By Martha Netherton
Feb 15, 1998
Woodbine Southwest entered the Arizona market more than six years ago to develop the Kierland master-planned community in north Phoenix.
Locally, however, the Woodbine name is used interchangeably with Tim and Casey Bolinger, the married couple behind all its Phoenix activity.
At the end of this month, that no longer will be the case.
The Bolingers are parting ways with Woodbine Southwest to develop projects of their own.
"We have just decided that the time has come for us to try it on our own," Casey Bolinger said. "We plan to make Phoenix our home. You're not losing us, you're gaining another developer."
The couple will focus on master-planned resort communities and hotels.
"We really intend to stay where our knowledge is," Casey Bolinger said. "We see Phoenix as a great place to play multiple markets."
Tim Bolinger joined Woodbine Southwest in 1975 and Casey joined the firm four years later. In 1991, when the couple came to Phoenix to launch the Kierland development, they formed their own company and struck up a contractual agreement with the firm.
Since that time, the Bolingers brought Westin to Kierland and created a joint venture with Westin to build a 700-room convention hotel on the Barron Collier property in downtown Phoenix.
"We'll no longer be representing Woodbine," Casey Bolinger said. "We've enjoyed the relationship and we're very proud of what we've accomplished."
The couple will depart officially at month's end, she said.
John Scovell, president and chief executive officer of Woodbine Development Corp. in Dallas, said he's grateful to the Bolingers and regrets their decision to leave.
"We can't replace Casey and Tim," he said. "They have been invaluable to this organization. They gave us credibility in the Phoenix and Scottsdale market and we'll be forever indebted to them."
In the interim, Scovell said, Buzz Gosnell will pick up the land development and retail components of Kierland while Woodbine veteran Jeff Cox will handle hospitality and vertical development.