Atlanta Real Estate Icon and Philanthropist Tom Cousins Dies at 93

Tom Cousins, the influential real estate developer and philanthropist who helped shape modern Atlanta, has died at age 93 Tuesday night.

Cousins rose to prominence in the 1960s as Georgia’s largest homebuilder and later developed iconic Atlanta landmarks such as the Bank of America Plaza. In 1968, he brought the Atlanta Hawks to the city, making it the first NBA team in the Deep South.

But his most lasting legacy may be the transformation of East Lake Meadows, once a crime-ridden public housing complex, into a nationally recognized model for mixed-income, holistic community revitalization. Cousins’ efforts—combining new housing, a charter school, a YMCA, and the restoration of the historic East Lake Golf Club—redefined urban renewal nationwide.

“He believed in funding the unfundable,” said Carol Noughton, CEO of Purpose Built Communities, a nonprofit Cousins co-founded to expand the East Lake model to other cities.

Though celebrated, the project was not without criticism for displacing some vulnerable residents. Still, Cousins’ vision was grounded in the idea that every child deserves a fair shot, regardless of where they’re born.

Former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin called Cousins “one of the most significant persons in the development of modern Atlanta,” highlighting his role in bridging business, government, and philanthropy to move the city forward.

Cousins served as CEO of Cousins Properties until 2002 and chairman until 2006. His legacy lives on in the skyline he helped build—and the communities he helped rebuild.