Debra Sinkle-Kolsky

According to Debra Sinkle-Kolsky, the tough part about doing urban redevelopment isn’t necessarily finding good projects but finding good will. it’s hard, she said, to overcome the suspicion that builds in a community in decay.

The remedy, however, is to listen — to avoid imposing a vision that the community doesn’t want, Sinkle-Kolsky said. And once the first project is done, others follow more easily.

“I go into a community and give it what it needs or wants,” she said. “It’s all in how you plan the community.”

Sinkle-Kolsky, at one time a dental office manager, is now president and 50% owner of Redevco Corporation in North Miami. The firm works with cities, local government and the private sector to develop or redevelop urban infill sites. She handles all facets of the operation, including development, government approvals, financing, leasing and construction management.

Redevco, founded by Alan Kolsky in 1977, began by doing ground-up construction. But as the South Florida build-out began to occur, Kolsky started looking at opportunities to form a niche.

Sinkle-Kolsky joined the firm in 1981 as a secretary. She later began handling property management and leasing, then government approvals. She said coming up through the ranks gave her a much better understanding of the overall operation, which now includes Redevco Enterprises, Platinum Property Management and Urban Development Partners.

In 1999, Redevco Enterprises joined forces with Fannie Mae to redevelop a nine-acre flea market site in Liberty City. When would-be tenants learned that a Winn- Dixie Marketplace would be an anchor, the center was 97% leased before groundbreaking.

The first project of Urban Development Partners, which targets development of affordable workforce housing in South Florida’s urban core areas, was Seybold Pointe in the civic center area of Miami.

Sinkle-Kolsky said the company will continue its South Florida housing emphasis and is working on a 198-unit mixed-income condo project that includes retail and office space. In addition, the firm is reviewing several retail sites and is working on several public-private partnerships for various projects, she said.

In her spare time, Sinkle-Kolsky serves as chairman of the International Council of Shopping Centers’ Alliance Committee and is on the board for Neighborhood Lending Partners of South Florida, a consortium of 23 local banks that have created a loan pool aimed at affordable housing. She is also a committee member for the Schiff Liver Institute.

Sinkle-Kolsky married the company founder in January 2000. Alan Kolsky now serves as chairman of the firm.

“We make a great partnership,” she said.