NAHB names Community, Development Firms of the Year

Washington, D.C. — Parcels at Concourse in Memphis, Tenn., was named Multifamily Community of the Year and Gables Residential, based in Atlanta, was named Multifamily Development Firm of the Year by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) as part of the association’s Multifamily Pillars of the Industry Awards for 2018.

A group of non-profits in Memphis took a decaying 1.5 million square-foot building that had been abandoned for decades and transformed it into the Parcels at Concourse. The 1927-vintage Sears distribution center became a “vertical urban village” that includes 265 apartments, restaurants and other retail businesses, as well as art galleries, non-profit offices and residency programs for artists, teachers, doctors and families of children receiving medical treatment.

“The Parcels at Concourse took on a building that seemed impossibly problematic and created a vital and appealing urban community,” said Steve Lawson, president of The Lawson Companies in Virginia Beach, Va., and chairman of NAHB’s Multifamily Council. “The project not only transformed the building and the neighborhood, but also houses great resources for the community at large.”

Gables Residential uses a team approach to develop its properties, enlisting input from employees throughout the company before meeting with architects, land planners, contractors and interior designers. It searches out sites in walkable neighborhoods that have quality schools and are near major metropolitan employment centers, public transit and retail and entertainment districts. Gables makes sustainability a top priority and aims to certify every building to current green construction standards, which leads to durable buildings that cost less to run.

“Gables prides itself on serving its residents, its employees and the communities across the country where it has properties,” said Lawson. “That commitment to quality creates an engaging place to work, enhances community vitality and results in places that people are glad to call home.”

A panel of multifamily development and design experts also selected winners in categories ranging from excellence in building and marketing to individual and corporate achievement. Winners from all categories were recognized at a ceremony held today during the International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas.

To see a complete list of winners, visit www.nahb.org/pillarsawards.