The 2015 National LOCUS Leadership Summit: Private-Sector Solutions to the Affordability & Social Equity Crisis was held June 2-3, 2015 at the Carnegie Library in Washington, DC. The Summit convened responsible real estate developers and investors with top local elected officials for a private-sector led discussion on the most provocative issues (like gentrification, affordability, and social equity) facing smart growth real estate development.

The fourth annual LOCUS Leadership Summit convened at the Carnegie Library in Washington, DC, bringing together 130 real estate developers and local elected officials from around the country. Attendees discussed and debated with the brightest minds in real estate, discovering private sector tools and strategies to combat the affordability and social equity crisis. Read a full recap of the event here >>

We hope you enjoyed the 2015 National Summit and will join us in the movement to advance walkable places across the country by becoming a LOCUS member. Take a look below at some of the events and resources from the summit.

2015 LOCUS Leadership Award
The 2015 LOCUS Leadership Award ceremony was held at the Congressional Leadership Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, June 3, to honor Federal Realty Investment Trust as the 2015 LOCUS Developer of the Year, Lucas Thornton President of Hist:Re Partners as the 2015 Richard Baron Awardee, and Jamestown Properties as the 2015 Honorable Mention for their exemplary commitment to public leadership and smart growth development. Read more about our 2015 LOCUS Leadership Awardees >>

R.E.A.L. Talks
The 2015 Summit marked the second year of Real Estate Advocacy and Leadership (R.E.A.L.) Talks, an off-the-record series featuring innovative ideas and approaches to smart growth real estate development from members of the private and public sector. A list of the 2015 R.E.A.L. Talks speakers and presentations are available below:

Making the Business Case for Triple-Bottom Line Development and Social Equity

• Chryse Gibson, Executive Vice President, Oaktree/Greenline
• Carol Naughton, Senior Vice President, Purpose Built Communities

Achieving and Managing Affordability in Walkable Urban Places

• Jair Lynch, President, JAIR LYNCH Development
• Egbert Perry, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Integral Group LLC
  and Chairman of the Board of Fannie Mae
• Jonathan Rose, President, Jonathan Rose Companies

Concurring Off-the-Record Sessions
The off-the-record sessions presented participants had a nothing-is-off-limits style conversation to develop innovative and actionable solutions for the most controversial smart growth real estate issues facing the industry today. Speakers explained the mechanics behind their projects while being open about what is and isn’t working on the ground. Concurring session speakers and presentations are available below:

Attainable Housing and Commercial Development

• Alternative and Innovative Approaches to Attainable Housing Financing
  • Genger Charles, General Deputy Assistant Secretary (Acting), Federal
    Housing Administration at HUD
  • Lori Chatman, President, Enterprise Community Loan Fund
  • Marliyn Melkonian, President, Telesis Corporation
• Can a Neighborhood Gentrify, Developers Make Money, and there still be Social and Economic Equity?
  • Calvin Gladney, LEED AP, Managing Partner, Mosaic Urban
  • Paul Morris, President and CEO, Atlanta Beltline Inc.
  • Sarosh Olpadwala, Director of Real Estate, DC Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development
  • Ilana Preuss, Founder, Recast City LLC

Affordable Transit-Oriented Development

• Equitable TOD Financing
  • Mike Curzan, Senior Advisor, Brailsford & Dunlavey
• State and Regional Strategies for Raising Local Funds for Transit and TOD
  • Mark Falcone, Founder and CEO, Continuum Properties
  • Keith Parker, General Manager and CEO, MARTA
  • Mark Toro, Managing Partner, North American Properties

Private Sector Placed-Based Solutions

• Managing Gentrification through Equitable Development and Place-Based Solutions
  • Dennis Allen, Director of Acquisitions and Development, Zidell Yards
  • Christopher Leinberger, President, LOCUS
• Ferguson: Now and the Future
  • Richard Baron, Founder, McCormack Baron Salazar

Walking Tours

On Tuesday June 2, participants toured H Street and Brookland, two historical regions of Washington DC that are undergoing rapid new developments. On Wednesday June 3, attendees visited Tysons, VA to explore recent projects and proposed walkable development along Metro’s Silver Line. These neighborhood case studies offered participants a unique opportunity to consider affordability and social equity issues within the DC landscape.

Receptions

The goal of the summit was to advance smart growth projects on the ground. During various receptions, participants engaged in high-level networking and deal-making. Projects were highlighted during the LOCUS LinkUp – Let’s Make a Deal! sessions and the VIP Deal-Making Rooms including new developments in Atlanta, GA from Amanda Rhein, Senior Director of Transit Oriented Development and Real Estate at MARTA, and projects in Washington DC, from Stan Wall, Director of Real Estate and Station Planning at WMATA. “The Pitch” cocktail reception concluded the evening with regional development presentations from: Linda Hamby, of Atlanta, GA Joshua Rogers, of Macon, GA Roger Leithead, of Marietta, GA Lou Ogden, of Tulatin, OR Cindy Pool, of Ellisville, MO For information on how to connect with the contestants of The Pitch, contact Megan Pierce.

Advocacy

At the LOCUS National Hill Day, participants went to Capitol Hill meetings with their Congressional Delegations to ensure future legislation includes incentives for transit-oriented, mixed-use development. Following the meetings, participants heard from Senator Brian Schatz (Hawaii) at the LOCUS Policy Roundtable as he called for future investment in smart growth development. Read more about LOCUS’ policy proposals >>

A Special Thanks to our Sponsors:

The 2015 National LOCUS Leadership Summit was hosted by the LOCUS Steering Committee.