Builders constantly have to grapple with how to make sure their developments are relevant to the communities where they’re built and are still providing value long after residents move in.
“People’s lives are affected for years into the future based on decisions that we make today,” says Brett Hopper, vice president of real estate development for Opus Development Company.
To help guide their decision making he says, Opus follows a formula for success: Evaluate the marketplace and understand resident expectations. Focus on the community.
Understanding Expectations and Evaluating Tech
You need to understand what your demographic target market wants and expects, Hopper says. This includes knowing what your competitors are doing and understanding the different needs and wants of, for example, seniors in a 55-plus community versus young professionals.
A huge challenge is making sure the chosen technology doesn’t become obsolete by the time residents move in. Ask yourself, “Will what I’m putting in today be something that’s going to be useful 10 years from now?” Hopper says. For instance, Opus worked with the city of Mesa, Arizona, on a residential development downtown, for which the city wanted wall plates with USB ports installed. But by the time the project got under way, the USB standard had changed and the original jacks would’ve been mostly obsolete. Luckily, Hopper says, Opus built language into the agreement with the city to make sure the latest version of the technology was utilized.
Focusing on the things that are going to be visible to residents and leave a good impression is key. A good example of this low-hanging fruit is smart technology (household devices users can control remotely through apps), Hopper says. And it won’t break the bank. “At the end of the day, the project needs to be successful financially as well,” he says.
And remember that building out infrastructure upfront comes with a cost, but it would be even more expensive and difficult to add it later. For example, Opus included four dual electrical vehicle (EV) charging stations in its downtown Mesa project as a requirement from the city. But it elected to provide the conduits and electrical panels that will serve an additional 76 chargers that can be added later as EVs become even more prevalent.
Listening to the Community
The needs and desires of the local community have to be a focal point for a builder’s work, Hopper says. “As Opus views its role as developer, we are heavily engaged with local governmental officials, neighbors and other stakeholders, and understand our role in making the overall community a better place for everybody,” he says.
For its downtown Tempe, Arizona, development, across from the main Arizona State University (ASU) campus, Opus had more than 30 meetings with the mayor, city council, other city government officials, and community groups. The result is a development that’s a whole city block of mixed-use space, two towers, a four-story podium with public parking, and 30,000 square feet of retail space, fitting what the community needed and wanted. “There was a lot of listening, a lot of incorporating of ideas,” Hopper says. For example, Opus recessed the towers considerably more than originally planned so people walking by didn’t feel like they were next to an inordinately large building in this area that has a lot of four-story buildings.
In the Mesa project, which is across from the new ASU film school, Opus wants to have public space to display the film students’ work. And in another project in Arizona, the company made sure to incorporate public thoroughfares and walkways through the project to provide direct connectivity to the surrounding properties so people who aren’t even residents or doing business within the Opus project could still benefit from the development and connect with it.
Just spending time in the community—talking to the locals, understanding the feel and character of the place—can’t be overlooked. Hopper says, “It’s important to be responsible in this process and not just drop down a project, leave the community, and try to make a quick buck.”
Partnering for Success
Of course, having a great technology partner makes it all easier. For Opus, that’s Cox Communities, the multifamily division of Cox Communications. “They’ve been a great partner for us,” Hopper says. “I certainly look to them and rely on their guidance.” Cox helps the developer by advising on what technology is available and how to incorporate it, and what technology resonates with residents based on studies and a broad portfolio of experience working with builders across the country.
Learn more about how Cox Communities can help guide your technology decisions at cox.com/communities.
