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Fall, 2003
  Articles on this page: • David Case: Building aspects of small-town life
David Case: Building aspects of small-town life Many would argue that real estate development can lead to the loss of local character. At least one developer, however, can refute these assertions with his prior projects. David Case, part owner of the Lenox Shops and president of Case Enterprises Management, has spent the past 25 years creating unique housing and retail units in Connecticut and Tucson, Ariz., and now the Berkshires. Says Case, "We want to preserve the Berkshire flavor of the Lenox Shops." With small shops like the Love Dog Organic Cafe, Berkshire Soaps and Bare Furniture, the retail center seems to define l'esprit de Berkshires. In addition, Case plans to open a group of condominiums adjacent to the Shops. "We’re building many aspects of small-town life into the entire site," he says. Residents will be a short walking distance from the stores as well as Kennedy Park. "Not many sites," observes Case, “can capture the multidimensional aspects that the Lenox Shops will have.” Case has a long record of building interesting projects. Born in Connecticut, he graduated from George Washington University. After earning his master's degree in psychology from Connecticut College, he went into business as a house painter and a building contractor. "Early on," he says, "I decided that I wanted to be my own boss, and I’ve stuck to that." Case spent several years working on historical restorations in Hartford before undertaking his biggest project, a sustainable housing development in Tucson called Civano. The 830-acre site, purchased in 1996, has become an integrated, energy-efficient, pedestrian-friendly community of affordable homes. "At the beginning of my career," recalls Case, "it was the early 1980s, a scary time for developers. As I gained more experience, I decided to take more calculated risks.” As Civano found its footing, Case wanted to move back to the Berkshires. "My family had already been happily planted in the Berkshires for years before moving to Arizona," he says. "We wanted to come back here." Working with small business owners located in the Lenox Shops, Case has attempted to impart some of the lessons learned through experience. "Many of the people who own the stores are first-time owners, and some have borrowed heavily to finance their project," he says. "I can relate to the difficulty of getting started in business, and I try to act as a mentor." A desire to put his stamp on an underused location led Case into the development of the shops. "I look for places that have a lot of potential that might be hard to see at first," he says. Lenox Shops hopes to add a health and wellness business to the location, which will allow residents so inclined to exercise without traveling by car. "We have a nice, multidimensional site right now," he observes. Much of the housing is classified as either affordable or low-cost for the Lenox area. "It's important,” say Case, "that we don’t shut average families out of the regional housing market. It’s a balancing act, but we chose to build affordable units.” So far, the Lenox Shops seem to have defied contrarians who mistrust developers. "I think the project has been very well received." Case lives with his wife, Mary Campbell, and three children. He enjoys basketball and yoga. He often travels to locales such as London and Paris. He serves on the board of the Berkshire Co-Op Market. Another recent project Case has worked on involves building modular housing units in conjunction with the Berkshire Taconic Foundation. The homes will combine an indigenous farmhouse style with modern, ecologically sound technologies. Case looks forward to this and future projects in the Berkshires. "We know that there is a future in sustainable housing," he says. "We want to be involved in these innovations."  RETURN TO TOP |
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