When you’ve been in the biz for five decades, it’s nice to have one project that reflects many of the values and aspirations of your career. For Gwen, that’s the $34M Brookside Square in West Concord that’s under construction and slated for Spring ’15 occupancy. The project with 74 luxury apartments and 36k SF of commercial space uses an obsolete site; is green, transit oriented, relies on existing infrastructure; offers public landscaped areas and some affordable residences and commercial space. Gwen and husband/business partner Arthur Klipfel are architects who started a development firm in 1973 to gain greater control over their buildings. Since then, they’ve done myriad housing communities from co-housing to condos. If a building is beautiful and has a positive impact on the community, it satisfies Gwen and keeps her in commercial real estate. Advice: use the advantages women have—we see the big picture, work well in teams, and downplay ego—be persistent and when disappointed, “pull up your socks” and keep going.
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