How style and design of a project are determined

If you listen, you will hear it.

I believe buildings – especially historic ones – speak to those who listen for direction. Yep. I know this may sound crazy to some people, but I’ve found that spending time alone in a building’s hushed quiet helps me determine its future.

That’s because fighting a building is a recipe for disaster.

When embarking on a building redevelopment and determining its future style, my top priority is finding the baseline. In other words, settling on what time period and feel personify the building.

This summer, I signed on to a project and vetted three possible use scenarios for it. Regardless of these different directions, one thing remained constant: A vision for a high-end, warehouse-style space. Why? Because the building itself screams for it. If we were to build it out and 'white box' it, the value in its character would be lost. 

Historic research plays a big role, too. Often your baseline is dictated by a building’s “period of significance.”

The Bay City Times building, for instance, underwent a complete overhaul in 1938-1939 that was inspired by Albert Kahn and very modern. When redeveloping it into The Times Lofts, we employed industrial features throughout the newspaper’s former pressroom spaces. If we’d bought gas-burning, outdoor lanterns or something else very 1920’s and placed it on the exterior, the State Historic Preservation Office would have insisted we remove them.

Other factors include protecting your stakeholders’ interests, the building’s relationship to the neighborhood, desired tenants and more. Working with great architects who share your vision is also pivotal. 

From that baseline, you have the freedom to get creative.

I’m a hands-on developer and love design. So we don’t hire interior designers for our projects; we do it all ourselves. Once I determine the baseline and what's on trend and popular in design, I look for a way to add a twist or elevate the choices.

There are thousands of decisions on paint, tile, flooring, hardware, fixtures, kitchen cabinetry, bathroom sinks, lighting, vanities … the list goes on and on.

For The Legacy project, we knew that a lot of pre-war design featured white walls that let the woodwork speak for itself. Unfortunately, much of the former bank’s woodwork was painted in the course of its 127-year history. Painting it dark didn't seem feasible and stripping it all is impossible with our budget. We considered white walls with white trim, but that looked too sterile. Then the idea of gray trim came in and won us all over. 

When it's all said and done, you hope that you heard right. You hope that you’re doing the building justice and honoring its memory. You hope that you’re creating something that will endure long after we’re gone.

-jen

Public Support Makes a Difference

Bringing a building back to life is not for the faint of heart.

Getting your ducks in a row can take months – or sometimes years -- depending upon the complexity of the project. Inevitably, there are challenges.

So a little encouragement goes a long way.

I’m still a little surprised how often people stop me at the grocery or a restaurant to inquire about my projects. They’re curious about The Legacy’s (former) cheese-grater exterior, or our plans for the bank vault, or which restaurant will be showcased on the ground level.

I’ll hear from The Times Lofts’ tenants who tell me how much they love their new home. Or people who wonder about the next project I’ve got up my sleeve.

It makes a difference.

Because every “thank you” or “I drove an extra block just to see what’s new at your building” shows just how much our community values these projects.

You don’t have to be a developer to make a difference. Here are four ways to show you love your community and want to see it thrive:

1. TELL THE POWERS THAT BE  -- Let’s face it: We’re all much more likely to share our opinions if we’re opposed to something rather than in favor of it. I’m guilty of it, too. I think it’s human nature, unfortunately.

But keyboard warriors who spout off on social media spreading negativity and misinformation aren’t part of the solution.

If something bothers you or gets under your skin, please put in a call, send an email, or attend a public meeting. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at the help you’ll receive. Then once you’ve gathered the facts, feel free to share your opinion.

But if you’re excited about a potential development in your community, it’s important to speak up, too. Take the time to reach out to your local, state or federal elected officials and voice your support loud and clear.

It’s only if we constructively voice our opinions that we help shape the communities we love.

2. WHERE DO WE SIGN UP? -- One of the biggest ways to support communities and development is just getting involved. Volunteering on boards for the city, your neighborhood business district, serving the public in an elected capacity, at schools, churches, groups, organizations and special events is a great way to show you care and improves the quality of life for everyone.

3. SPREAD THE WORD -- A great way to advocate for your town is by talking it up.  Go ahead and let out-of-towners know how far we’ve come – and what great treasures they’ll discover when they visit. Post positive reviews of your favorite businesses. Weave together a fun itinerary on TripAdvisor and share it. 

Build up your community, don’t cut it down. Erase all those negative monikers from your vocabulary. It doesn’t matter if you’re only joking; you never know who’s listening.

4. SMILE – Being warm and welcoming makes a huge impact and builds our reputation as a great community. Out-of-town visitors will notice how friendly and hospitable we are and people in town on business are more likely to return. That friendliness makes a difference with our neighbors, too, because it strengthens our social bonds.

I believe our community’s positive character makes fighting for the character of a building worthwhile. Sometimes the work is grueling and the red tape stretches out for miles and miles.

But I love it. Nothing else challenges me like this work and, at the same time, makes me feel fulfilled and grateful. I’ve learned to celebrate the victories when they come.

And to appreciate a kind word or two along the way.

-jen

Developer secures $2.4M from state for historic Bay City bank building

BAY CITY, MI -- The final piece of financial incentives were approved this week for the developer investing $12 million into the 125-year-old Crapo Building in downtown Bay City, allowing construction to begin in the coming weeks.

Officials with the Michigan Economic Development Corp.'s Michigan Strategic Fund on Tuesday, June 27, announced that developer Jenifer Acosta, who most recently redeveloped the former Bay City Times newspaper building at 311 Fifth St., secured a $1 million Michigan Community Revitalization Program performance-based grant and a $1.4 million performance-based loan, for a total of $2.4 million in incentives.

My Mentor | My Father

It's easier than ever to find great leaders and mentors in business today. But I've never had to look elsewhere for inspiration.

My father has always inspired me -- especially the way he’s redeveloped the building where he grew three companies. His building in Bay City is where my brothers and I played in the air handler and rode our bikes throughout while he worked on Saturday mornings.

In a way, he’s not only redeveloped the property but also himself. 

My dad put himself through college and graduate school. He helped my grandmother, a single mom, raise his younger brother and sisters. He founded his first hospice and homecare company before the age of thirty. He grew it, sold it, and became the CEO of the larger parent company for a number of years.

He retired from being a CEO in his early 50s and started another company. This one was more personal.

The new corporate culture he established was the opposite of the large corporate model he left behind. His focus was on building teams and giving team members the tools to succeed so they could provide the best patient care. Utilizing emotional intelligence to do the right thing and trust in your team is critical for a business as delicate as hospice care.

My father has always been a person of great integrity with a stellar reputation. He's traveled and put in the hard work for so many years that it's his nature … his normal.

So when I started my company nearly two years ago, I didn't expect my father to be selling his yet again. He was purchasing The Bay City Times building and I told him I founded a company one day as we walked an architect through the property.

A week later he told my brothers and I that he’d be selling his company. The following day he told me that he didn't want to back out of purchasing The Times, but we needed another use for it.

That's how I began working with my father in real estate. 

I love watching how he handles situations in meetings. The way he sits back and listens, watches the vibe and flow around the table. He makes building collaborative teams a priority.

When kicking off a development project, I spend a lot of time considering how the players interact. Things can be quite brutal if there isn't teamwork and collaboration. Historic buildings have a mind of their own and throw challenges your way. Teams who like to creatively collaborate will thrive on this. 

Dad’s newest redevelopment venture is City Market, an indoor market in that same Bay City building, featuring 30 vendors offering a variety of fresh produce, meats, fish, and specialty items.

Bringing this vision to life began only nine months ago. But in that time, my dad’s handled the hiring of a market manager, the redesign, plan review, health inspections, building inspections, construction, readjusting existing office tenants, and attracting 30 vendors to join in his vision.

It's nothing short of miraculous. 

He walks through and knows each vendor by name. In fact, he knows the names of their kids, spouses, and tons of fun facts about each and every one. He knows the names of the workmen who built it.

He’s always at the root of it, driving the passion and vision. He lets employees and business owners do what they do best, and inspires them to do more. He gives people a platform to succeed.

I'm constantly in awe of how he does it with conviction and integrity. I’m overjoyed that he’s making an impact in our hometown when he could be sharing his talents anywhere.

And I’m proud these 30 businesses will also have him as a mentor. 

One day I hope to be even half as incredible and accomplished as my father. He’s earned every bit of his success. I'll always be his biggest fan. 

Love you, Dad. Happy Father's Day!

-jen

What's next?

Our occupations affect the way we see the world. With the eye of a real estate developer, selecting your next project can be like finding a needle in a haystack -- or is sometimes right in front of you.

Whether I’m driving my kids to the pool or traveling to a distant city, I’m always visioning -- that’s the technical term for seeing a property’s potential development. Many folks love to play this imaginary, wouldn’t-it-be-cool-if-they-did-this-or-that game and brainstorm ideas for their downtowns or neighborhoods.

But I’m a developer, so visioning is a big part of my job. And if I find myself repeatedly musing about a property, I usually start digging around and running the numbers on its potential viability.

Realistically, very few of those probes ever pass my litmus test. In fact, my file cabinet right now holds about 30 development scenarios for buildings or properties throughout the Great Lakes Bay Region that will never see the light of day. These forays usually involve peeking at property records, zoning ordinances, the envisioned product, and potential profit long before the owners are ever approached. It's the thrill of the chase and an important practice.

But what moves the needle so these prospects make the leap to actual development?

1. Does this project match my values? Does it have the character and long-term (or short-term) potential for my portfolio? Is the neighborhood ready now, or will it take years to peak? Perhaps, the project has catalytic potential.

2. Does its timing cycle meet your needs? Real estate development projects can take years. Redeveloping large brownfield sites (tracts of land developed for industrial purposes and then abandoned) can take five to 10 years before building can even commence. On the other hand, infill projects (developing vacant or under-used parcels within existing urban areas) might be wrapped up in a year. So if you have other projects in motion, you need something that fits in harmony with the others.

Right now I’m finalizing the architecture and funding for The Legacy in downtown Bay City. That project will move into construction this summer. The Wenonah Park Pavilion project is part of a public-private partnership through The State Theatre and the Bay City Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and is in the midst of a committee-run design process. I'm also beginning another consulting project that should mesh well with these two projects as they move toward their next stages.

For me, the ideal cycle is having one project in pre-development or design, one in construction, and one at lease-up/close-out. Setbacks happen, of course. So it’s important to remember that whatever you bite off, you’ll have to chew.

3. How much time do I have for maintenance? Adaptive reuse projects such as The Legacy are high maintenance. The more gap financing that’s required to bring a project to life, the higher maintenance it is. Along with everything else, I'm also consulting on two other projects. For another development to enter into my current workload matrix, it would have to be relatively low maintenance -- something that can move along without my constant attention and weather a few setbacks if they crop up.

Some dream projects just aren't in the cards at the moment. And that’s OK with me.

I believe it's perfectly fine to take on less in order to successfully execute what's in front of you. Because it's the execution of each project that makes or breaks your reputation. And it's my job to make sure my community and I will still be proud of the work for years to come.

-jen

Michigan Change Makers: Ones to watch

In selecting 2017's Michigan Change Makers, we encountered promising leaders whose work has the potential to make tremendous change, transform places and take their organizations in exciting new directions. We're watching them to see what they'll do next.

Preserving neighborhoods’ context and character

I'm a preservationist. But what does that really mean?

Preservationism has a reputation as the movement that says no to change – people who only want to cast things in amber and freeze them in time. But this couldn’t be further from the truth today. 

If you go to the National Trust for Historic Preservation's website, you’ll find three main action categories for preservation: national treasures, historic sites, and reurbanism. 

I’m a proud reurbanist because I believe historic neighborhoods have great context and character. When traveling, I always make it a point to visit downtown areas and older neighborhoods to see how its buildings are being reborn. The architectural makeup is certainly a highlight.

But these areas have a “walkability” that encourage a sense of place. Each has its own unique density, scale and value. It’s easy to tell that many historic neighborhoods were built in the pre-automobile era because they’re geared toward people, not cars. They are designed and built to a scale that feels comfortable and inviting as you walk through down their streets. You can actually feel the impact on the community by having saved part of its historical fabric.

I’ve witnessed firsthand that impact when people who once worked in a building for decades of their lives return to it once its been repurposed and can see it in a whole new light. People genuinely appreciate you taking care of a piece of their town.

Preservationists can also make changes toward a more inviting urban experience. For example, when we transitioned the printing press addition at The Times Lofts, we took a barren brick wall and added large windows and landscaping which became a highlight for our private townhouses.

Being in a historic district helps protect your investment. That’s because these buildings are part of a community’s historic fabric and add value to it. There is empirical evidence that buildings in historic districts hold their value, making property investments there more sustainable.

Let’s face it: You can see the same collection of big box stores anywhere in the country. There’s nothing identifying or special about them.

I firmly believe that preservation helps a community hold on to its sense of place. And that’s important.

If you believe that, too, consider being part of the solution by joining….

Bay City Historic District Commission

Young Preservationists Great Lakes Bay

Michigan Historic Preservation Network

Michigan Young Preservation

National Trust for Historic Preservation

Preservation Action

You and your community will be glad you did.

-jen

Life and work are a balancing act

No matter how hard I try finding balance and “feng shui-ing” my life, eventually I get burned out. Don’t we all?

A friend recently re-posted an Inc. article  about finding life balance as entrepreneurs. The heart of the story came from a 2011 tweet by Randi Zuckerberg suggesting we have to choose between work, sleep, family, fitness or friends – but can only effectively pick three.

It made me take pause.

I envision life balance as a seesaw. But because I’m Type A, I take an almost scientific approach to leveling out my seesaw. I work constantly, but with flexibility. My calendar is time-blocked and micromanaged so I always know which days I’ll be in which place. I even schedule one day every weekend to just spend time with my family.

But recently I felt my burnout accelerating. The Legacy was in the midst of its Community Revitalization Program application process with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. With my livelihood and a whole year’s work riding on the outcome, my stress was at an all-time high. I was also in physical therapy again for chronic back pain and was warned against going to spin class for a least a couple of weeks. Spinning, however, is my primary stress reliever and the best way I know to clear my head. Around this same time, our longtime nanny told us she’d soon be moving away. I was crushed; Danielle has been a part of our family for two years and she’s become a great friend.

I needed a break. My husband and I found a great travel deal and booked a last-minute family trip. We were lucky we had the luxury to shut down for a few days and get away. It’s not always an option, but we really needed it. I shut off for four days and I only focused on my family. It was amazing.

Then we came home. While I felt a lot better, I wasn’t ready to get back in the game. So I took it slow. My first day back, I took time to go to physical therapy and get an acupuncture treatment. I tackled the must-do items at work.

The next day, I had a meeting in Detroit and tuned into a podcast from the Urban Land Institute for the drive down. I listened to a woman in real estate who fought like hell to get the contract for The New York Times building development partnership. I found myself stunned by her balanced seesaw. She reminded her audience that developers are dragon slayers; we must vanquish problems that arise each and every day. But we also have to see the big picture and never lose sight of our overall vision. I started to feel a bit inspired again.

The following day, Momentum Midland hosted a session with the Incremental Development Alliance. This national organization looks at real estate development with a different model: Lower your risk profile. I’d been looking at their model for months, playing with development ideas, and talking to their leadership. This session was an amazing opportunity for me to learn from them in person – and only 10 minutes from my house! Thankfully, Incremental Development Alliance Executive Director Jim Kumon made time to visit my “farm” (the term used by small-scale developers to describe their collective projects). I wanted Jim’s advice on where to plant my next crop. 

Geeking out with a like-minded urbanist in mid-Michigan is a rare treat. I had an expert right in my backyard at a time when I was feeling crazy for taking on The Legacy. After seeing my work and the dynamics of my city firsthand, Jim reassured me that I’m doing the right thing. He also offered guidance from his organization to determine what’s next for my farm.

Now I feel ready to tackle my job again. Ready to slay another dragon. I needed to get out of the weeds and take a mile-high view again.

Burnout happens. When it does, my best advice is to shut down for a few days. Then dip your toes back in and rediscover your inspiration. Look to experts and loved ones for guidance.

And remember why you love what you do.