John Smart MBE

29 August 2018

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It was with great sadness that we learned of the death of John Smart MBE, one of South Wales’ premier speculative property developers, on 6th August 2018. He was the founder and chairman of J R Smart Builders Ltd, responsible for many of the city’s major regeneration schemes, including Capital Quarter and Capital Business Park.

For more than 40 years his company has been responsible for developing around 2.5m sq ft of commercial property in South Wales and his sons Gareth and Alexander have become an integral part of the family business. He was also a long-time supporter and benefactor of Cardiff RFC and the Cardiff Blues.

Roger Thomas, Consultant with Cooke & Arkwright said, “John was already making his presence known in Cardiff in the early ‘70s when I started work.

“He was a man of great integrity, whose word was his bond. Huge energy and a passion for building the best quality product, be it offices, industrial property or residential, in and around Cardiff and South Wales. He was never afraid to put his money where his mouth was!

“His contribution to the region is immeasurable and his legacy will endure for many years. The business is in safe hands with the family team he created and I know he would be proud to see it prosper.”

Cardiff Waterside is a significant property holding for Aviva Investors at almost 500,000 sq ft. Our experiences show the benefit of working with a regional specialist where occupational markets can be unlocked with a good team with excellent local contacts. Ben Bolton and his team have done this for us for many years and been fundamental to our success and a very low void rate in Cardiff.

Matthew Leach, Arriva Capital Waterside