President of Downtown Redevelopment Services
Ben Levenger is an AICP planner and registered landscape architect. He is the president of Downtown Redevelopment Services, LLC, a boutique planning firm specializing in assisting communities through building adaptive re-use and developer-readiness projects throughout the continental United States. He also is a “member-at-large” in the Cleveland section of APA and serves on the membership committee for the Cleveland section of ULI.
Real estate development is often a contentious topic in Main Street circles—seen as both a necessary asset and a challenge to manage. However, when leveraged strategically, real estate can be the key to revitalization, economic growth, and long-term sustainability for downtowns. This session will explore how Main Street programs can actively participate in and lead real estate development efforts, positioning themselves as place-based economic development hubs. Participants will learn how to utilize transformation strategies, economic leakage studies, and property activation methods to program their downtowns effectively. The session will also outline practical steps for working with private developers, activating underutilized properties, and using real estate as a catalyst for downtown improvements. Attendees will gain insights from case studies across communities of all sizes, learning best practices and proven techniques that align real estate development with Main Street revitalization goals.
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