Hot Product of the Month
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Q: How do you meet the challenges presented by adaptive reuse projects, especially those of historic significance?
A: First, it’s important to meet with the neighborhood and the preservation community before presenting any proposals. Not only is it common courtesy, but the gesture and the information gleaned can make potential allies of those who might otherwise feel excluded from the development process. Second, do the best job possible, even at the expense of the bottom line; you’ll reap rewards far in excess of whatever savings you might achieve by cutting corners. Anticipate that you’ll need to create a number of custom products when doing adaptive reuse. Our company recently turned a historic granite-block jail into condominiums, which meant that the architects had to design custom windows to accommodate seismic requirements and fit the existing arches that were formerly glazed (and barred!) when the facility was a prison. Black would have been the more expected color for the redesigned fenestration, but we did it in white, which added a note of friendliness and helped offset the somewhat somber character of the project.
–Merrill H. Diamond is the founding partner of Diamond/Sinacori, a Boston real estate development company that specializes in adaptive reuse condominium projects.