The University of Central Arkansas Center for Community and Economic Development (CCED) will host a Small Developer Conference from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, May 31 at McCastlain Hall on the UCA campus.
Current or aspiring real estate developers, financial institutions, city officials and others involved in the development process are encouraged to attend this day-long workshop. The cost to attend is $100 and includes breakfast, lunch and workshop materials.
To introduce participants to what they will learn at the conference, a guest lecture by Matthew Petty will be held from 1-2 p.m. Thursday, April 5, at UCA Downtown, 1105 W. Oak St. Petty is principal at the Infill Group and faculty member at the Incremental Development Alliance and will cover the small-scale development movement and the basics of how to become a small-scale real estate developer. This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required.
To learn more about the Small Developer Conference and guest lecture, visit uca.edu/go/develop.
The Small Developer Conference will expose participants to the “big picture view” of small-scale real estate development. Faculty members of the Incremental Development Alliance, a nonprofit focused on creating small-scale developers and strengthening communities, will provide training. Topics will include picking a development project, making development a reality, discovering areas for improvement and achieving development goals.
“Small-scale development is important because it promotes infill development within communities, eliminating sprawl that puts a strain on city services,” said Shelley Mehl, associate vice president for Outreach and Community Engagement at UCA. “By hosting this conference, UCA can play a role in training small-scale developers and community advocates, which will improve the development process.”
This event is provided in partnership with the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce, Conway Development Corp., Conway Convention and Visitors Bureau, First Security Bank, Metroplan and the UCA Division of Outreach and Community Engagement.
“When a small development fails, it hurts more than just the bank and the owner, it hurts the entire community,” said Jamie Gates, executive vice president of Conway Development Corp. “This conference will give property owners and developers the tools they need to be financially successful and grow their community.”
“The urban places that people love the most are organic, fine-grained places that were originally developed by small entrepreneurs making small investments that together made great and timeless places,” said Tab Townsell, executive director of Metroplan. “These places are what cities and towns and a large part of an emerging market are trying desperately to revitalize or recreate. At the UCA small-scale development conference, you can get your start in learning the how to become such a creator of great places.”
For more information on the Small Developer Conference, visit uca.edu/go/develop or call Shelby Fiegel at 501-450-5269.
About the Center for Community and Economic Development
The University of Central Arkansas Center for Community and Economic Development’s mission is to have a positive impact on communities by equipping leaders with economic tools and resources, building consensus to achieve community goals, and bringing UCA resources and communities together.
CCED envisions communities across Arkansas and the country having robust economies, a flourishing quality of life, and diverse and engaged citizen leaders. CCED provides customized training and technical assistance to communities and their leaders. Learn more at uca.edu/cced.
About the Incremental Development Alliance
The Incremental Development Alliance is a not-for-profit alliance of practitioners who train small developers, help citizens strengthen their own neighborhoods and help city champions get the kind of development their community wants.
For aspiring developers, the Alliance offers training classes to help people take the first steps toward their small-scale real estate development projects. For city champions, the Alliance helps identify where policies and practices are becoming unnecessary barriers, and partner with local organizations to pilot projects that support small development in a targeted area. Learn more about the Alliance at incrementaldevelopment.org.
