The clout of Builders and Remodelers Association of Greater Boston (BRAGB) was clearly in evidence at the Multifamily Green Housing Executive Roundtable Luncheon held April 11th at the Seaport Hotel in Boston. Among the speakers were Arthur Jemison, deputy director of the MA Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), who informed the gathering that the State and quasi-public agencies were willing and able to help them access the programs being made available under Governor Patrick's initiative to add 80,000 housing units to the Commonwealth by 2020. "If you've got a project that you have or know about, let us know and we'll help you reach that goal," he told the group.
Jemison outlined a four point plan that 1) Identifies promising places for growth, 2) Creates prompt and predictable zoning and permitting in those places 3) Invests in public infrastructure and then 4) markets the developments. He said that the plan is a cornerstone to helping the state meet its goal of producing 10,000 multi-family units of housing per year.
National Association of Home Builders President (NAHB) and CEO Jerry Howard also addressed the crowd and impressed upon them the value of belonging to organizations such as NAHB, stating that members saved an average of $7,000 per unit in 2012. "It's an investment in your business when you're a member of an organization, because it helps not only on the profit side, but on the cost side as well," he said. Howard also commented that if there was one positive aspect to the recession for homebuilders, it was the innovations that led to cost reductions that now make green building economically feasible for the average homebuyer.
The event, sponsored by Triumph Modular and Owens Corning, featured an impressive roster of attendees across a broad spectrum of the players in the housing industry - from both the public and private sectors, including: Jemison and colleague Larry Field, Special Initiatives Manager at DHCD; Mass Development President & CEO Marty Jones; John Dalzell, Senior Architect for Sustainable Development at the Boston Redevelopment Authority and a board member of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC); and former Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria representing the government agencies.
The private sector was also well represented by former Boston City Councilor and Boston Mayoral candidate Michael Flaherty, now practicing law for Adler Pollock & Sheehan; NAHB's Howard; Lawrence Kady, President of Home Builders of Massachusetts; Eric White, Managing Director of the Boston Society of Architects;
Michelle Roberts, President Elect of the Construction Specification Institute, Boston Chapter and Corporate Business Development Leader for Owens Corning; Tony Green, Managing Partner at the Pinehills/The Green Company; Michael Davis, FAIA, LEED AP, and Principal at Bergmeyer Architects; Jim Goebelbecker, CEO of Housing Families; John T. Mahoney, President of Windjammer Construction; Eileen Caplan of Ferguson Enterprises; David Behr, the "speaker in sneakers" from Edge Seminars; Charles Aggouras, President of GFC Development; Andrew Chaban, CEO of Princeton Properties; Gerry-Lynn Darcy, Executive Officer and Scott Colwell, President Elect of BRAGB; Scott Colwell, President of Colwell Homes; Glenn Cort, Executive Vice President at Triumph Modular; Paul Moriarty, Esq. of Paul J. Moriarty & Associates; Michael Radner of Radner Design Associates, Inc. as well as a host of Real Estate Attorneys.