need for luxury accommodations and believed that a five-star boutique hotel would be the perfect complement to the space. “I thought we needed to cater to local markets and really bring our version of luxury…redefined luxury,” Brandon adds.
The development process of The Bailey not only requires a laser-focus, but extensive planning and groundwork. Brandon’s experience with largescale developments, which began during his military service, certainly lends to his ability to handle this undertaking. While serving in Operation Iraq Freedom, Brandon got his first glimpse into property acquisition and development. He had transitioned from a force protection specialist in the Navy to a commissioned officer in the Army, where he was responsible for acquisitions and master planning. This role entailed the buying and selling of property, repositioning of portions of existing military bases (both domestically and abroad), and the relocation of forward operating bases in Afghanistan. The experience not only provided Brandon with a competitive edge for his move into the real estate industry but ensured he had the discipline and skills to succeed.
Brandon’s determination proved to be a valuable asset in more ways than one. Despite the fact that African Americans comprise under 2% of the commercial real estate industry, and less than 0.7% of the development and ownership arena, Brandon pursued and achieved PMP accreditation and acquisitions certifications. He then began managing several large building projects at various Army bases around the world. These ground-up, large-scale developments ranged in budget size from $2M to over $2.7B. One of his more notable domestic projects was a community hospital, a 745,000sf design that doubled the size of the medical center's existing facility. Another major achievement for Brandon was the Army’s motor pool in south GA, an on-demand dispatch and maintenance center for various field vehicles, primarily tanks. Brandon brought the 40,000sf project from conception to ribbon-cutting with energy-efficiency and environmental remediation initiatives working in parallel along the way.
Brandon’s many professional attainments are complemented by an equally impressive academic and military history. He graduated magna cum laude from Norfolk University with a major in psychology and a minor in finance and finished in the top 10% of over 6,000 commissioned officers, leading to the title of Distinguished Military Graduate.
Contact:
Brandon Wheeless
Chairman and CEO
Alux Properties
Atlanta, GA
Website: https://www.brandonwheeless.com
Business Facebook: Alux properties
Instagram: @bd_wheeless
LinkedIn: Brandon Wheeless