Community Development

People are at the heart of community development. Crossroads helps communities envision a better future, and also helps with site-specific planning, analysis and development, all with an eye towards improvements that will benefit the residents.

George Mattei began his career in community development in his own neighborhood, working to improve the working-class community in which he was raised. Since then he has worked in numerous communities. He’s used affordable housing as an economic development and improvement tool for neighborhoods. He has served on boards of Community Development Corporations that have successfully revitalized their communities. He’s worked with communities that seek to include affordable housing as their property values rise, to avoid pushing out residents. George has worked in both urban and rural settings and understands the unique challenges that each holds.

Urban Revitalization

George was on the board of Franklinton Development Association when it bought and rehabilitated a 60,000 square foot warehouse into the Idea Foundry, one of the nation’s largest maker spaces and a major business incubator. This project was transformational, but it came after much hard work by the staff and board to foster the growth of the arts community in the neighborhood. This combination of vision along with site-specific implementation was highly successful, and it is this vision that Crossroads brings to clients today.

The Idea Foundry in Franklinton, Columbus — a 60,000 square foot warehouse rehabilitated into a maker space and business incubator — The Idea Foundry, Franklinton — a 60,000 square foot warehouse rehabilitated into one of the nation’s largest maker spaces.

Blight Elimination

George was a member of the Steering Committee that helped guide Ohio’s Land Bank bill through the House and Senate in 2009 (SB353/HB602). This legislation helped modernize land banking in Ohio by allowing the creation of County Land Reutilization Corporations, quasi-governmental agencies that have broad powers to acquire, manage and sell blighted properties.

George has also worked on a number of developments that have rehabilitated blighted buildings. From single-family homes to larger commercial and educational buildings, George has been active in all phases of developments that work with communities to improve the built environment.