Jimmy Hudson, owner of Hudson Companies, Inc., is not a patient man. He speaks in crisp, short phrases, talks as he walks, and delegates to trusted staff . Nonetheless, the 53-year-old commercial real estate developer says his first foray into home building – Th e Terrace at Frazier – forced him to waddle like a proverbial turtle rather than leap like a fast-moving hare. “My thought process,” says Hudson, “had to be much longer term.”
A hallmark of Hudson’s career, in fact, has been hurry up, not wait. A Baylor School graduate, he became the youngest member of the 92nd Tennessee General Assembly at the age of 23. At 24, he started his own property development firm.
Today, Hudson Companies, Inc. can claim to have created 3 million square feet of commercial space. Hudson serves as chairman of the Carter Street Corporation, which manages the Chattanooga Convention and Trade Center, and sits on several elite boards. His client list includes Blue Bell Creameries, Apria Healthcare, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Verizon Wireless, Taco Bell, and – with affiliate Ellis and Grubb – Chattem.
But commercial development failed to entirely hold Hudson’s interest. “Three mayors ago,” as he puts it, Hudson gave in to the siren’s call of “mixed-use” on the North Shore.
At the turn-of-the-century, Frazier Avenue and neighboring streets bustled with stores and commercial traffic, explains Jenny Shugart, the city’s historic planner. Then, as now, bridges created a natural link with downtown, creating a complex fabric of people living, commuting, working, trading and playing.