“A single conversation with a wise man is better than ten years mere study of books.”
– Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Build with Purpose invites you to be part of a six part conversation series with experts in real estate development, finance and law. Brian Keenan, Build with Purpose’s Director and President, will host each of the conversations on the first Thursday of each month at 3pm eastern standard time (except July, where it will be on the second Thursday). Each conversation will be an in-depth interview allowing participants to gain a greater understanding of the many facets of real estate development.
Learning Objective
Community development (whether it is the development of affordable housing, schools, parks, etc.) takes place in the conventional for-profit world of real estate development. In order for non-profits to be successful they need to understand how the industry works. In this six part series participants will be able to listen as industry experts are interviewed about their line of business and learn how to be better navigate the complex waters of real estate development.
Syllabus
JUNE
Topic: Public Offering of Tax Exempt Bonds
Date: June 7, 2012, 3-4pm
Guest: Greg McKenna, Managing Director at PNC Capital Markets
Tax Exempt Bonds (TEB) are an effective way to finance your non-profit real estate project. In this conversation participants will learn: the difference between a public placement and a direct purchase, effective interest rates, what out of pocket costs are to be expected, process and schedule, what projects are ideal for TEB financing and what special requirements TEB have.
- What is a TEB?
- Who buys them? How do I find a buyer?
- What is so great about TEB? What does it offer me a conventional loan does not?
- How much does it cost?
- What is an underwriter and why do I need one? Can’t I sell these on my own?
- What makes for a good underwriter?
JULY
Topic: Land Use and Government Permitting
Date: July 12, 2012, 3-4pm
Guest: Nancy Lottinville, Legal Counsel, Gibbons PC
Time and time again we see community development projects of all kinds (schools, housing, etc.) delay because of government approvals. In this conversation Brian will discuss the basics of land use and government permitting with experienced legal counsel, the discussion will include:
- Understanding the basics, when do we need to seek approvals?
- What is the process?
- Who governs what? Planning? Zoning?
- What matters most? Do we need local counsel or professionals?
- Can they deny our application for change of use?
- What is a variance and what variances are reasonable?
AUGUST
Topic: Supportive Housing
Date: August 2, 2012, 3-4pm
Guest: Deborah DeSantis, President of the Corporation for Supportive Housing
With limited subsidies to develop and operate supportive housing what is the future of the industry. How can we meet the needs of industry differently? Listen on Brian’s conversation with CSH’s president as they discuss:
- The state of industry?
- Without subsidies are we seeing creative/non-traditional avenues to develop and operate supportive housing?
- Can supportive housing be created and operated without subsidy?
- Considering the current state of the economy, what can developers and managers of supportive housing do to keep the pipeline of projects moving?
SEPTEMBER
Topic: The Role of an Architect in a Construction Project
Date: September 6, 2012, 3-4pm
Guest: Merilee Meacock, KSS Architects
While the topic might be seem self-explanatory to most, more and more we believe that community development practitioners don’t understand the role of their project architect beyond project design. Additionally, many don’t understand the phase of project design. In this session participants will learn what can reasonably be expected of their architect and how best clients can help them be successful. Some of the topics discussed will be:
- When is a project design complete? At what point is it go or no go?
- Is the architect responsible to manage the project budget and schedule?
- What are the phases in the design process and how can a client better help an architect to achieve the best design?
- What should a community development practitioner look for when hiring an architect?
- Budget vs. desires – how does an architect manage a client’s wishes while balancing the budget?
- If you could tell your clients one thing, what would that be?
OCTOBER
Topic: How to Work with Your Contractor
Date: October 4, 2012, 3-4pm
Guest: Brendan Murray, President Tekton Development Corp.
The owner/contractor relationship is often difficult, there is never enough time or money and tensions often run high. Listen in on this conversation to learn:
- How contractors price projects.
- What contractors wish there clients understood.
- How best to manage the unknown.
- What a contractor needs from the project team to be successful.
- Are schedules for real?
- Are all projects over budget and delayed?
NOVEMBER- RESCHEDULED FOR DECEMBER
Topic: Banking and the Non-profit
Date: December 6, 2012, 3-4pm
Guest: David Scheck, Interim Chief Credit Officer, Senior Management Advisor, and Director of University Ventures at City National Bank
Nearly four years after the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the banking sector is still struggling and its struggles affect the entire real estate market, particularly the non-profit/community development sector. In this conversation listen in as Brian helps participants understand the fundamental changings to the banking sectors and what that means for community development:
- Is there a real interest or incentive for banks to lend for community development projects?
- What are they looking for?
- Has the foreclosure crises changed the way banks look at community development projects?
- Does CRA still exist? Is it still successful?
COSTS
Registration for BwP’s 2012 Conversational series is open now. Interviews will take place via conference call and participation is limited to 25 people per call. A non-refundable $25 is required per call, participants can register for all 6 conversations at the discounted rate of $100. Participants will be able to have their questions answered during the calls and all registrants will be provided the opportunity to follow-up with BwP after the interviews to discuss questions specific to them.
