Buildings: Feasibility, Finance, Execution
Successful developments should benefit their neighborhoods, their residents and their owners, on the day they open and long-term. As experienced practitioners, VIVA can help with any stage of your project. From program design, siting, financing, permitting, community process, or managing a construction team, we have the know-how to get the job done.
Featured Project
Financing Expertise for a Transformative Project: Lawrence’s Mill District
Nearly two decades ago, Lawrence CommunityWorks (LCW) conceived an ambitious plan to transform the Massachusetts city’s long-neglected Mill District into a vibrant, mixed-used neighborhood. The nonprofit purchased the historic Southwick and Duck Mills, adjacent campuses that offered 360,000 square feet of space for adaptive reuse; LCW later acquired a nearby vacant lot. VIVA Consulting has provided financing expertise through multiple phases of the project, complementing LCW’S extensive skill in community planning and real estate development.
VIVA Consulting’s support for LCW’s transformation of the Mill District started in 2007, and it has continued, through several economic booms and busts, through five successive phases of development at the extended site. Development to date includes public infrastructure construction and adaptive reuse of the mill buildings to create 134 affordable units and 42,000 square feet of commercial space. New construction of 80 more units of affordable housing plus a youth community center is currently in process on adjoining land. The final phase of development, adaptive reuse of the old Dyeworks building, will bring a much-needed supermarket and health center to this part of the city.