J.H. Snyder Co.: from building homes to building cities: a developer as "facilitator of collective dreams".

Commercial development projects typically place developers and city officials at opposite ends of the bargaining table, trying to balance a community's need for housing or retail with the economic realities of development. As each party's list of demands grows longer, the rift between city and developer tends to widen.

The J.H. Snyder Company is one of the rare firms whose relationship with cities is notable for collaboration instead of conflict. Heralded for efforts to garner community support for its projects, the J.H. Snyder Company has partnered with some of Southern California's most progressive cities and communities including North Hollywood, West Hollywood, Ontario and Commerce to transform blighted and under-productive urban sites into thriving city centers, shopping areas, work places and living spaces. Today, the firm has more than $1.5 billion of real estate projects in planning and under construction including mixed-use, retail, residential and multifamily projects.

The J.H. Snyder Company is not only one of the nation's leading development companies, but one of the most versatile, as well. For more than 55 years, the firm has taken advantage of real estate and economic cycles, navigating among different types of development as local and national economic factors change. The company's developments are comprised of single-family housing, master-planned communities, high-rise apartment and condominium complexes, waterfront/marina properties, lofts, lifestyle/entertainment retail centers, community retail centers, power centers, "demailing" of regional shopping centers and trophy-class office buildings.

"We're at the top of our game and the best is yet to come," said Jerome H. Snyder, senior partner.

Among the reasons for the J.H. Snyder Company's success in cities where other developers have failed is a track record for listening to community concerns. A case in point concerns the City of Ontario, which last year entered into an exclusive negotiation agreement with the J.H. Snyder Company to redevelop the city's historic core, a 12-block area dating back more than a century. According to Ontario City Manager Greg Devereaux, one the main reasons the J.H. Snyder Company was selected was its commitment to "respect historic buildings."

The goal of the Ontario Downtown Civic Center project is to revitalize the city's historic core community while continuing to invest in the growth of the city's economy. When complete, the $200 million redevelopment will contain approximately 750 units of housing including lofts, rental and for-sale; 100,000 square feet of ground-floor retail; and a centerpiece public park, programmed as a gathering place for the community. These new uses will be artfully interwoven with the existing City Hall, as well as a recently completed senior center and a new public library now under construction, creating a true civic core for the community.

"This assignment is an ideal fit with our firm's expertise in both mixed-use urban infill development and community building," said Cliff Goldstein, a senior partner.

The ability to "hone in" on a city's core values has given the J.H. Snyder Company a competitive edge, according to senior partner Milt Swimmer. "Our approach to each project is dictated by what we see, hear and feel from the community," he said, adding, "there is no cookie-cutter in our development toolbox."

In North Hollywood, a hip arts district that once seemed out of the way, the company is teaming with the Community Redevel-opment Agency of the City of Los Angeles (CRA/LA) to create the area's first transit-oriented development. NoHo Commons is a $200 million, mixed-use development centered around the North Hollywood Metro Rail station, which welcomes both residents and visitors to NoHo's acclaimed arts district. The project is a model for the creation of a vibrant, 24-hour community centered around mass transit. The first phase of the project, currently under construction, will bring 438 residential apartments to the area. The second phase, also under construction, will include 278 loft residential units, 20,000 square feet of live-work space and 80,000 square feet of retail space, including a gourmet food market. Nearby, in West Hollywood, where city officials selected the firm as the developer for West Hollywood Gateway, the company again displayed its ability to preserve the elements that are valuable to a community while introducing dynamic change. Recognized as one of the finest urban infill retail developments, the award-winning West Hollywood Gateway is a $75 million, two-level, 250,O00-square-foot shopping center that makes a dramatic architectural statement at one of the busiest intersections in the Los Angeles area. The company built the project around the historic Formosa Cafe, which was integrated into the center and remains a recognizable local fixture. A large outdoor plaza functions as a civic square, inviting pedestrians to linger at outdoor restaurants, fountains, public art and retail kiosks.

Members of the management team at the J.H. Snyder Company agree that the firm has had its greatest success in public sector development in cities where commercial development had been all but nonexistent. Perhaps the best example of this phenomenon is The Crescent, a mixed-use residential and office project that will feature the first rental apartment complex to be developed in the City of Beverly Hills in the past 25 years. Currently under construction in the famed "golden triangle", the $50 million project will be completed in spring 2005. The Crescent encompasses 40,000 square feet of world-class office space, 12 two-story brownstones and 76 luxury townhouse apartments with three levels of underground parking. The complex is located within walking distance of the finest shopping and dining establishments, including Spago and the renowned Rodeo Drive shopping district.

As a growing number of cities become attuned to the potential of downtown redevelopment, the J.H. Snyder Company will likely continue to be a trusted partner to public agencies, helping them to re-envision and revitalize their communities, block by block. Most recently, the City of Commerce, best known for its thriving industrial sector, has tapped the firm to create a true community destination. Commerce Town Center is a 350,O00-square-foot urban retail center that seems destined to become the city's new town center. Construction will begin next year on phase one of the project, which will feature an eclectic mix of popular retailers and restaurants, together with a 3,000-seat multiplex cinema. Jerry Snyder said he expects the Commerce development will make a dramatic addition to the city's emerging retail corridor. "We are always proud to play a role in the evolution of a community," he said, adding, "Our job is to help articulate a vision of who they are--we are facilitators of a collective dream."