APPROACH

Our smart-growth philosophy dictates that we will only succeed as developers if our projects, and the neighborhoods surrounding them, succeed as communities.

Many of our projects begin with a community's grassroots initiative to provide an unmet need: to provide affordable housing on an empty town-owned lot, for instance, or to build a new commercial center for a growing neighborhood. We frequently respond to towns' and cities' requests for development proposals after the community has articulated a desired use for a property, and earn a place in public-private partnerships based on our commitment to work with citizens.

In the process of planning a project, we frequently host or attend dozens of meetings with neighbors, civic clubs, and organizations in a community. We discuss concerns, listen to ideas, and even share meals. It's a process that developer Richard Berman calls “communion and communication,” and it stems from a belief that if we want to provide a higher quality of life for a community, we need to understand the community first - and even become a part of it.

In our public-private projects, we strive to work as equal collaborators with a community. If a city or town offers public land or funding to accomplish its development goals, we will work to offer our own best expertise to maximize the benefits of the public's investments. We often share transparent, open-book financial information and share development revenues with our public partners as a development proceeds through construction to completion.

In short, our approach to development strives to develop a meaningful and lasting relationship with the surrounding community. How well a development performs fits into and enhances its neighborhood reflects on our reputation as developers, and it's something we take seriously.

If your own community has a development need that might benefit from this approach to development, please contact us.