Edens' Tom Kiler (whom we snapped Monday with colleague Vanessa Mendoza) says reviving communities is all about enhancing an area instead of cluttering it. At the firm's Mosaic project in Merrifield, the task was a little harder--creating an urban neighborhood in a historically suburban market. And Tom, who's speaking at our Urban Revitalization Summit & Schmooze next Wednesday at Mosaic's Angelika Film Center, says selling that vision to retailers wasn't easy at first. "We had to describe a vision that had a lot of preconceived notions, but all the building blocks were there," Tom says, as the development was built from the ground up in an area typically known for industrial.

Vanessa, who handles leasing for Mosaic with colleague Jessica Bruner, says she worked for over five years to create a unique retailer mix diverse enough to enhance the new community.The hard work has paid off:80% of Mosiac's retail is open(91% is leased). Tom and Vanessa, who've also succeeded in reviving the area around Edens' Union Market project in DC, say that it's also important to maintain authenticity. That's why they handpicked local and national retailers andartisansfor both Union Market and Mosaic, since Tom says the projects lack that authentic feel without the unique mix. Sign up here to see Tom and other other speakers next Wednesday.