Archie Willis and Alex Willis-Boddie are Restoring Neighborhood Anchors

Most real estate developers have dollar signs in their eyes. But in the rare instance when the developers actually come from the communities being redeveloped, they are able to see the equations very differently. This is the case for father-daughter real estate development duo Archie Willis and Alex Willis-Boddie at ComCap Partners, a South Memphis-based real estate development and public finance firm focused on equitable community development in historically Black neighborhoods. Traditional developers would say ComCap projects will never “pencil out,” but Alex and Archie’s methods and track record show otherwise when it comes to community benefit. 

In this episode, co-hosts Tracey Pearson and Jamie Bennett talk to Archie and Alex about:

• How their methods for community engagement and trust-building are central to their approach.

• The complex "capital stacks" they build (involving low-income housing tax credits, new market tax credits, philanthropic funds, public subsidies, and partnerships with local, state, and federal agencies) to fill funding gaps and make their projects happen. 

• Several large-scale redevelopment projects they’ve done recently, like their transformation of old public housing in South Memphis into mixed-income housing and community hubs, as well as the adaptive reuse of vacant schools like Northside High School into workforce development centers.

• Some of the Willis family legacy in Memphis, including the landmark civil rights work of Archie’s father, and their generational commitment to making a difference in the lives of local residents.

  
  

***

Next episode (out July 29th) we zoom up to the regional level and talk to Anna McQuiston of MidSouth Development District, who brings together mayors and municipal governments across a three-state mid-south region to collaborate for the resources and plan for a future that will stabilize families in Memphis and beyond.

*** 

Subscribe to PathBreakers on [Spotify] | [Apple Podcasts] | [YouTube]

Learn more about ComCap Partners at https://comcap-partners.com

Preview all of Season 2 at https://pathbreakers.kresge.org

Co-Hosts: Tracey Pearson and Jamie Bennett

Producer: Juliet Hinely

Managing Editor: Krista Jahnke

Production support: Jennifer Kulczycki and Tracey Pearson

Graphics: Alejandro Herrera

Logo animation: Collin Leix

Special thanks on this episode to Kresge’s American Cities Program, especially Chantel Rush Tebbe and Anand Sharma.