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Special Hotel Rate thru March 30

Program Highlights!

Friday, April 29

• Program starts at 4 pm with presentation by Director of Planning at Boston Redevelopment Authority – Rebecca Barnes;
• Walking tour of Quincy Market, Faneuil Hall, and part of Rose Kennedy Greenway – David Dixon, FAIA of Goody Clancy;
• Reception at Boston Society of Architects;
• Dinner at Durgin Park with – Director of Economic Development -- Tom Miller.

Saturday, April 30

• Mobile study tour begins at 8:30 am.
• Boston Convention & Exhibition Center with Chief Development Officer -- Lowell Richards III;
• Genzyme Headquarters, a Platinum LEED Building with Chief Counsel – Bob Husslien
• Stata Center MIT with David Dixon;
• Lunch at Middlesex Bistro with Cambridge Planning Department;
• Tour of Cambridge;
• Couple of hour’s free time!
• Tour of Back Bay;
• Reception hosted by Boston Properties at the Prudential Center;
• Dinner at Turner Fisheries with history of Copley Place development by Norman Elkin and the future of Prudential Center by Boston Properties, Bryan Koop.

The Boston Lambda alpha Chapter under the leadership of its president John Fuller, as developed an outstanding program that focuses on the future of Boston.

“Who Should Attend?” Lambda Alpha Members and guests. Many participants in the Weekend Experiences are accompanied by their spouse or “ significant other.” In addition to a learning experience, the Weekend Experiences are great social events, where you will renew and develop both business and social relationships.

What you will Learn:  Boston is addressing many of the same issues that you are in your business or community.  This program provides exposure to a variety of projects in Boston, where you will learn, through the “ look and learn” method, how Boston is addressing these issues.  The Boston Chapter has also arranged to have the key people involved with the planning and development of Boston to lead the tours.  You will have the opportunity to talk with our "tour guides" to have your questions answered.

The Program: Our Weekend will begin Friday evening at 4 pm. when we walk from our hotel, the Omni Parker House to City Hall where we will meet Rebecca Barnes, the director of planning for the Boston Redevelopment Authority.  From City Hall, David Dixon, Director of Planning and Design at Goody Clancy Architects will lead us to the Boston Society of Architects through Quincy Market, Faneuil Hall, and part of the Rose Kennedy Greenway.

Read More about the weekend....

[Click Here] to register for the Boston Weekend Experience Online

or [Click Here] to register by mail

Letter from the President

Larry E. Lund, International President in front of the Ely Home 1028 Judson Ave, Evanston, IL.

In my opinion, the Lambda Alpha International’s Weekend Experience's offer an outstanding value in comparison with other conferences.  Our small group allows for personal contact with the important people in the cities we visit, and an opportunity to develop lasting relationships with other members from around the world, and the opportunity to see and learn about important developments that will be useful in your community. 

In addition to the people you will meet, or the information that you will learn at these Weekends, these Weekends are fun!  We have great food and drink at outstanding local restaurants.  The Weekends are perfect getaways, whether you come by yourself, with your spouse, or guests -- everyone is welcomed!

As a reminder, chapter presidents or their representatives will meet Sunday May 1 from 8:30 am until noon in the Board of Governors meetings.  We have made some enhancements to the BOG meeting by introducing Russ Salzman, the CEO of IREM, to conduct a new leadership seminar that should be professionally helpful for all those that attend to be effective leaders in both their business life and in Lambda Alpha.

Boston is a terrific city and the Boston LAI Chapter under the leadership of architect John Fuller has created an outstanding program that Boston members will enjoy attending!  Don't procrastinate any longer; register now and let us all get together April 29-30 for a great time!

On the Road with Ely

Last month we featured my visit to Ely’s home in Madison, Wisconsin where he taught before coming to Northwestern University in Evanston.  I wrote about connections between Ely, his architect, and the Chicago Columbian World’s Exposition of 1893.  This month, I visited Ely’s home in Evanston, Illinois where he lived during his tenure at Northwestern University at the time Lambda Alpha was formed.  This home is similar in style to his Madison Wisconsin home.  It is a large home, some 3,796 square feet on two levels on an 18,800 square foot lot.  It is one of the oldest buildings in Evanston, originally built in the 1850’s as a tannery and converted into a residential home in the 1870’s.  Ely purchased the home, which is at 1028 Judson Avenue, from a prominent Chicago attorney George Kelly.  However, it was Kelly’s wife, Margaret Burnham, the daughter of the famous Chicago architect Daniel Burnham, who had the house remodeled before Ely purchased it in 1925.

The Ely home is just north of the National Landmark, Frederick B. Carter Jr. house that was designed by Walter Burly Griffin, a contemporary of Frank Lloyd Wright. 

Today, MacArthur Fellowship winner, anthropologist Anna C. Roosevelt -- the great granddaughter of President Theodore Roosevelt, owns the Ely home.  President Theadore Roosevelt and Ely were well acquainted and shared the same economic philosophy regarding monopolies and trusts.  Ely and Roosevelt meet several times during their careers, and Ely, in his autobiography, reports that the dinner he and his wife had with Roosevelt in their Madison, Wisconsin home was one of the memorable moments in his life.

New York Chapter

I will be attending the New York City chapter meeting April 12 (program and reservation information is below) and encourage our New York members to bring guests to the event that will feature Bruce Fowle, FAIA present on the New York Times headquarters' site.

The Tuesday, April 12 meeting (between 8:30 to 10:30  am) at New York University’s Real Estate School, under the leadership of Ken Patton and Harve Kevenides, will provide an opportunity for members to bring guests to help invigorate local activities.  If any LAI members would like to suggest someone that would qualify for LAI membership in New York, please RSVP by e-mail or by calling International.

The New York City Chapter -- founded in 1949 -- is the oldest chapter in Lambda Alpha outside the Ely- Chicago.  We look forward to seeing the Chapter becoming more active.

Larry Lund

International President
LarryLund@LAI.org
312-751-1250

Editor's Column

Condo Conversions: Kiss Your Landlord Good-bye

One of my favorite kinds of real estate is condominium conversions. For those of us in the pricey zones of the west coast, conversions provide the only source of entry-level home ownership available.

I want to report to you about a conversion buyer survey recently sponsored by First American Title Company and prepared by MarketPointe Realty Advisors (the company for whom I toil).

First American Title Company recently mailed surveys to all buyers of condominium conversion homes in the past three years in San Diego County (we excluded investor owners in our findings).

The results were heartwarming: ¾’s of all buyers were first timers. What is more interesting is that they had lived in San Diego County for an average of 15 years. The median age of the buyers was 31 years. 22% were households with children.

And the most wonderful finding: 92% were either somewhat satisfied or very satisfied with their new home. 82% thought their new home was a good value and 97% said their home had gone up in value and that 93% were satisfied with that increase in value.

In 2004, in our County, more than 2,000 households were able to buy their first home because of the availability of a condominium conversion project. And they didn’t have to commute to Tijuana to do it.

I don’t think I have to wave the stars and stripes to defend home ownership. It is one of the virtues that has made this nation great. Nations with a high rate of home ownership inevitably have political stability and economic growth.

Better yet, neighborhoods in which home ownership prevails inevitably have lower rates of crime and higher educational scores.

The piece d’resistance is the enormous benefit for the community’s coffers. Our studies indicate that the tax revenue quadruples when a project is converted. This is based on the average taxes paid by the former owner, most of whom has held their properties 8+ years and have a very low tax base.

Overall, I’m a big fan of condominium conversions. In places like coastal California, they are the only answer to affordable housing.

Alan Nevin
International Editor
anevin@marketpointe.com

New York Chapter

The New York City Lambda Alpha International Chapter is holding a joint program with the NYU Real Estate Institute. The speaker for this event is Bruce Fowle, FAIA, Senior Principal, Fox & Fowle Architects. He will talk on “Designing, Structuring, and Marketing the New York Times Headquarters Project, Times Square.”

Bruce Fowle is internationally recognized for his projects including the Reuter’s Building on Times Square, 3 Times Square, and the Conde Nast Building at 4 Times Square, which won the 2001 National Honor Award for Design from the AIA.

The event will be Tuesday, April 12 8:30 am until 10:30 am. (Continental Breakfast will be served) at the New York University Real Estate Institute Room 413, 11 West 42nd Street. (No cost for this event.) Please RSVP lai.org or call 630-510-4584. Guests are welcome, particularly those that are potential LAI members.

London Chapter

The London Chapter will Celebrate the 75th Anniversary of Lambda Alpha, 2nd June 2005

The London Chapter, which was founded in 1992, will be celebrating the 75th Anniversary of Lambda Alpha, on 2nd June.  Our International President Larry Lund, and his wife Mary, will be joining us for this event.  We will be cruising the River Thames, on board the Silver Barracuda, inspired by the spirit of the 1930’s luxury liner.  The Silver Barracuda is the second largest of the Silver Fleet, and has just received a £1 million refurbishment.  Art Deco glamour and luxury unfolds over the two decks; silver studded velvet ceilings, a retractable roof, a mirrored 1930’s bar adorned with cast iron grilles from The Savoy and historical shipping medallions from Lloyds of London.

We will depart from Savoy Pier at 18:00 and return at 22: 00.  As we cruise down the river, we will hear from our two speakers James Trimmer, Head of Planning& Partnerships Port of London Authority and John Turner from Ballymore Properties.

At the start of the trip, we will have a champagne reception, and later a buffet supper as we travel along the river.  There will be a commemorative gift for all attendees.

This is an event for you to invite partners, friends and colleagues to what will be an evening to remember.  The boat can hold 230.  Full details will be sent out nearer the time, but please get the word out, get the date in your diary, and book early – this will be a very popular event and we expect to be overbooked! 

North American guests are welcomed, for information e- mail the London Chapter at admin@lailondon.org

Ely-Chicago Chapter

Ely Meeting of March 16 on Prairie Crossing, a conservation community.
From left to right, Ely Board members, Jack Swenson, SOM; S.L. Van Derzanden, Newcastle Limited, Speaker, G. Benjamin Ranney, Development Manager Prairie Crossing, Mike Shymanski, McDonough Associates (Chapter President), and Ted Wolff, Wolff Clements and Associates.

Announcements

LAI Awards - Nominations Due March 31

The People Who Really Get it Right

In today’s hectic. frenetic world it is important to pose, to acknowledge and to honor those people who “ get it right”. Catching people in the act of making a significant contribution, improving our profession or achieving excellence in their field of endeavor is the goal and objective of the Lambda Alpha International Awards.

On Thursday evening, October 20, 2005 the LAI Awards will be presented to a distinguished group of individuals at the Signature Room on the 95th Floor of the John Hancock Center during the 32nd Biennial Congress in Chicago.

The Awards honor the men and the women who have advanced the principles of land economics through their achievements in service to their profession, their community and the affairs of their chapter. The Awards are presented in the following nine categories.

INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC OFFICIAL AWARD

This award is presented to a public official who, through his or her efforts – be it technical, managerial or other – has contributed significantly to the local level of improving the quality of urban living.

INTERNATIONAL URBAN AFFAIRS AWARD

This award is presented to a person who has made outstanding contributions to urban affairs and who has advanced the frontiers of knowledge via research and the development of unique operations and technical programs.

JOURNALISM AWARD

This award is presented to a journalist whose efforts have contributed to a greater understanding of the principles, practices and greater awareness of land economics. This award is for a sustained, exemplary contribution to a regional body of work.

AUTHOR AWARD

This award is presented to an author whose literary efforts have contributed to a greater understanding of the principles, practices, and greater awareness of land economics internationally. This award is for an exemplary book length publication.

RICHARD T. ELY DISTINGUISHED EDUCATOR AWARD

This award is presented to the person who has achieved excellence within the academic world in the field of land economics.

GERALD D. HINES INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN AWARD

This award is presented to a person who has or had a vision for what his or her community could become in the future, and the ability to see what was needed to achieve that vision, then marshaled the resources and helped direct the activity to accomplish the goal, often working behind the scenes and out of the public’s attention. That person also became a mentor to a number of people who helped carry out the vision and assure that the community remains a vital and a pleasant place to live.

INTERNATIONAL FELLOW AWARDS

This designation is presented to individuals for their outstanding achievements in the field of land economics and for contributions to the advancement of Lambda Alpha International’s goals, through esteemed leadership and foresight.

INTERNATIONAL MEMBER OF THE YEAR AWARD

This award is selected from Chapter nominations for Chapter Member of the Year by the International’s Awards Committee and will be based upon commitment to Lambda Alpha, to the nominee’s profession and to land economics with respect to achievement in the private or public sectors, research or education.

 SKYLINE AWARD

This award is to be selected from Chapter nominations for individual Chapter Skyline Awards submitted to the International’s Awards Committee and based on the following criteria:

“to recognize noteworthy and commendable instances of the practical application of the principles of land economics in the preservation, development or utilization of our land resources.”

All Chapters have been invited to submit nominations in any and all categories by March 31, 2005.The nominations will be presented to LAI regional vice-presidents, for their initial review and comment.  Final selection of recipients of each award will be made by this years Awards Selection Committee consisting of Fereydoon Ghaffari of Los Angeles Chapter, Karen Sieracki of London Chapter and David Glancey of Philadelphia Chapter.

The Award Selection Committee recommendation will be submitted to the Board of Governors for ratification.

Please submit your Chapter’s nominations to:

             LAI International
             c/o Association Mgt, Inc.
             214 North Hale Street
             Wheaton, IL 60187

             Attn: Terry Stevenson

Fereydoon Ghaffari, A.I.C.P.
Los Angeles Chapter

These 10-oz. navy blue mugs proudly show the LAI logo in gold. They are available for $10.00 each or a case of 24 for $216.00.

To order you can go online at 209.224.198.102 then click on the Shop tab and you can order your LAI mug!

We will be featuring different LAI logo items over the next several months. Remember you can place individual orders, or your chapter can purchase
items, such as LAI key, polo, or sweat shirts for special events.

As the president of an international society, I appeal to all our members to remember that there is continued need for relief to the victims of the Tsunami event and that LAI members are encouraged to continue to make direct contributions.  Following is a link to some of the organizations around the world where LAI members can contribute: www.google.com/tsunami_relief.html

Actor Dan O'Herlihy, who played Richard T. Ely in the 1964 television episode, "The Trial of Richard T. Ely" in the Profiles of Courage series, died February 17, 2005 at age 85.

O'Herlihy, an Oscar-nominated character actor also starred in such roles as Brig. Gen. Warren A. Black in "Fail- Safe" (1964), President Franklin D. Roosevelt in " MacArthur" (1977) and the mysterious executive with a cyborg company in "RoboCop" (1987). He was nominated for best actor Academy Award for his starring role in Louis Bunel's Adventures of Robinson Crusoe" (1954). (That year Marlon Brando won for "On the Waterfront.") He more recently appeared in the 1990's television series "Twin Peaks" and his most recent role was as Joseph Kennedy in the 1998 television movie " The Rat Pack."

The "Trial of Richard T. Ely" also featured Marsha Hunt, Edward Asner, Leonard Nimoy, Karl Swanson, and Ford Rainey.

New Members

Lambda Alpha International Student Association at John Marshall Law School:

Melissa Cecola
Kevin Coyne
Naomi Davis
Steven L. Feder
Kara Frangella
John M. Greitzu, Jr.
Daniel Padernacht
Michael Pfister

Minnesota Chapter:

Roland Aberg, Hart Howerton
Kathy L. Anderson, Architectural Consortium, LLC
Sarah Harris, The 614 Company
Jean V. Kane, Welsh Companies
Susan Kimberly, City of Saint Paul
Sandra Krebsbach
Michael Lander, Lander Group
Jeff Lang, Chicago Title Inc. Co.
Charlene Roise, Hess Roise

Orange County Chapter:

Paul Christ, Encom Properties
David Dean, The Irvine Company
Peter Denniston, Denniston Realty Group
Steven J. Figgins, Brown & Caldwell
Michael Timothy Hall, Colony Pacific Development, Inc.
Ron Hooven, Irvine Campus Housing Authority
John Lee, Apartments O.C.
Richard Orr, Irvine Campus Housing Authority
Jeff Proster, Brookfield Homes Southland
Charles Robinson, LFR
Nancy Tarantello, Real Estate Research Corp.
Mark D. Whalen, East West Bank

San Diego Chapter: (Correction from Last Month KeyNotes, the Chapter should read San Diego)

Robert J. Bell, Esq., Luce Forward Hamilton & Scripps
Marie Burke Lia, Esq., Marie Burke Lia Attorney at Law
Gil Cooke, New School of Architecture and Design
Wilmer Cooks, Hallmark Asset Management
Louis A. Galuppo, Esq., USD Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate
Kathy Garcia, Wallace Roberts & Todd, LLC
Ralph Hicks, Port of San Diego
Robert Ito, Ito Girard & Associates
Robert A. Leiter, San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG)
Garry Papers, Centre City Development Corporation
Tony Pauker, The Olson Company
Dr. Elaine M. Worzala, USD Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate