The Prince William Sound Economic Development District (PWSEDD) is hosting a lecture next week to encourage locals to become savvy in the world of small-scale real estate.
The free lecture, titled “Introduction to Incremental Development for Small Community Alaska,” will take place on Sept. 10 from 5-7 p.m. at the Cordova Center.
The talk – led by Portland, Oregon-based real estate expert Neil Heller – is meant to engage Cordovans with housing and real estate – particularly on the development of one- to three-story buildings with less than 20 units.
“Our communities desperately need new, energy efficient housing stock for our middle-income residents,” said Kristin Smith, PWSEDD executive director and Cordova city mayor. “But no one is coming to our towns to do it for us, we have to grow this development capacity from within.”
Heller is an urban planner and designer, and a faculty member of the Incremental Development Alliance, which helps local entrepreneurs with small-scale real estate projects. He’s also the founder of the Neighborhood Workshop, an organization that promotes small-scale and locally focused real estate projects.
At the lecture, Heller is set to discuss how Cordovans and others across the state can develop projects in their own neighborhoods, and show local leaders how they can encourage better buildings in and around their own towns and villages. No prior experience in development is required to attend the event.
The lecture comes as Cordova residents and elected officials are beginning to work with the University of Alaska on a subdivision sale proposal encompassing nearly 32 acres of land in the Whiskey Ridge Drive neighborhood. Cordova City Council members are pointing at the opportunity for more housing development on the newly subdivided land.
If residents aren’t able to attend the Sept. 10 lecture in person, they can also participate virtually by contacting PWSEDD for a live stream link, or visiting incrementaldevelopment.org.
This story has been updated to clarify that the session is open to the greater public, and with information about the virtual link.
