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2007 has proven in its early days to be quite the year for LJ Urban. Some remarkable people have come on board–Molly, Steve and Scott have been such an incredible addition– and we’re forming some key relationships with other groups and individuals outside the LJUrban team that look very promising.

I have known for some time that things were getting ready to be real cool real fast but I know I never anticipated this fast. Here are a few of the things we are working on.

Current Projects
As you all have seen recently, our first two construction projects—B Street West and Newton Booth–are well on their way to becoming a reality. B Street West has been approved and is rapidly approaching a ground-breaking in the next several months. Newton Booth has been submitted for tentative map approval and is going through the rounds of responding to city and community feedback (check out some renderings here). We’re hoping for approval in the next couple of months so we can focus our efforts on specific green and interior features that we want to incorporate while we simultaneously move towards construction financing. As it currently stands, we’re looking for a September ground-breaking, but, of course, these dates are always subject to change (one reason why I’m so glad we have a flexible team). As they become more and more defined and get closer to ground-breaking, they start looking better and better. It’s fun for all of us to see the things we have dreamed of and put so much heart into come to reality.

More Acquisitions
Our land purchases have taken a big leap. Throughout last year, we crystallized our strategy and financing structures. The results are that we have tied up land for more than 300 houses in the urban core of Sacramento. Very cool if you ask me. And we are just getting started. Some of the projects we will be announcing over the next few months are over 100 units each. I get dizzy when I think of the Eco-urban impact we will be able to have on Sacramento with these communities.

Systems, Balance and Change
All this growth has brought with it a need for more systems and better balance. Something that we are all focusing on in the office. I think that every change brings with it a new way of thinking. Our ability to move forward depends on how well we adapt and learn. Change can be the best thing because it allows you a chance to rethink why you do things and figure out a better way.

Defining the Vision and Identity for a Revitalized Neighborhood
The Broderick/Washington area in West Sac is getting our devoted attention at present… specifically, the grid-streets between Tower Bridge and the I Street Bridge from 2nd Street out to 8th Street. The potential in this area is enormous and we’re actively moving to be a catalyst for its re-emergence as an extension of the urban core. The area needs an identity. As you may have read we have been wrestling with what to call the area, some of the city documents call it the Washington area yet in all of our dealings with the residents in the area its referred to as Broderick.

In looking at the area, its clear the area is currently in somewhat of an identity crisis—a natural stage of any development process. Although, undoubtedly, the area will quickly develop into a urban extension of downtown Sacramento; we have a belief that an area needs a calling or a vision of what it can be at its best. Rather than a haphazardly thrown-together mix of “urban” developments, we’d like to see a stronger unified vision that allows for diverse projects under a broader umbrella. That’s the primary reason why we’re working fast to develop our “Discovery Center.”

So, we are taking this area and looking at it through our eco-urban point of view and coming up with some pretty cool concepts. Imagine “Broderick Village” or some other name being adopted in that neighborhood with a clear vision for this area to model eco-community–a “walk-to-everything” center of town with parks strategically placed for optimal use and green-built structures. This is just the start of what we could accomplish. From there, the vision spreads to the entire urban-core. For instance Sacramento has often pulled architects from Portland to design our urban projects. Why? Because Portland is known as an urban pioneer of a city. Consider what comes to mind when you think of other cities–Las Vegas, San Diego, Detroit, Seattle. Something different comes to mind every time (and not always something positive). Why not position ourselves as the Eco-Urban Community pioneer. The region already has a strong and growing emphasis on sustainability. There is no reason why we can’t start right now.

These are just a few of the very cool things we are starting to look at. There is a lot more to come, and we are always increasing our capacity to handle more and more. After all when your goal is large scale social change… why not go for more.

Levi