Podcast Episode 14: Rory Turner talks about building community by adaptive reuse of historic buildings

Art of Community NCW podcast

Wenatchee developer Rory Turner is helping transform the Wenatchee Valley by transforming old historic buildings into creative redeveloped spaces that bring new businesses to the community. This work is bringing new vibrancy and a unique urban vibe to the valley. Turner and his wife Laurel, who runs the Women's Resource Center, are helping build a cultural of adaptive reuse of classic buildings. In this conversation, we discuss his philosophy of development, the opportunities in downtown Wenatchee and particularly how excited he is about the potential to redevelop the Chelan County PUD headquarters into a vibrant place for business and housing, if the utility chooses to build a new headquarters. He's won state awards for refurbishing buildings in Wenatchee and Ellensburg. The secret to his success is creating financially successful projects that create a more vibrant community. He describes his work as "adaptive reuse." The only downside to his work is that his projects always seem to involve buildings inhabited by "a lot of pigeons." [caption id="attachment_1545" align="alignleft" width="220"] Wenatchee developer Rory Turner[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1547" align="alignleft" width="300"] The former Dore Building, now being restored and renamed the Metropolitan Building[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1548" align="alignleft" width="300"] The new Wenatchee Area Chamber offices in the Metropolitan Building[/caption]