Too often developers will start projects with barbed wire fences (literally and figuratively) to “keep their projects safe”.  They clearly have the ability  to execute projects, but they lack the passion and the knowledge necessary to build projects that are accepted and supported by the neighborhoods in which they locate. They are not an inetgral partner, they are an overlay. They come in shiny, they get it done fast, but it often costs cities money and they often don’t last. 

On the other side sometimes you have well-intentioned groups that have both the passion and the knowledge, but often lack the funding or the development experience that are so helpful for the completion of a successful project. They are wonderful people and groups, but often the projects they envision don’t somehow seem to get built. We all know many examples of  both types. 

We are in the middle – with the passion and the desire to understand what makes sense in our neighborhoods, but also the funding and experience to know how to actually get it done. Each of our previous projects stands as a testament to the hours we’ve put in, the people we’ve involved and the lessons we’ve learned along the way. And each one reflects what my Grandmother taught me – “Always leave a place better than you found it”.

Our secret is to focus on projects we can afford, in neighborhoods that want us, and in cities that will assist rather than hinder us in the development process.