The Housing Local Product Council hosted two insightful panel discussions on Inclusionary Zoning in the Philadelphia region including representatives from the Pennsylvania and New Jersey suburbs and beyond. Speakers included: Scott France, Executive Director, Montgomery County Planning Commission; Jon Geeting, Director of Engagement, Philadelphia 3.0; Lorissa Luciani, Administrator, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs; Bryan Oos, Regional Director of Acquisitions & Development, Toll Brothers; Milton Pratt, Executive Vice President of Development, Michaels Organization; Senator Nikil Saval, Pennsylvania State Senate; Ryan Spak, Principal and Founder, Spak Group; Octavia Howell, Manager, Philadelphia Research and Policy Initiative, The Pew Charitable Trust; and moderated by David Feldman, Temple University Architecture and Environmental Design.

The Life Sciences Local Product Council hosted a thought-provoking panel discussion exploring Philadelphia’s Life Sciences investments and their impact in creating sustainable communities throughout the state. Speakers included: Angie Fredrickson, ESQ, Vice President of Real Estate Services, PIDC; Rebecca Grant, DVM, Director, Life Sciences & Biotechnology, City of Philadelphia Department of Commerce; Denita Henderson, Managing Director, Pennovation Works, University of Pennsylvania; Ben Kirshner, Chief Transformation Officer, Office of Transformation and Opportunity; Sam Browne, Senior Vice President, Hilco Redevelopment Partners; and moderated by Soha St. Juste, Principal, FIFTEEN Architecture + Design and Life Sciences Product Council Co-Chair.

The Central PA Regional Council members took a walking tour of York’s ‘Northwest Triangle’ guided and hosted by Warehaus Architecture & Engineering, learning about 5 recent re-developments and adaptive reuses focused on revitalization.

The Next Cohort organized a full-day program featuring a special presentation from Volumetric Building Companies in Berwick, PA along with a plant tour of their modular construction manufacturing facility.

The Community and Economic Development Product Council hosted deep dive conversations on the role of business improvement districts (BIDs) as they leverage local resources to enhance the quality of life through services and programing, featuring local developer perspectives in utilizing local BIDs. Speakers included: Henry Siebert and Ryan Kalili, Co-Founders of Archive Development; Eric Goldstein, President & CEO, King of Prussia District; Cassidy Martin, Executive Director, Northern Liberties BID; Shalimar Thomas, Executive Director, North Broad Renaissance; Vincent Better, Vice President, Partnerships, University City District; and moderated by Marc Collazzo, Executive Director, Fishtown Kensington Area Business Improvement District.

The Women’s Leadership Initiative held the 2nd Annual Women and Minority Owned Business Fair and Reception featuring over 20 W/MBE firms that provided information to attendees on their services across the real estate and land use sectors as well as a panel discussion on challenges W/MBE firms face securing contracts and strategies to increase W/MBE participation in transformative real estate and infrastructure projects. Speakers included: Meegan Denenberg, Founder + Chief Strategist, JEME Agency; Eleanor Sharpe, Urban Planner; Tia Abdulhadi, PAGE Business Resource Manager, Economy League of Philadelphia; Autumn Anderson, Deputy Director, Critical Investments, Office of Governor Josh Shapiro; Lizzie Woods, Senior Vice President, Strategic Planning and Real Estate Development, DRWC; and moderated by Anne Fadullon, Founding Principal, MAKE Advisory Services.

The Small Scale and Impact Development Council hosted a panel discussion to explore creative financing products that can help make projects pencil despite challenging interest rate environments to improve, access to these financing products can help deliver more resilient, equitable, and financially successful developments. Speakers included: Karla Ballard, Partner, Braid Mill; Elizabeth Frantz, Senior Director & Philadelphia Market Leader, Reinvestment Fund; David Langlieb, Executive Director, Philadelphia Accelerator Fund; MaryRose Myrteus, Executive Director, Philadelphia Green Capital Corp.; Henry Sullivan, Partner, Benchmark Real Estate Partner; and moderated by Karine Blanc, CEO, Avenue Fouchard Advisors and Small Scale and Impact Development Product Council Co-Chair with opening remarks from Danielle DiLeo Kim, President & CEO, Philadelphia250.

ULI Philadelphia and the Development Workshop hosted the sold out 2024 Spring (RE)Forecast. ULI full members, annual sponsors, and Advisory Board members as well as Development Workshop members attended this exclusive program that explored the economic trends affecting the regional outlook of various asset types including housing, office, retail and industrial. Speakers included: Stephen Buschbom, Research Director, Trepp; Brenda Nguyen, Associate Director, Market Analytics, CoStar; Ryo Tashiro, Outreach Economist and Advisor, Federal Reserve Bank; and moderated by Alexis Hilinski.

The newly formed Industrial Local Product Council held their inaugural program featuring a conversation surrounding industrial sites and their place in our region. Speakers included: Tom Dalfo, Senior Vice President, Real Estate Services, PIDC;  Kristen Scudder, Freight Program Manager, DVRPC, Matthew Tuerk, Mayor, City of Allentown; and moderated by Keith Davis, Partner, Nehmad Davis & Goldstein.

ULI Philadelphia and Green Building United assembled a distinguished panel of leaders to provide an overview of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022’s relevant provisions. Attendees had the opportunity to meet with other IRA experts and receive resources to support the integration of tax credits into future projects. Opening remarks by Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, District 3, Chair of City Council’s Committee on the Environment and Ben Evans, Federal Legislative Director, U.S. Green Building Council followed by special presentations from Kara Kokernak, Senior Director, Randall Lewis Center for Sustainability, Urban Land Institute and Katie Bartolotta, Vice President of Policy and Strategic Partnerships, Philadelphia Energy Authority. The program concluded with a panel discussion with Lisa Shulock, Director of Commercial Programs, Philadelphia Energy Authority; Laura Slutsky, Director, Guidehouse; Vidhi Anderson, Vice President of Development, HumanGood; and moderated by Ariella Maron, Executive Director, DVRPC.

Under the Homeless to Housed (H2H) Initiative, ULI Philadelphia hosted a presentation and conversation on the process and outcomes of two recent technical assistance panels evaluating real estate challenges they are facing in serving their residents and how creative partnerships and financing models can help them achieve their missions. Opening remarks by Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, Chair of City Council’s Committee on Housing, Neighborhood Development, and the Homeless; Jessica Venegas, Principal, Strategic Partnerships, Community Solutions; and William Herbig, AICP, ULI Homeless to Housed, Terwilliger Center for Housing followed by a panel discussion with technical assistance panel participants: Anne Marie Collins, MS, Vice President/Executive Director, Drueding Center; Stacey Mosley, Director of Research, Brandywine Realty Trust, Chair: Drueding Center TAP; Jason Miller, MSW, Chief Executive Officer, Families Forward Philadelphia; Paul Vernon, AIA, Urban Designer, Kimley-Horn, Chair: Families Forward Philadelphia TAP; and moderated by Mari Gonzalez, Senior Research Associate, The Pew Charitable Trusts.

June’s member breakfast series highlighted three 2023 Award of Excellence Winners featuring project representatives who shared challenges in rehabilitating existing buildings as well as the benefits, the positive impacts to the environment and community when preserving existing structures, as well as innovations in design that set their projects apart to be recognized as Awards for Excellence winners. Speakers included: Chris Ballentine, Willow Valley Communities – Project: Southern Market Renovations; Ian Smith, IS-DG –Project: Harrowgate Dye Works Revival; Matt Heckendorn, Heckendorn Shiles Architects – Project: The Ralph J. Roberts Boys and Girls Club; and moderated by Jennifer Waters, Urban Engineers & ULI Awards Committee Member.

The Southern New Jersey Regional Council commenced the relaunch of council programming with a special relaunch happy hour at The Michaels Organization.

ULI leaders and representatives of different committees and councils welcomed new and prospective members at our Open House to learn about how to get involved as a ULI member.

The Housing Product Council toured Anova UCity Square, a smart community focused on catering to the knowledge community, developed by GMH Communities.

The Young Leaders Group (YLG) and the NEXT Cohort toured the BOK Building followed by a happy hour on the rooftop at BOK Bar.

YLG members toured Willow Steam Plant, a forthcoming reuse and conversion project by the development team at E-Built that will feature mixed-use residential, restaurant, and commercial space.