Mark is Founder and Director of Take Root. Take Root is a network of companies passionate about using real estate to do good through developing urban projects, managing properties, and investing in place making ventures.

Mark began his exploration of commerce and culture as an Imagineer with Disney, developing new theme park experiences. Later, he was the Director of User Research at ECCO Design in New York leading new product development for Fortune 500 clients.

He has a BS in Engineering and an MS in Engineering Management, both from Stanford University. He was a Mayfield Entrepreneurship Fellow and has served on the Vancouver City Planning Commission. He also currently serves on the board of the Vancouver Contemporary Art Gallery.

The entire team at BOB would like to extend a very warm welcome to Mark and look forward to seeing his creativity, insight  and experience at work here in the  community!

Now available on the BOB website is a report exploring the formation of a community development corporation (CDC) in the inner-city, prepared by  Heather Tremain. Heather is Co-Chair of Vancity’s Community Foundation and past President of Tradeworks Training Society as well as past chair of the Cascadia Region Green Building Council. She was recently awarded a Loeb Fellowship at Harvard University.

Pasted into this post is the executive summary. For the complete document please go here. We welcome and appreciate any comments regarding this study so please feel free to comment below or contact Shirley Chan or Brian Smith.

Building Opportunities with Business Inner-city Society’s (BOB) has commissioned an external study to survey, assess and report on the viability of using real estate development as a tool of inner-city revitalization and the role a Community Development Corporation (CDC) might play in Vancouver’s Inner-city.

The approach to this study, as determined by BOB, was to interview a number of community members with knowledge or expertise in real estate, planning, the downtown eastside, housing or funding. These interviews were supplemented with background research on models utilized elsewhere – particularly in the United States.
There was general agreement and support for the use of real estate development as a tool for inner-city revitalization, amongst the people interviewed for this report. Though there was one noteworthy exception. There are many cases of revitalization in Canada and the US – some of which result in gentrification, and some ghettoization. In generalit was felt that there is an opportunity to create a solution in Vancouver that maintains a
mixed low and middle income community in the urban core. Some interviewees suggested Vancouver was uniquely placed to achieve this delicate balance.

Each of the interviewees was provided with a definition of a CDC, which drew on the work of the Building Community Society. This generated discussion about the nature and mandate of the organization. There were three key roles that emerged from those discussions -

Investment model – in this role deal structures and governance model for
projects that allows new investment in projects would be created. These
structures would ‘grow the pie’ of possible funding dollars for projects, outside of government sources. This requires a project that will deliver a financial return, or an exit strategy with an upside for the investor. This model could be developed and implemented on a project basis and would be one way to start a CDC. The approach requires limited operational dollars. The CDC may or may not be an investor, rather a facilitator.

CDC as a developer – requires capital for the CDC. In this role the CDC
would seek sites within the DTES to pursue development projects. It would use the investment models above, as a means to leverage other funds. It could also offer development expertise to other non profits. The CDC might partner with developers to deliver housing and other amenities to the community.

Community Planning and Consultation – in this role the CDC would have
an active role in the creation of a new community plan, as part of the City

process. The CDC would become an integral part of the City’s planning process by modeling projects that are supported by, and contribute to the community.

The CDC might also offer advisory services to other developers focused on
community consultation and have a role in community amenity contribution
negotiations, representing the interests of the community.

A number of interviewees suggested that a Community Development Corporation might be started incrementally and organically. The notion being that the CDC would start as an initial project, creating an investment model and constructing deals on a oneoff basis. While this idea has a lot of merit and might be facilitated by an existing organization like BOB there were also concerns that it would be challenging to ‘evolve’ to a fuller mandate which would see the CDC playing the role of the developer.

An alternate version of the creation of a CDC emerged through discussions – that it might be initially constituted as a development organization. It was thought that, to be successful, a CDC needs to have some organizational and governance capacity from the beginning, and be a stand alone organization with a robust means of engaging with the communities that live and work in the downtown eastside.

What is BOB’s role in a CDC? Given that BOB’s does not have expertise is real estate it is not advisable for BOB, as it exists now, to undertake development activities. BOB, however, could support the development of various aspects of the CDC, from the investment model to a conceptual framework and governance model for an active development oriented CDC

For more information go here.

Back in the Saddle!

BOB is proud to be a partner with the Lookout Society and Mighty Riders in The Cycle Back Bicycle Repair Training Program.  Cycle Back is a 6 week training program with a 2 week work practicum for people who are interested in working as bicycle technicians.  The participants also get connected to jobs upon the completion of the course.  BOB is pleased to assist with advertising and recruiting local participants for the program.  Recently we were pleased to refer 5 inner-city residents who are passionate about bikes and cycling.   The participants have all said that the Cycle Back program is a great way for each of them to make a fresh start.   We are looking forward to celebrating with all the participants at the graduation near the end of May and are excited to continue to find more inner-city residents who are ready to get back in the saddle, or make a career change!  The Cycle Back program has on-going intakes with classes starting every 6 weeks.

Interested participants can drop by the BOB office at 163 E Pender between 10am and 4pm, Monday to Friday, to complete an application for the Cycle Back program.

Army & Navy has got SOLE!

Over 100,000 pairs of soles!  Army & Navy has been having their Legendary Shoe Sale for decades and the sale has become a part of the history of the DTES community.   Shoppers are known to queue outside of the store for hours before the doors open.  The sale boasts over 100,000 pairs of shoes and requires extra staff to keep the store stocked and organized throughout the sale.  Through our BOB BusinessLinks program, we were able to connect 23 inner-city residents to employment with Army & Navy.  Colin Pierce, HR manager for Army & Navy, participated in the BusinessLinks session by providing an overview of the job opportunities, leading a workplace tour, and showing a Shoe Sale documentary.  Colin helped to prepare all the participants to work in what would prove to be a very busy, chaotic and rewarding work environment.  BOB BusinessLinks programs have been connecting inner-city residents to specific jobs and employers for over 5 years.  It has been great working with Army and Navy this time!

For more information about BusinessLinks, or if BOB can help you recruit and connect people to opportunities in your workplace, please contact:  jobpostings@bobics.org

- by Ada

The BOB team get all sorts of opportunities to work with amazing businesses, social enterprises and other non-profit groups active in the DTES and inner-city. One of those organizations is Tradeworks Training Society. Tradeworks Training Society,  helps foster sustainable independence by providing job-related skills training, counseling, and work opportunities. During the construction of the Olympic Athletes Village in SE False Creek, BOB really go to see Tradeworks in action, as they were teamed up with RONA to create and facilitate the Fab (Fabrication) Shop. Over 100 local residents were professionally apprenticed in carpentry and other skills in the Fab Shop and then placed on the Athlete’s Village construction site as part of the city’s first major Community Benefits Agreement.

The Olympic Village is now internationally renowned and has been awarded LEED Platinum Certification for the entire neighborhood as well as LEED Gold status for all of the buildings included.

And while construction of the 2010 Olympic Athlete’s Village is finished, with the exception of some retrofitting work that will begin soon, Tradeworks remains busy with plenty of other great projects too.

“Tradeworks Custom Products“ provides training & entry-level employment to women in the Downtown Eastside, Strathcona and adjacent neighborhoods.

The Job Shop is another innovative program that Tradeworks supports. Since 2001 The Job Shop has worked with over 600 people to support them in getting back to work.

Pathways provides access to information and knowledge resources for individuals and organizations in the Downtown Eastside. Pathways has worked closely with the BOB SEP team who have enjoyed an excellent working relationship with them.

Tradeworks Women’s Workshop pre-employment program introduces inner-city women to the world of carpentry and registered trades. The program develops essential workplace skills and attempts to get women registered and progressing in a trade of their choice.

Tradeworks Training Society has been offering training and employment programs in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver since 1994. Each program is centered in the belief that mutual respect is key to any relationship, and that a hand up is more lasting than a hand out.

The team at Building Opportunities are thankful to have the opportunity to work with Tradeworks. Check out their site for the great products they offer and numerous opportunities for residents.

This post was originally published on the Greening the Inner-City Blog.

Over the recent years many thinkers and planners have foreseen the likely transformations of our urban and suburban communities as costs related to resources, building materials and other logistics force us to think on our feet and adjust. I recall one author even wrote a book titled “The End of Suburbia”. Actually it was a documentary now that I come to think of it. As potential challenges such as peak oil, loss of arable land, energy and water scarcity and other logistical (and social) hurdles continue to present themselves on our horizon, authors like James Howard Kunstler, Jeremy Rifkin,  and numerous scholars agree that we may need to rethink our systems and our approaches and reassess much of our infrastructure and planning as we look ahead. Vancouver has been recognized as one of the more progressive and community focused cities in North America but even we may see some major physical transformations should these challenges come to a headwaters in the next 50 years. Though I do write with the focus of BOB in mind, I’m also a geographer, so I’m inspired to look at these issues very much from the perspective of a geographer.

In the case of Vancouver our physical geography and some astute urban planning has already helped to create a clean density that we’re celebrated and noted for now, and if we continue to go dense out of necessity or desire we will likely need to maximize urban spaces. Enter the deconstruction industry and the restoration economy.

A great little video on Treehugger.com about a social enterprise in Bristol UK was sent to me from Brian here at Building Opportunities with Business (who got it from Toby Barazzuol at Eclipse Awards). The Bristol Recycling Project collects donations of unused lumber, and either finds a way to put it back into the market or reconstitutes them into products like shelving and furniture. This is a service that has developed in relationship with the deconstruction industry and the restoration economy. The restoration economy is an idea put forth by author Storm Cunningham in a 2002 book entitled (you guessed it) The Restoration Economy. Along with William McDonough’s book Cradle to Cradle, it was considered a landmark environmental book at the beginning of this decade. In short, or rather to summarize but a brief aspect of it, think of it like this. Instead of blowing up a building into a million fragments and trucking them off to the landfill, we can slowly deconstruct it and utilize as much of the materials as possible in other developments. It’s like my father-in-law (an incredibly accomplished engineer who has worked on numerous high profile projects around the world) always says, “The most sustainable building is the one already built”. Well, the logic of the restorative economy says the next best thing may be recycling all those materials as best as possible into a new format. Plus it creates jobs and stimulates the economy.

Reclaimed wood has been utilized by social enterprises and businesses in BC and specifically in the inner-city Tradeworks Training Society uses reclaimed wood for many of their products. But much of this reclaimed wood is from Pine Beetle infested lumber considered below market standard due to its blueish tint. Conversely, much of the wood used by the Bristol Wood Recycling Project comes from buildings that have been recently deconstructed or found lumber, and as other cities around the world begin to rethink their urban design many structures may need to come down in order for more efficient designs to go up. Buildings will also need improvements, retrofits and other maintenance, like our beautiful heritage buildings here in Vancouver. There’s little doubt that a large market potential for the restorative industry exists in Vancouver. As recent improvements along the Hastings Corridor (a result of the Great Beginnings and Hastings Renaissance Program) attest, we Vancouverites value the historical architecture of the inner-city. Many of these old buildings need a little love and elbow grease as time does take its toll, but they shine up real good.

But where is Vancouver’s inner-city in regards to a similar project like the one in Bristol? Well, it has been discussed, and there are still people in the community who believe a similar deconstruction social enterprise might be successful here. We do have a proud history as an enterprising lumber town after all.

Is it a matter of timing though?

As construction of high density buildings becomes more expensive, eating into the bottom line of those projects, and as space becomes less available in our city perhaps reclaimed materials from deconstruction will present an affordable and accessible option for developers? And that in turn may likely create more demand for deconstruction and restorative work, more space to develop, and perhaps contribute to more affordable housing prices? Someone would probably have to write a thesis as opposed to a blog post to really answer some of those questions. But this is a place for ideas and conversation after all.

It’s some food for thought as we look to the future of this city and our inner-city’s urban design. By looking at the Bristol Wood Recycling Project and other similar enterprises we can perhaps better imagine the choices that may present themselves to us down the road.

-Wes-