He expanded into offices and hotels by opening Bellevue Place in 1988, which lies diagonally across from his father’s shopping center. Then when the neighboring Lincoln Square development ran into trouble in 2003, Freeman took that over and oversaw its completion two years later.
Harley-Davidsons
Today, the cluster of shops, restaurant and offices owned and operated by the closely held Kemper Development Company attracts 25 million visitors a year, according to Freeman.
He lives in a 39th-floor condo on his development, and his main indulgence is a collection of five motorcycles, including three Harley-Davidsons.
He’s cautioned his two daughters not to bank on any inheritance, even from the stakes in the business he’s already given them.
“I told them pretend that your family has nothing, because it may turn out that’s what we have,” Freeman said. “In real estate you can lose it all in a blink of an eye.”
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.