Can a Single Developer Rebuild a Community?

The New York Times recently profiled a developer who has purchased 20 buildings in downtown Mount Morris – a small, rustbelt village in upstate New York – with the goal of reviving the small community. Since 2007, Greg O’Connell has been buying up buildings in Mount Morris, restoring them, and leasing them to businesses at a discounted rate in exchange for certain “community-building” actions. For example, the businesses must keep their lights on at night, change their window displays at least four times a year, and stay open one evening a week.