ULI PHL’s 5th Annual Willard G. “Bill” Rouse III Awards for Excellence finalists represent superior development projects in the greater Philadelphia region that embody the ULI mission of pushing the standard of excellence in real estate and land use and creating sustainable, thriving communities.

Jeffrey Brown, Partner at Brown Hill Development joins us for this week’s “Five Minutes with a Finalist”. Brown Hill Development has been recognized as a finalist for bridge. Here’s what he had to say:

Who has had the greatest influence on your career and what was the best advice he or she gave you?

Thankfully, the typical construction and development community taught us how not to do things. In a primitive business like construction, realizing the value of relationships and how they yield repeat and referral business and promote collaborative problem solving. On the development end, capitalizing on the many advantages reaped by world class design put into action with a non-adversarial team of stakeholders with a common goal, mutual respect and good communication skills.

What are you most excited about in the Philadelphia area and region?

Most excited by the explosive growth and vibrance evident throughout the city. Street traffic, bicycles, restaurants, pop ups, parks and people. All leading to a new level of appreciation for the city and all it has to offer. Not to mention it’s basic affordability and manageable lifestyle.

As a ULI PHL Awards nominee, what makes you most proud of your project?

Proud of our perseverance, the incredible City support and guidance we enjoyed, the alignment and high energy of our design/construction/development team, pulling this project off after 17 years, delivering a LEED Gold building with an affordable housing component, and how our creation is being embraced by the community.

Winners announced live June 13