btcRE: be the change Real Estate

Back in the late 1950s and early 1960s, officials in Palm Springs, CA, burned and demolished the homes of hundreds of Black and Latino residents to make way for commercial development by mostly white business owners. The city recently agreed to a historic $5.9 million settlement to compensate the survivors and ancestors of "Section 14," the neighborhood destroyed more than 60 years ago. The agreement marks a significant moment in the city’s reckoning with its past, as it becomes one of the few municipalities in the United States to offer reparations for racially motivated displacement. (Photo credit to Diamond Dust Photography + Essence Magazine - link to article here: https://lnkd.in/eDy6Vvd3)

Cities with well-known track records of climate change-related disasters have become some of the fastest-growing areas in the country. "As the nation-wide housing crisis demands we build more housing, what is an ethical and sustainable growth strategy? Why, and how, do we continue to build in the face of life-altering climate emergencies?" This article from Dwell magazine explores what's driving development in these dangerous places - and what we can do to help keep people safe while providing desperately-needed housing options. https://lnkd.in/eBTfr6VA

We're happy to see the The New York Times covering the lack of affordable housing in NYC in a multi-part series, and plan to share the stories here (via gifted links) so you can read them too. Read the first installment here - and please share your thoughts - What do you think can be done in NYC (and beyond) to help *regular,* hard-working people find homes that don't cost the proverbial arm and leg? https://lnkd.in/eRxtYHMr

The one *trick* for making cities more family-friendly? A simple (albeit expensive) solution: the age-old courtyard. "Courtyards don’t have to belong to the past. While textbook examples in brick and stone are lovely — and still home to thriving communities — contemporary architects are making courts in all sorts of materials, and for all types of housing, from apartments to townhomes." A fun and immersive article guaranteed to help distract you this week from Bloomberg CityLab. https://lnkd.in/eR3m6eXD

Well played, Strong Towns! Happy Halloween!

At btcRE, we're all about creative and adaptive reuse of properties that might be otherwise obsolete. But would you live in an abandoned church? With parishes shrinking and sometimes disappearing, many people - including those profiled in this (unlocked and free-to-access) article from the The New York Times - have chosen to do just that. https://lnkd.in/e-ZKyBYn

Should the "new" American dream be a townhouse - not a sprawling single-family home on a half acre (or more) of land? Amanda Shendruk and Heather Long at the Washington Post think so - and they have some super-convincing points - and lots of data (and cool charts!) as backup. "Townhouses are the Goldilocks option between single-family homes in the suburbs and high-rise condos in cities," they write. We agree. What do you think? https://lnkd.in/gjFGg2Gt

Greetings! We've connected with a few new people on LinkedIn, so we wanted to take a moment to share a little about btcRE, who we are and what we do. Here are a few things about us: - btcRE - which stands for "be the change Real Estate"?is?a?boutique real estate development, investment, and advisory firm that brings hands-on, institutional-caliber expertise to revitalize?properties, communities, and organizations. - We develop and invest in in underutilized, mid-sized?properties?located in dense, urban settings that require proactive, hands-on ownership to maximize value. - Our portfolio consists of several office and flex-space buidings in Boston's Route 128 Corridor. We've also recently launched a residential development practice, with active projects in Keene, NH and Everett, MA. - We're a small-but-mighty team founded more than 10 years ago by college friends Brian Iammartino, CFA and M. Ryan Gorman. - Interested in taking up (work) residence in one of our awesome buildings? PM us here, and we will put you in touch with the right people. Let us know what else you'd like to learn about btcRE - we'd love to share! (Pictured at a ribbon-cutting at btcRE property 224 Calvary Street in Waltham earlier this year: from left to right, Aven Hamilton-Iammartino, Brian Iammartino, Ryan Gorman, Waltham Mayor Jeannette McCarthy, Brendan Cohn and Silvia Lopez Chavez, the artist who designed and installed the mural)

It's a story all too common in midcentury 1900s America - A city is divided by a *new* Interstate highway - often leaving Blacks and other citizens of color stranded and left to deal with the consequences of high-speed traffic and pollution. New Rochelle - a suburb of New York City - was one of the cities suffering from the affects of unjust "urban renewal." Now, after years of advocacy and nearly $30M in federal grants, mayor Yadira Ramos-Herbert?is leading the effort to cut Memorial Highway down to three lanes and cover the rest with green space. https://lnkd.in/emnpM2CH

In honor and observance of Indigenous Peoples' Day, let's all take a moment to recognize the rich history, diverse cultures, and significant contributions of Indigenous communities around the world. As we commemorate this day, may we all commit to fostering understanding and ensuring that the voices and stories of Indigenous communities continue to be heard and valued. #IndigenousPeoplesDay #CulturalAwareness #TogetherForChange