Good Places: Redefining Real Estate for Community Revitalization
DCH recently spent some time in Atlanta to see some of our contemporaries and their work to improve housing affordability and attainability in metropolitan areas. Good Places is a development organization that develop existing and historic architecture and community property into inclusive spaces that serve the community. Atlanta, like Dallas, is in an affordable housing crisis. Good Places is a real estate development firm hard at work using adaptive reuse principles to revitalize spaces to promote sustainable community growth.
The Genesis of Good Places
In 2017, Cherie Ong, driven by a desire to create spaces that fostered community growth and prosperity, founded Good Places. Good Places is an adaptive and creative reuse initiative that redefines Atlanta metro real estate, with a focus on people and community revitalization. Part of the ethos of Good Places, which DCH shares, is adding value to projects that benefit not just the developers and investors, but also the tenants and neighborhoods they serve. Good Places believes that properties with community meaning, but that have lost visitors or profit, retain the potential to act as catalysts for community empowerment and growth.
People-Centric Approach
Good Places employs a people-centric approach to real estate development. Unlike developers who prioritize financial gains, Good Places identifies and caters to the needs and well-being of the community first. The company actively engages with local residents, seeking their input and involving them in the decision-making process. By understanding the unique challenges and aspirations of each community, Good Places tailors its projects to address their specific needs.
Fostering Community Revitalization
Rather than bulldozing existing structures and displacing communities, Good Places focuses on adaptive reuse and sustainable development. This approach not only preserves the character and history of the neighborhoods but also ensures that the people who call these areas home can continue to do so without facing undue hardships. Community revitalization guides every aspect of Good Places' endeavors.
Innovative Real Estate Development
Good Places explores new ways to develop properties to mixed-use spaces that blend residential, commercial, and recreational areas to energy-efficient buildings that promote sustainability. DCH visited th ION Arts development that is connected to the College Park First United Methodist Church and a former community center, which is being transformed into affordable apartments for purchase, studio space, and a cafe. This transformation brings new meaning and life to a space that had lost much of its’ former function.
Impact on Landowners, Tenants, and Neighborhoods
Good Places' commitment to community revitalization yields positive outcomes for local stakeholders involved. Landowners witness the transformation of their properties into thriving spaces that contribute positively to the neighborhood and whose values improve. Tenants benefit from well-designed, affordable spaces that cater to their needs and increase a sense of belonging. Finally, neighborhoods experience an uplift in their quality of life, with increased economic opportunities and stronger social bonds.
By placing people at the center of initiatives and embracing innovation, Good Places creates properties that add value and impact to the places they serve. As we move towards a future of sustainable and inclusive development, Good Places is not only a contemporary developer, but a leader and prime example of how working together and creative thinking can improve communities and accessibility to housing. Learn more about Good Places here.