Letter from Executive Director Jim Nimon - July 2016
I am writing as July ponders concluding a beautiful summer month in Maine. Paul Simon warned us many years ago in the lovely “April Come She Will” that “July, she will fly” – and so she has. There’s some bitter sweetness to this month as well. Our family and many friends said a sad goodbye to my mother-in-law (and Nana) who, though she passed away, set the bar high while she was here and challenged her granddaughters to be confident and make their mark in the world. Rest in peace.
This month we take a moment to tell you more about the St. Ignatius redevelopment project in downtown Sanford. Lead developer Kevin Bunker is bullish on Sanford and making his own mark on the urban landscape here and elsewhere in Maine. We know you will enjoy learning what motivates Kevin to do well in a community. Please add September 24
th to your calendar for the Great Pumpkin Festival. Guaranteed fun for the entire family this fall! The economic impact of tourism in our region – The Maine Beaches – continues to be significant, accounting for 30% of all visitors to Maine. Check out the article below and note that in 2015 we had 12 million visitors and they spent $1.6 billion. We need to continue educating and informing all Sanford-Springvale businesses of the potential opportunity to market to nearby visitors and expand their revenues. Being the top tourism region in Maine also fuels our ongoing efforts to help York Pines Inc. bring a major tourism development project to our community.
Before we let you go, take a minute to read about the ceiling artwork that is helping to bring an element of relaxation to the cancer treatment experience at our Cancer Care Center in South Sanford. Finally, if you’re like me and worry that you don’t know what’s going on with the new high school and can’t see everything that’s happening in the woods off Main Street, please read the story below and take a look at the videos that are being captured by a drone flying over the construction site. You’ll be amazed at the progress and the student voice-overs and graphics will help you understand not only what is being videotaped but where on the site future facilities will be.
Do your best to get out there and enjoy summer in Maine!
Profile: Kevin Bunker, Lead Developer on the St. Ignatius School Project
Kevin Bunker is a real estate developer and founding principal of Developers Collaborative (DC) based in Portland. Kevin is the lead developer on the St. Ignatius School project in downtown Sanford, which will convert the former school and church into senior housing. The Growth Council recently had the opportunity to talk with Kevin and find out more about him and the St. Ignatius project.
GC: Tell us a bit about yourself, your background and education, and some of the other projects you’ve worked on.
I grew up in the Rockland area and attended local schools. I went away to George Washington University in the nation’s capital, then took about 8 years off which included quite a bit of time lobstering, before getting my master’s in urban planning from Harvard. I was trained as a planner so I tend to view real estate through that particular lens first. As a result, DC’s projects tend to be community based and have a high degree of public purpose. We get involved in a lot of historic rehab projects, downtown infill, affordable housing, and generally anything that supports Maine’s quality of place.
GC: You were a founder of Developers Collaborative, which is described on its website as an association of like-minded independent real estate developers interested in projects that build community. Can you tell us more about Developers Collaborative, why you founded it, and how it operates?
DC has evolved from the “independent developer” model – though that’s still true. I call it “DC 2.0”. The first iteration was Richard Berman, his protégé (me) and some smaller developers who hung around with Richard. They all moved on or retired, but in any event the core of the collaboration was always Richard and me. Then Richard retired, and by that time I was the lead on most of the current projects anyway. I always liked the partnership model so I started partnering with my own colleagues, like the Risbara Brothers in Scarborough and John Wasileski and Matt Teare of Seacoast Management on multiple projects.
At the same time I followed Richard’s model in this aspect, I diverged from it in another. He always preferred to work alone – but I saw the benefit of having a staff. DC now has 4 full time employees and I have found it’s allowed me to focus on what I’m really good at – and achieve more. I’ve also really enjoyed the mentoring aspect of the job and I’m trying to pass on some of the knowledge and skills that were given to me. It’s more rewarding than I ever thought it would be.
The current St. Ignatius building in downtown Sanford.
GC: Some people hear the word “developer” and then apply their own perceptions on the type of attributes that person might exemplify, like being community-minded or only profit-driven. Can you describe your philosophy when you undertake a development project?
I’ve mentioned that above – it needs to “fit” in the community from a planning perspective. That generally involves trying to find the sweet spot between the municipality (politicians and staff), the neighborhood, the design, and the economics, sifting through what is real and what is not. Similarly, with my partners, I strive always to treat them fairly and make sure everyone makes money – so we can do it again. I totally reject the zero sum approach to development. I’m in favor of the long term view – both in land use and in partnerships – I’d rather make a little less but build something that lasts and that leaves good feelings behind.
"I totally reject the zero sum approach to development. I’m in favor of the long term view – both in land use and in partnerships – I’d rather make a little less but build something that lasts and that leaves good feelings behind." - Kevin Bunker, Principal at Developers Collaborative
GC: You are currently working on a project in downtown Sanford: the redevelopment of the old St. Ignatius building and grounds. Can you tell us a bit about your plans for the site?
It’s a 66 unit senior affordable housing building. We are putting 42 units in the existing building with a 24 unit addition on the corner.
A conceptual drawing of the St. Ignatius project (click on the image above for a larger view).
GC: When do you expect to break ground on the St. Ignatius project and how long will it then take to complete the project and have tenants move in?
We should break ground in the third week of August and we expect to take about a year to construct.
GC: What first drew you to the St. Ignatius project? Do you have expectations about what the finished project will bring to Sanford’s downtown?
I had had my eye on it for many years but never was able to make the numbers work. Within the last couple years I’ve formed a collaborative relationship with the Roman Catholic Diocese – essentially I am helping them develop their own stuff after buying several sites from them over the years – and that opened up a new way to make things work. I think the finished building will really help anchor the corner and make another strong statement that downtown Sanford is not just a viable but an increasingly desirable place to live.
GC: Sanford has built some great public-private partnerships to develop other local projects, notably the Sanford Mill redevelopment, Airport Solar Energy and the SanfordNet Fiber project. Can you tell us a bit about your experience so far working with the City and the Growth Council?
The Growth Council has absolutely led the way on this project from a municipal perspective. I work all across Maine and have worked with some very talented economic development directors, like Daniel Stevenson in Biddeford, Linc Jeffers in Lewiston, and Patrick Wright in Gardiner. They were all the “lead” from the City perspective. But they all worked for the City. I’ve never seen a quasi-municipal group work so closely or so well with the City as I have in Sanford. It’s seamless. I attribute much of this to the leadership and expertise of Growth Council director Jim Nimon. Sometimes these types of organizations leave themselves open to questions as to what they are out there doing, but that’s not the case in Sanford. My experience has been that the Growth Council is the linchpin. The City has been very good to work with as well, very no nonsense and straightforward. “Transactional” is one of the highest compliments I think one can give when talking about a real estate deal – it means the party in question always stays focused on the finish line and how to get there – and the word applies to Steven Buck and his staff as well as the Mayor and City Council.
More information on the St. Ignatius Project can be found on the Developers Collaborative website
here.