Victor Karen

Biografía: Victor Karen Principal Citybuilding Enterprises Boston, MA Victor Karen is principal of Citybuilding Enterprises, a development and consulting business specializing in urban mixed-use projects. The firm’s focus involves replanning and strategic assembly of public support to assist otherwise sound projects in emerging from the limbo to which many were consigned as a result of the real estate meltdown. Victor has over twenty-five years private and public sector experience, including affordable housing, urban mixed-use, non-profit development and military base re-use. He has a broad knowledge of planning, design, construction, entitlements, and public/private finance. For several years after Hurricane Katrina, he consulted to the AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust, helping advance their redevelopment initiative for New Orleans, LA. Beforehand, he worked as Vice President for Development for a development/construction management firm in Boston, MA; Director of Real Estate for MassDevelopment, a state development agency in Massachusetts; and Deputy Director of Economic Development for the Boston Redevelopment Authority, Boston’s planning and urban renewal agency. Victor received a Bachelor & Master of Architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He’s served on six ULI Advisory Services Panels and co-chairs the Boston District Council Real Estate Advisory Committee, engaged in Technical Assistance Panels throughout New England. (June 2012) Managed projects throughout Boston; negotiated consensus among private developers, public agencies and community groups; directed inter-disciplinary staff and consultant teams. Over 15 years of private and public sector experience in urban development. Direct involvement with large scale private/public partnerships, architectural design, construction, community and governmental agency reveiw and approvals. Registered Architect, Commonwealth of Massuchusetts. Member, American Institute of Architects. Guest Lecturer, Harvard University Graduate School of Design, International Training Program. Appointee, Designer Selection Panel, Mass. Government Land Bank. Associate, Urban Land Institute. Languages French, Russian and Ukrainian.