Plan Now – Build Now

by Michael Barnes, Publisher, High-Profile Monthly
SCUP North Atlantic Region’s Spring 2011 conference theme will tackle the recent economic downturn that has forced a re-thinking in every aspect of higher education to prioritize, share, and optimize resources to do more with less- or less with less.
This years theme “What’s the Mission? Where’s the Money? Planning in Service of the Mission” is sure to echo as a rallying call within the design and construction industry in New England. Your comments on the topic are welcome at editor@high-profile.com.
SCUP (Society for College and University Planning) activities have long been of interest to our readers. We feature educational facilities developments in every issue, but we have selected our March issue for the annual focus on institutions and schools so that it will be in sync with this event, and the extra distribution we provide at the SCUP Conference will reach the planners.
2011 Spring Conference Co-Chairs and At-Large include Robert C. Hicks, Symmes Maini & McKee Assoc. and Debi Lacey McDonald, Cannon Design. For more about SCUP visit http://www.scup.org/page/regions/na .
Now is the Time To Build
Boston Private Bank & Trust Company recently completed major financing for three large community development loans for properties in Cambridge and Roxbury. Two of those loans, totaling $66.5 million, will renovate almost 300 public housing apartments in Cambridge for low-income residents.
Boston Redevelopment Authority(BRA) board approved tentative designation to Elma Lewis Partners LLC and development partner, FeldCo Development Company for the development of Ruggles Place. The new team has 18 months to continue to move forward on this $308 million mixed use project.
BRA also approved an $18 million, mixed use housing and community center in Charlestown. Bridgeview Apartment Development will consist of affordable housing units and commercial space that will be run by the Life Focus Center of Charlestown (LFC)