A ceremony honoring the 10 winners of the Multifamily Executive Award competition was held Oct. 28, 2002 at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas. Awards were given in seven categories; Marketing and Advertising, Community Service, Best Reuse of Land, Best Use of Technology, Project of the Year – which includes Affordable, Market-Rate, Niche Market, and Resort/Luxury Housing – Builder of the Year, and Executive of the Year.
The 2002 call for entries resulted in a tremendous amount of quality nominations, which made it very difficult for the selection committee to choose. However, the winners are truly deserving, as they represent the best in multifamily design and management. From philanthropic efforts that reach out to the community to the redevelopment of a brownfield site, the winners' extra efforts make their projects and companies stand out.
Simpson Housing Solutions LLC's advertising campaign showed a carefully planned and comprehensive branding strategy. The company has a two-prong corporate advertising and marketing campaign for its acquisitions and development divisions, which operate independently. And, while the campaigns integrate visually, their themes are unique to their constituencies.
However, the corporate focus of both campaigns is the same – to identify Simpson Housing Solutions as a company that celebrates excellence in the affordable housing industry. The ads showed a unique and creative approach to presenting the positive side of affordable housing. In addition, the combination of original photography and targeted copy shows how much the company enjoys being involved in this niche.
Associated Estates Realty Corp. takes an active role in the community through its Associated Estates Cares (AEC) program. The program moves beyond traditional corporate philanthropy to corporate social investing.
AEC Cares, a corporate model for community involvement, promotes quality of life in its communities by involving employees and residents in local charity activities.
The company focuses on three areas: corporate-wide support of select national nonprofit organizations, volunteerism and support of local community nonprofits by employees, and participation by management on the boards of nonprofits. During the past year, at least 50 percent of its communities and regional offices participated in at least one community activity. Organizations which have benefited include AIDSRide, American Cancer Society, American Red Cross, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and the United Way.
Each year, this award is presented to the company that has increased its efficiency, profitability, and effectiveness through technology, or that has provided technological or e-commerce opportunities to its residents. Through RentWizard, AMLI has adapted a yield-management system and has raised the bar of technology's best practices in the multifamily housing industry.
In addition to using optimum pricing in the sales situation, the other key advantage that comes from RentWizard is that as part of the business process, pricing decisions are removed from the leasing staff. Once the leasing agents don't have to worry about pricing the units, they can focus on selling the benefits of the property.
While much of the land along the New Jersey Hudson River shoreline had already been transformed into housing, a 10-acre slice of land in North Bergen, N.J., jutting into the river across from Manhattan's West 70s, had long sat dormant. Barrett Builders converted the former unused waterfront, which was designated a brownfield, into Half Moon Harbour.
The property offers 176 luxury units ranging from 740 square feet to 1,536 square feet and features European-designed kitchen cabinets, washer/dryers, high-tech wiring, and ceramic tiling in the kitchens and baths. Initially, a limited number of apartments were reserved for three-month leases for New Yorkers displaced by the events of Sept. 11.
To address the brownfield situation, the winner worked with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. In addition, the development plan initially met opposition from neighboring residents, fearful of losing their scenic skyline.
In a compromise, the architect angled the 12-story structure to minimize any obstruction of views for nearby homes and businesses.
While most of the residential and business neighbors of the proposed development – The Commons at Grant – supported the effort, vocal opposition arose in the form of an elite, upper-income, historic community located just outside the downtown boundaries of the project. The ensuing public battle divided Columbus, and eventually involved the local media and city government. The crux of the issue was a complicated funding package that included millions in public money. National Church Residences showed great use of grassroots efforts to overcome the not-in-my-back-yard (NIMBY) sentiment. The decision was left to the Columbus City Council, which finally voted in favor of the development.
The Commons at Grant in downtown Columbus is notable because it not only offers 50 units to those earning 60 percent or less of area median income (AMI), but also works with the Community Shelter Board's "Rebuilding Lives" initiative to offer 50 units to formerly homeless residents earning at or below 30 percent of AMI.
This project is an excellent example of a successful private military housing project. The Village at NTC site, conveniently located three miles north of downtown San Diego, will help relieve the current military housing shortage in the area–and personnel is estimated to grow by 4,000 over the next five years.
The project is earmarked for enlisted sailors and Marines with families, and the community already has a waiting list several thousand people long.
The 500 Spanish Colonial-style townhome community–the result of intensive planning among the department of the U.S. Navy, the city of San Diego, the local Point Loma community, and the developer–is within the former Naval Training Center redevelopment area.
When completed, the neighborhood will include seven acres of open landscaped areas, a swimming pool, an amphitheater, workout facilities, picnic areas, tot lots, and an elementary school.
The Lofts at the Ballpark provides a link between downtown Houston, the Houston Astro's ballpark, and new residential development. The unique design mimics the surrounding neighborhood, and the buildings look like turn-of-the-20th-century warehouses. Each loft unit features 10-foot clear floor-to-ceiling heights, open floor plans with large windows, stained concrete floors, and exposed mechanical ducts.
In addition to the 375 units, the project consists of secured structured parking with direct access to all buildings at each level, a 9,103-square-foot clubhouse with an Internet cafe, a virtual concierge intranet, a demonstration gourmet kitchen for cooking classes, a business center, a conference room, an exercise facility, a movie theater with stadium seating, and a game room.
This New Orleans-style housing provides luxury and comfort in a mixed-use urban site, minutes from downtown Houston. The 380-unit community offers apartments, lofts, and townhouses in 38 distinct floor plans ranging from 700 square feet to 2,000 square feet. Residents can customize each apartment unit and are encouraged to be creative. Some options are exposed duct work,track lighting, stained oak cabinets with glass accent doors, island kitchens, wine racks, and pot racks.
The Quarters features wrought iron gates, balconies, courtyards, and a pedestrian-only,brick-paved community walk-through known as Main Street. Community amenities include a full-service concierge, an outdoor fireplace, barbecue grills, a tropical lagoon-style pool and covered cabana, a coffee bar, billiards/game room, and a fitness center with personal trainers, private lockers, showers, and tanning beds.
2003 Award Winners RESORT/LUXURY PROJECT OF THE YEAR
Winner: McCaslin Development Co.
Headquarters: Dallas
Project: The Quarters at Memorial, Houston
Recipients: Butch and J.D. McCaslin, co-presidents
MARKETING AND ADVERTISING
Winner: Simpson Housing Solutions LLC
Headquarters: Long Beach, Calif.
Recipient: Michael Costa, president
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Winner: Associated Estates Realty Corp.
Headquarters: Richmond Heights, Ohio
Recipient: Barbara Hasenstab, vice president of investor relations and corporate communications
BEST USE OF TECHNOLOGY
Winner: AMLI Residential Properties Trust
Headquarters: Chicago
Recipient: Steven Small, executive vice president and CIO
BEST REUSE OF LAND
Winner: Barrett Builders
Headquarters: Fort Lee, N.J.
Project: Half Moon Harbour, North Bergen, N.J.
AFFORDABLE PROJECT OF THE YEAR
Winner: National Church Residences
Headquarters: Columbus, Ohio
Project: The Commons at Grant, Columbus
Recipient: Mark Ricketts, vice president and COO
NICHE PROJECT OF THE YEAR
Winner: Lincoln/Clark San Diego LLC
Headquarters: San Diego
Project: The Village at NTC, San Diego
Recipient: Charlotte Kraenzle, marketing coordinator of Clark Realty
MARKET-RATE PROJECT OF THE YEAR
Winner: The Hanover Co.
Headquarters: Houston
Project: The Lofts at the Ballpark, Houston
Recipient: John Nash, president