Portland to honor Developers Collaborative
File photo / Tim Greenway
Kevin Bunker, founding principal of Developers Collaborative, and his company will receive the 2019 Economic Development Achievement Award from the city of Portland on Wednesday. He is shown here at the Motherhouse at Baxter Woods, at 605 Stevens Ave. in Portland, which he redesigned into apartments.
Developers Collaborative and its founding principal Kevin Bunker have been chosen for the 2019 Economic Development Achievement Award by the city of Portland Development Council.
The city will present the award in a ceremony Dec. 11, at 4:30 p.m., at Ocean Gateway, 1 Commercial St. in Portland.
The award goes to “a visionary individual, business or organization that has had a significant impact upon strengthening the city's economy,” the council’s director, Greg Mitchell, said in a news release. “Consideration may include expanding and/or diversifying the workforce; helping to make Portland a great place to live, work and locate a business; improvements to health and environmental sustainability; and other contributions.”
Developers Collaborative is a real estate development and management company interested in projects that build community. Bunker provides consistent direction for core themes like smart growth, environmental sustainability, affordable housing and innovative design, according to the release. The collaborative frequently participates in public-private partnerships to achieve public goals.
“Developers Collaborative’s involvement in numerous Portland development projects, including your smart growth projects and its community-based planning approach, are the reasons for the selection,” said Mitchell.
The collaborative has redeveloped many historic properties into beneficial uses throughout the city. Examples in Portland include the Nathan Clifford School, which was redeveloped into apartments, and the Sisters of Mercy Motherhouse property in Deering Center, which was redeveloped into a mix of affordable and market rate rental senior housing.
In 2017, the collaborative responded to the city’s request for proposals for the sale and reuse of the former Reed School building and property and was awarded the project. A portion of the property has been redeveloped into a new facility for Children’s Odyssey, a preschool for children with learning challenges. The rest of the property will be redeveloped into eight residential units.
Developers Collaborative has worked on real estate projects for some of Maine’s iconic businesses, including Jackson Laboratory and L.L.Bean.
The collaborative is now focused on further redevelopment of the former Sisters of Mercy campus, including Stevens Square at Baxter Woods, which comprises 120 new market rate “55-plus active adult” condominium units across five buildings. Developers Collaborative is also renovating 66 State St. into an affordable housing project, with a lodging house of 38 rooming units and 30-units of rental housing.
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