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TO EXPRESS THE PROFOUND SORROW OF THE MEMBERS OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES UPON THE PASSING OF JOSEPH ALLEN "JOE" EDENS OF COLUMBIA AND TO EXTEND THE DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO HIS FAMILY AND MANY FRIENDS.
Whereas, the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Joseph Allen "Joe" Edens of Columbia on February 2, 2020, at the venerable age of seventy-eight; and
Whereas, a son of Joe and Josephine Edens, Joe was born in Columbia on July 4, 1941. He was a lifelong resident of Columbia, with the exception of the years he spent in Charleston at The Citadel. Not being able to finish and graduate with the Class of 1963 was the biggest regret of his life; however, he took and used daily the benefits he received and the lessons learned while attending The Citadel; and
Whereas, he was founder and chairman of the board of directors of EDENS, one of the nation's leading private owners, operators, and developers of retail real estate. The company has approximately $3 billion invested in approximately one hundred thirty retail centers along the East Coast totaling over sixteen million square feet; and
Whereas, further, he was president of the Oakland Club and a trustee of The Nature Conservancy. He was inducted into the South Carolina Business Hall of Fame in May 2009. Joe Edens served on numerous boards and committees, including the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond for the 5th District, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism, Federation Center for the Blind, Columbia Development Corporation, Eau Claire Development Corporation, board of visitors of the Medical University of South Carolina, C & S South Carolina Bank Board, and National Bank of South Carolina Bank Board. He was also chairman of the Republic National Bank; and
Whereas, as founding chairman of EDENS, he entered the real estate arena as sole practitioner and was his only employee for the first two years. He was involved in commercial real estate for over four decades, beginning as an entrepreneurial developer in the mid-1960s. Mr. Edens started his retail real estate development business by packaging his concept of "necessity retailers" in one convenient location. He developed his first 70,000-square-foot grocery-anchored (BI-LO) shopping center in 1967; and
Whereas, a successful first venture led Joe Edens to other development and acquisition opportunities as he cultivated solid relationships with other grocers and other retailers. Soon, he was developing and acquiring neighborhood and community retail centers throughout the Carolinas; and
Whereas, in 1997, he secured a private equity investment of $156 million from the State of Michigan Retirement System to fund additional growth for EDENS. With this initial capital infusion and subsequent investments, the company actively pursued the acquisition and development of retail centers in targeted markets. In September 2000, Mr. Edens completed a transaction with J.P. Morgan Investment Management and the New York State Teachers' Retirement System that placed approximately $250 million of growth capital into EDENS; and
Whereas, Joe Edens consistently leveraged an unusual talent for developing strong relationships with retailers. His strategic partnering with capital resources continues to advance the company, its employees, and the communities the EDENS centers serve. Today, the company's portfolio consists of neighborhood, lifestyle, and power centers, many located in infill locations in urban markets from Boston to Miami. EDENS is headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina, with regional headquarters in Boston, New York, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, and Miami; and
Whereas, preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Betty Jo Edens, Joe Edens leaves to cherish his memory his wife, Carolyn Gladden Edens; their three children, Joseph Allen Edens III, Kimberly Edens Redd (Ernie), and Michael Everette Edens (Cindy); six wonderful grandchildren, Samuel Joseph Edens, Henry Dixon Edens, Hampton Edens Redd, Michael Everett Edens, Jr., Joseph Manning Redd, and Frances Lucille Edens; and a host of other family members and friends. He will be greatly missed. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:
That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, express their profound sorrow upon the passing of Joseph Allen "Joe" Edens of Columbia and extend the deepest sympathy to his family and many friends.
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to Mrs. Carolyn Gladden Edens for the family.
This web page was last updated on February 11, 2020 at 12:13 PM