A special Thank You to Taylor Shulda, Landscape Architect Designer and Mark Westa, ASLA for creating a fun and interactive placemaking model. The model was recently displayed at SNEAPA 2019 and enjoyed by people of all ages during a community workshop for the Arts & Culture Corridor project in Keene, NH.
Thanks Erin Fajans, Structural Engineer for braving yesterday’s storms and volunteering at the Vermont Works for Women: Women Can Do! event.
To learn more about this organization and future events promoting STEM & Trades Careers visit: https://www.vtworksforwomen.org/programs/high-school-girls/women-can-do?fbclid=IwAR3VhTEXJoEsBVtl-iBmuFa_mAA1dLl4YNRejO-JKys87RCJdPPwhNLFm_8
Looking forward to another Architecture + Design Film Series event titled: KUSAMA: INFINITY on October 23rd at the Contois Auditorium, and Brattleboro, VT at 118 Elliot – 6:00pm
For more information visit: https://www.aiavt.org/news-events/event-details/post/architecture-design-film-series-20191014-457/
Bob Stevens conducts a tour of the Putnam Block Redevelopment project highlighting some of the gems hidden within.
Read more in Vermont Business Magazine: https://vermontbiz.com/news/2019/october/07/hidden-gems-found-during-demolition-putnam-block-redevelopment?utm_source=VBM+Mailing+List&utm_campaign=2051ddf604-ENEWS_2019_10_07&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b5e56b36a4-2051ddf604-286693409
Join S&A and M&S staff at SNEAPA 2019: Rethink, Reinvest, Renew on October 17-18 in Springfield, MA. Visit our table and meet our staff.
S&A – Mark Westa, ASLA will present: Psychology and the City: Springfield MA Case Study
Residents, visitors, and those that rarely or never have been to a specific city often have widely varying perceptions about the quality, character, and safety of that city. What is that? And what can be learned by digging into how various groups “see” the city.
Using urban design principles paired with ideas from human psychology, such as Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, this session will look at how people perceive the City of Springfield and why, like in many cities, those perceptions often are significantly in opposition to each other.
Primarily using pictures of the city, we will discuss how urban areas are perceived, how taking different routes or knowledge of various districts impacts us and what can be done to address the disparity in understanding and feelings. We will also look at how these impact the goals of many communities to be creative, entrepreneurial places.
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M&S – Gabby Ciuffreda is a panelist for: It Takes a Village to Revitalize a Historic Downtown Block
It takes a Village of state, regional, local, public, and private partners to move a complex historic revitalization effort forward. Downtowns throughout New England are rich with opportunities to live, work, and play. However, many downtown buildings and sites need significant rehabilitation. There are brownfields issues and a variety of funding sources are needed to implement the necessary environmental remediation to get a site ready for redevelopment.
The Putnam Block project in Bennington Vermont (VT) utilized funding from Windham Regional Commission and the VT AGency of Commerce and Community Development for brownfields remediation. The brownfields funding helped enable the project to leverage the remaining resources needed to make this $30 million historic redevelopment project become a reality. The Bennington County Regional Commission rallied local anchor institutions to come to the table and play a role. Each of these partners are critical to the success of the project.
This session will discuss the various funding sources used for remediation, the challenges associated with the project, and the lessons learned for complex, downtown rehabilitation projects. These lessons are applicable to communities throughout New England. We will discuss the importance of such funding in making larger redevelopment projects financially viable. Joining Gabby on the panel are:
Susan Westa, AICP, Windham Regional Commission
William Colvin, Bennington County Regional Commission & Industrial Corporation
Brett Long, Vermont Department of Economic Development
For more information and to register visit: https://www.sneapa.org/registration/
Come kick-off Season 7: A+D Film Series on Wednesday, Sept. 25th at 118 Elliot Street in Brattleboro or 149 Church Street in Burlington, Vermont.
MIES ON SCENE: BARCELONA IN TWO ACTS | September 25, 2019
Directed by Pep Martín & Xavi Campreciós
2018, Spain, 57 Minutes
PREVIEW
This is the story of a building that changed the history of architecture. The Barcelona Pavilion, constructed in 1929 and subsequently reconstructed in 1986, at two key moments in Barcelona’s history, immerses us in a reflection on the perception of art, space and the concept of masterpiece. Originally existing for only 8 months, the Barcelona Pavilion expressed the ground-breaking ideas of Ludwieg Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich and influenced generations of architects around the world. This story reveals the originality and power of the building, and the struggle of a group of architects to recover and give back to the city of Barcelona one of its most emblematic architectural works.
For more information visit: https://adfilmseries.org/
Join S&A’s sister company, M&S Development at CACX 2019 – Mohegan Sun Earth Expo + Convention Center.
Bob Stevens and Skye Morse will present: Beating the Odds: The economic and community impacts of downtown mixed-use projects can be trans-formative and create lasting change. This session will identify metrics to show these impacts and how to leverage those to finance projects. Using case studies to explore Impact Assessment; Benefits and Resilience; Overcoming Barriers and Financing Strategies.
Stevens & Associates and M&S Development are proud to sponsor Radically Rural – Keene NH. Visit our table and meet the staff at the Main Street Track on Sept. 19 & 20.
For more information visit: https://radicallyrural.org/
News coverage from the Putnam Block Redevelopment groundbreaking celebration in Bennington on August 7. Governor Phil Scott, Congressman Peter Welch, and others commended the Bennington community effort and stamina to bring what is now confirmed as the largest rural community/economic development project in the state at this time.
In the news. . .Hill Country Observer – A downtown makeover begins ~ Bennington sees landmark buildings as key to reviving its urban core By: Evan Lawrence. Photo by Joan K. Lentini
Visit: http://www.hillcountryobserver.com/2019%20news/july2019bennington.htm
S&A Architectural Designer and Accredited CNU member, Nikki Perry enjoyed a week at CNU 27.Louisville. In addition to interesting and educational sessions on transect oriented development, inclusive healthy places, and improving the public realm with place making, she spent time taking in the sites of Louisville and networked with other professionals eager to learn more about the New Urbanism movement. Nikki found Louisville to be a great example of a walkable city blending old and new urbanist communities.
S&A is happy to congratulate M&S Development, all the organizations & community members responsible for reaching a huge milestone to revitalize downtown Bennington, VT.
For more information about the Putnam Block Redevelopment project visit :
https://www.reformer.com/stories/putnam-block-financing-deal-done-construction-begins,577216
Licensed Project Architect/Project Manager
S&A is seeking an energetic, licensed architect to join our growing team at our Brattleboro, Vermont office. This full time position will research, design, and lead the construction documents preparation that comply with applicable building codes, building practices, and standards.
https://www.stevens-assoc.com/employment-opportunities/
S&A staff invites you to join them at the Annual Downtown & Historic Preservation Conference on June 5th. Stop by our table and say ‘hello’. We are proud to sponsor this event, look back on two decades of downtown revitalization, and plan for a vibrant future.
S&A Team Leader, Mark Westa, ASLA joins Peter Flinker, Principal of Dodson & Flinker and Ted Brovitz, Founder of Brovitz Community Planning & Design for the 2019 Massachusetts Association of Planning Directors Conference.
During the Master Planning and Implementation Strategies to Help Downtown and Village Centers Get Ready for the New Economy session, Mark will focus on how designers and developers can overcome the economic barriers to mixed-use downtown projects through innovative financing strategies, including the use of historic or New Market tax credits and “community-supported development.
For more details on this event, visit: https://www.planning.org/events/activity/9177284/
Congratulations to Ben Harwood, P.E. for earning his license to practice as a Professional Engineer in the State of Vermont. Ben is a dedicated member of S&A’s Structural Team and enjoys supporting local school STEM programs and various organizations.
Stevens & Associates and M&S Development are proud to sponsor the So. Vermont Economy Summit. Please visit our table and meet Skye Morse, Investment Director and a Principal for M&S as he presents – Development 101. For details visit: https://lnkd.in/eiZhJk2
Join Bob Stevens and M&S Development, a sponsor of the CohnReznick’s 18th Annual New Markets Tax Credit Summit – May 13th – 15th. Visit our table, meet our staff and learn more about projects Empowering Community Revitalization.
S&A welcomes Katie Stuart-Buckley to the M&S Development team. As Development Director, Katie will lead M&S to provide real estate development, capital sourcing, and deal-structuring services to projects which benefit economically challenged communities. Her years of dedication to the region and the State of Vermont are evident through her service as a board member with the Preservation Trust of Vermont, Vermont Downtown Development Board, Vermont Housing Finance Agency, Windham Regional Commission, Vermont Disaster Recovery Fund, and the Friends of Algiers Village.
Prior to her appointment by the Governor as Commissioner of Housing & Community Development in the Agency of Commerce & Community Development for the State of Vermont, Katie held leadership roles involving municipal management and finance, sensitive redevelopment of historic buildings for adaptive reuse, non-profit affordable housing, and community and economic development.
The S&A staff is excited to collaborate with Katie and provide a suite of services to support transformative downtown projects and community revitalization. To learn more visit: M&S Development
Congratulations to Serenity Wolf, PE and Civil Team Leader at S&A for being selected as one of the 2019 Trendsetters for Brattleboro and the Monadnock region. Serenity is being recognized with this award for her valuable contribution within the workplace and community.
For more information about this award and the other recognized Trendsetters visit: The Business Journal of Greater Keene
Thank you Leland and Gray Union Middle School for the opportunity to mentor 7th and 8th grade physical science class students preparing for the upcoming Battle Physics Challenge and Tournament. Brud Sanderson, PE and Principal at S&A has enjoyed evaluating the students’ process and looks forward to reviewing their project. Good Luck!
Snow Block Project Update – It’s underway and there’s a lot happening! S&A Engineers, Serenity Wolf, PE and Andrea Ameden, EI met with ReArch, construction manager and site contractor, Bernie LaRock & Son for water testing of the main and sprinkler lines. In addition, footings and foundation walls were being formed by Valley Concrete.
For more information about this project visit: https://www.stevens-as soc.com/portfolio/snow-block/
Looking forward to the White + Burke 5th annual Vermont Development Conference next week on Nov. 15th. Visit our staff at the S&A and M&S table.
For more information visit: https://lnkd.in/ek5P87A
Stevens & Associates and M&S Development are looking forward to presenting at the Vermont Statewide Housing Conference 2018.
On November 14th, look for Jillian Tomaselli, AIA and Martha Ratcliffe to speak during the Small Living Spaces-Municipal and Developer Considerations workshop. Bob Stevens, PE will present during the case study-oriented workshop, Economic Development. Trends, living spaces, and economic tools will be addressed during these sessions.
Join us and register HERE.
Bob Stevens discussed the feasibility of restoring downtown historic buildings during the Radically Rural Summit in Keene, NH
For more information about this event, read the following article from the Keene Sentinel. https://www.sentinelsource.com/news/local/for-radically-rural-keene-transformed-into-a-conference-center/article_e7a9bbd3-c026-53c8-80be-d5dc096dc995.html
Bob Stevens, PE and Craig Miskovich, Esq. will present – “Beating the Odds: Overcoming the Obstacles that Face Economically Challenged Downtown Mixed-Use Projects” at the Southern New England American Planning Association Conference in Hartford, CT on Oct. 19th.
This session will explore which metrics to measure and how to show the value of a project. It also will delve into unique strategies to leverage that value into community support and funding sources.
Please join them for this two-day conference of high quality, hands-on and interactive sessions, mobile workshops, planning law and planning ethics presentations, and member networking.
For more information visit SNEAPA.
Bob Stevens is looking forward to the Radically Rural Summit in Keene, NH on Sept. 27th & 28th. He will join rural leaders, founders, and trailblazers as they come together for a two-day summit to learn, connect, collaborate, and lead change to create vibrant and robust rural communities.
This event features five program tracks including three programs per track over the course of two days, as well as keynote opening and closing speeches, and the popular CONNECT event on Thursday night. As a panelist for the Historic Buildings as a Downtown Catalyst for Vibrancy session, Bob will focus on the Putnam Block Revitalization project, Bennington, VT.
For more information about this event, click HERE.
WEBSITE DESIGN AND MARKETING BY MONDO MEDIAWORKS
For an update on the exciting revitalization development effort in Bennington, read the following article,
Putnam Block Project Approved for $3.1 million for redevelopment from VermontBiz.
https://lnkd.in/gpinp8e