OYSTER POINTER is a monthly publication about business in the Oyster Pointer area of Newport News, VA.

Return to Home Page

More About the Oyster Pointer Publication

Message from the Editor

Advertising Opportunities

Subscription Opportunities

Submit Your Ideas and Thoughts

Readership Survey

Contact Oyster Pointer

Map of Oyster Point

“Oyster Pointer Salutes:” Archives

Kidsville News

Search Oyster Pointer

Request a copy of the Oyster Pointer Publication
Request a copy of the Oyster Point Business Directory

Oyster Pointer Salutes: Divaris Real Estate: A high-energy team in growth mode
By Jesse Hines

Divaris Real Estate, Inc., located at 11817 Canon Blvd. in Oyster Point, is the “largest commercial real estate firm in Hampton Roads,” according to Karen Beale, principal at the Peninsula branch of this national company that focuses on the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast. Divaris leases and/or manages 24 million square feet of retail, office and industrial space, handling many large shopping centers on the Peninsula and Southside. These include Town Center of Virginia Beach, Harbour View in Suffolk, and the upcoming Landstown Commons in Virginia Beach and The Marquis in Williamsburg. The latter will have a significant impact for residents and the economy here on the upper Peninsula.

Divaris was founded in 1974 in South Africa by Gerald and Michael Divaris and after almost a decade of strong growth in the South African real estate market, in 1982 they opened their first United States office in Virginia Beach and have been focusing on the Eastern Seaboard since.

“Our goal for the Virginia Peninsula is steady growth,” says Beale. She is responsible for Divaris’ commercial brokerage and property management services throughout the Peninsula. Divaris believes the Peninsula has its own dynamic, and Beale notes that the company “has been 100 percent supportive of our efforts to upgrade the office and to build a new base of business on the Virginia Peninsula.” This area is a central location between the Southside and Richmond, and the Divaris office in City Center is centrally located between Hampton and Williamsburg, allowing the company to focus on creating unique projects that reflect the community’s aura.

Also on the Peninsula team are Melissa Martinovich, leasing and sales associate, who has more than 20 years of experience in real estate in this region; Michael Center, leasing and sales associate, who handled leasing for Newport News Shipbuilding/Northrop Grumman in his 29 years there; and Denise Wollesen, senior property manager, with more than 20 years in commercial management. Beale has 27 years of experience in commercial real estate. This team is clearly experienced and as Beale calls it, “a very high-energy group.” The entire Divaris corporate culture, in fact, exudes a “high level of energy and creativity,” Beale says.

Divaris works with many high-exposure clients, such as Bed Bath & Beyond, Gap, L.L. Bean, Lowe’s and P.F. Chang’s. The company’s portfolio includes developments in Virginia Beach, Williamsburg, Hampton, Suffolk, Richmond, Northern Virginia, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., Baltimore and North Carolina, along with others on the East Coast.

Opening in spring 2008 is The Marquis in Williamsburg, Divaris’ biggest current project on the Peninsula. Located at the intersection of Interstate 64 and Route 199, right next to Water Country USA, The Marquis will be situated on 238 acres, and boast clients such as Target, Best Buy, JC Penney, Kohl’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods, California Pizza Kitchen, Men’s Wearhouse and Chipotle Mexican Grille.

Divaris expects The Marquis to draw traffic from northern Newport News, Matthews and York counties, Williamsburg and north toward Richmond. Beale believes that Gloucester residents will also take advantage of the nearby mixed-use, open-air retail “power town” center. When fully completed, The Marquis will comprise approximately one million square feet.