As part of the speaker series organizing committee for the Corporate Sustainability Initiative (CSI), I've had the chance to meet with business executives embracing corporate sustainability.

Kicking off the series, we had Michael Lemanski of Greenfire Development.  His vision and work for downtown Durham, specifically city center, is unbelievable.  We held the event at Fuqua just one day after the re-development partnership between his firm and the City of Durham was passed by the City Council.  As a frequent visitor to Durham's city center during my exploration bike rides, I always feel a draw to join the current community and become a part of its growth.  You can walk from one side of the city to the other in 15 minutes and the selection of restaurants, bars, and food is increasing.  The Saturday farmer's market is operating year-round and is just around the corner from main street.  I am amazed at how fast the city is being developed and for the most part in a responsible way through historical restoration of many buildings.  From beautiful lofts to trendy restaurants and the development of a boutique hotel, downtown Durham is becoming more and more popular.  

Mr. Lemanski has over 11 years of green building and development experience specifically in redeveloping contaminated and historic properties in urban environments. He has been involved in over $150 million of development projects and his diverse background includes managing mixed use residential, manufacturing, and commercial real estate investments. Since starting Greenfire Development in 2003, Mr. Lemanski has built the organization into one of the largest and fastest growing development companies in the Triangle region. 

Michael Lemanski's excitement and passion for downtown Durham is contagious and I encourage you to take a look at their plans and how they are deeply involved, both socially and environmentally, with Durham's future development. 

http://greenfiredevelopment.com/main/