Mix And Match Development

22 January 2007 - 7:00am

Philip Langdon covers two new urban projects, Holiday neighborhood in Boulder, CO, and Beerline B in Milwaukee, WI, that achieve an intriguing mix of approaches and styles.

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"Today, however, some of the most interesting new urbanist work is being carried out by groups of developers. By involving multiple developers, a sizable project can often be built more speedily, and it can incorporate great variety — in the kinds of buildings it includes, in the uses it accommodates, and in its range of styles."

"Two prime examples are the Holiday neighborhood in Boulder, Colorado, and the Beerline B project in Milwaukee. Both projects consist of parcels developed by a variety of companies or organizations, under the coordination of a public agency."

" 'The housing authority’s role was to orchestrate the design process and take it through entitlement, negotiate affordability, and put in the infrastructure,' Developer John Wolff says. Prepared land was then sold to developers. The housing authority accepted a smaller financial return than would have been demanded by a master developer from the private sector. Residential prices have ranged from $104,000 for an affordable one-bedroom unit to $740,000 for a detached house."

Source: New Urban News, January 15, 2007