The latest installment in the Resilient Communities Webinar Series brought together industry expertise and community voices to explore the intersection of utility-scale solar development and local community benefits. This collaborative effort between Prairie Rivers Network and University of Illinois Extension continues to build capacity for communities navigating energy and environmental funding opportunities while fostering inclusive approaches to clean energy development.

A people-centered philosophy

Our own Danielle Peoples, Project Director, is a featured panelist focusing on a human-centered approach to stakeholder engagement on solar development projects. She highlights a simple but powerful principle, noting, “Every project sits in someone’s community. People live next door, pass by it daily, and deserve to be informed and heard.”

Strategic engagement framework

Danielle outlined her comprehensive approach to supporting solar developers through three key phases:

• Early engagement: Rather than waiting for formal permitting processes, she advocates for early outreach to landowners, neighbors, local officials, and community groups from the project’s earliest stages. This proactive approach helps identify potential concerns before they become obstacles.
• Communications planning: Recognizing that no two communities are identical, Projects require tailored engagement strategies for each location. These might include traditional public meetings, intimate small group conversations, or one-on-one “kitchen table talks”, whatever format best serves the specific community’s communication preferences and culture.
• Transparency and responsiveness: Complex solar development projects are made accessible through clear, consistent messaging. Peoples emphasizes addressing concerns head-on rather than avoiding difficult conversations, maintaining transparency throughout the development process.

The critical follow-through

Danielle notes that community engagement doesn’t end with project approval. Danielle stresses that “trust built equals trust tested”,  local approvals and good neighbor agreements represent genuine commitments to communities and not just regulatory checkboxes. This long-term perspective on community relationships sets apart developers who truly invest in their communities.

Community perspectives

The webinar balanced industry expertise with authentic community voices. Wade Halva from Faith in Place provided Southern Illinois regional context on community outreach, while Cody Cusic from Eldorado Community Unit School District #4 shared firsthand experience of how solar projects can support local priorities and contribute to meaningful economic development in rural communities.

These discussions highlight that the future of renewable energy development lies not just in technological advancement, but in the quality of human connections and community trust that make these projects possible and sustainable over the long term.

The post Behind the Panels: An Insider’s Look at Solar Development and Community Benefits appeared first on Atwell.

At Atwell, our connection to Science Olympiad is both personal and purposeful. Many of our leaders have been immersed in STEM activities, academics, and careers for a large part of their lives, including being participants and advocates of Science Olympiad. Through The Atwell Gives Foundation, we aim to make a lasting impact in the communities where we live and work via our role as the National Title Sponsor of Science Olympiad’s Urban Schools Initiative, a signature program designed to create STEM pathways for underserved students in Title 1 schools in metropolitan areas.

Atwell leaders, including COO Dan McNulty and Senior Director of Culture and Engagement Rodney Williams, had the privilege of attending the 2025 Michigan Science Olympiad State Tournament, where we witnessed the energy, teamwork, and determination of these remarkable students firsthand. As we were led throughout the tournament by Science Olympiad CEO Jenny Kopach, we were inspired by how the students brought to life months of hard work, testing designs, and solving problems!

Science Olympiad fosters the same spirit we encourage at Atwell: exploring new ideas, taking risks, and learning from challenges. For us, supporting STEM education is more than philanthropy; it’s an investment in future innovators, leaders, and problem-solvers ready to take on whatever challenges and opportunities for innovation the world has in store.

The post Sparking brighter futures and building tomorrow’s STEM leaders: Atwell x Science Olympiad appeared first on Atwell.

In the early 1960s, Glenarden Apartments in Prince George’s County, Maryland was considered the gem of the county. Located in an ideal area close to top shopping malls, restaurants, and highways, with prime amenities including educational and recreational facilities, the neighborhood had about 50 buildings with 555 apartments. It was an area many admired and were proud to live in, especially for the county’s large African American community.

However, with the ‘80s came a series of plights that caused this gem to lose its shine. From crime and drugs to neglected maintenance, safety became an issue for residents, and they slowly began to leave. Eventually, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) closed down the apartments and sold the property to the Redevelopment Authority of PGC, an entity put in place to improve dilapidated areas. Plans were made to redevelop the 27-acre property, $115 million master-planned community with 424 mixed-residential units and a new name: Glenarden Hills.

Atwell has worked alongside its client Pennrose, a development company, and the Redevelopment Authority since the project first broke ground in 2016. In September 2024, Phase III was completed with only one more phase to go. Our employees at Atwell are proud of their role in ushering the still-beloved community into a new era of revival and promise.

“We acted as the project consultant for this entire project,” said Barry Caison, Senior Project Manager. “We provided a full scope of services: civil engineering, surveying, land planning and entitlement, environmental, permitting, and construction management. We’ve been there from the beginning, and we’re excited to start working on the final phase.”

A community for people of all ages, from tots to seniors

The project was granted a status of “high priority” by the county. With a combination of public and private lenders, community partners, and nonprofits, the project was truly a community effort and investment. Demolition began in 2016, with Atwell joining soon after to assist with the entitlement phases. This included the preliminary plan of the subdivision, record plat, and detailed site plan approvals, before taking the project into the final engineering.

The first two phases were focused on 101 affordable senior citizen apartments and 68 affordable and marketing-rate multifamily units. Phase I began in September 2017, with Atwell managing the permitting and about half of the projects 101 senior units and the 68 multifamily units going up. In Phase II, the other half of senior units were completed. A number of amenities were also added during these first two phases, such as a fitness center, resource center, locker rooms, outdoor patio with a grill, theater room, tot lot, and a 5,700 square foot community clubhouse.

Thoughtful planning and sustainable initiatives led to major tax breaks for the client

Phase III was divided into two parts in order to support the developer in obtaining two corporate tax credits at 9% and 4%. These tax deals were put in place to support good workforce and affordable housing units, and a mix of units to align with the various incomes of future residents.

For the 9% deal, Atwell assisted the client with the Maryland Department of Housing and the Community Development Association (CDA) application. This year-long process was incredibly competitive—the CDA determined who received the tax credit based on a point system. Points were given for things like the project’s price per unit, smart environmental design, and energy efficient appliances. Additionally, applying for this tax credit meant that our client had to be willing to put money up front before any money came in. This can be risky in a place like Prince George’s County, which has an approval process that is longer and more complex than other counties in the country. However, with Atwell assisting in this process, Pennrose successfully obtained the 9% tax credit and proceeded to build 44 two-bedroom and three-bedroom townhouse-style apartments. These townhouse-style buildings look like townhouses but have an apartment on the first floor and a two-story apartment on top.

The second part of Phase III was similar to the first, but for a 4% credit, which Atwell once again helped Pennrose acquire. This part of the phase included 60 townhouse-style apartments and 54 garden-style walkup units.

Amenities like a pool, and open green spaces were also added during Phase III.

Conquering challenging excavations and intricate approval processes

After the buildings were razed and site infrastructure demolished, the Prince George’s County Inspection agency discovered that the demolition contractor buried a lot of the debris underground. The county ordered the Redevelopment Authority to do a total cleanup, which Barry and his team led. This was a massive and complicated task that required the coordination of many different resources.

“We had to isolate and locate where all the rubble was, and all of it was buried deep underground,” explained Barry. “We oversaw the contracts for the excavation of all that material and the mass grading of the site. It took about three years—and we did all this while also engineering the site for the next round of approvals and as other parts of the site were being constructed.”

Another challenge was the approval process for Prince George’s County. Atwell helped the client by regularly consulting them on how to approach problems and developing strategies for handling the review process to get approvals.

The number of stakeholders involved in this project was also a challenge.

“There are 50 to 60 stakeholders involved with this development at the local, state, and federal level, from the City of Glenarden to HUD, to various types of engineers, specialized consultants, lawyers, lenders, and builders,” Barry said. “And of course, the citizens themselves. Clear and consistent communication was important, and we managed to collaborate well and get things done.”

The true value of Glenarden Hills lies in its residents

Atwell’s team has visited the site consistently multiple times a week, not only for meetings, inspections, coordination and construction management, but to also interact with the community. Now, with people already moving into Glenarden Hills, Barry has been able to see how this project has made a positive impact on the community.

“Proud and happy residents—these are the people I’ve encountered the most,” Barry noted. “These are people who were so discouraged about the community, due to the crime and violence around them. But now, every time I visit, I chat with the residents, who know me well by now. They’ll wave me over and I’ll ask how things are going, and they say, ‘I’m doing great, Mr. Caison!’ They say how they’re thankful for our team and the other groups who made this redevelopment possible.

“There’s nothing greater than seeing smiles on people’s faces who are happily enjoying their homes, their neighbors, and their community,” Barry said. “It’s why I got into this business in the first place—to take something that was once broken and disregarded and build it back up to something people can appreciate and be proud of.”

Construction for Phase IV will start in mid-2025 and has a tentative completion date of 2026 or 2027. The Atwell team is already working on obtaining permits and finalizing engineering designs, which include street construction.

The post Glenarden Hills:How a master-planned, affordable housing redevelopment has revived a community appeared first on Atwell.

Understanding the changes in the permitting process and planning for contingencies can mean the difference between project success and project failure. Learn the steps you can take before, during, and after to set your projects up for success by viewing our June 2023 webinar.

We discuss topics such as:

• The changing permitting landscape for renewable projects
• The potential pitfalls that could cost you time and money
• What you can do to separate your project from the competition

Our panelists:

David Applebaum, Senior Counselor at The Hawthorn Group: David uses his understanding of political and policy strategy to create comprehensive plans that help energy clients manage legislative, regulatory, and community matters. With four decades of experience, he understands renewable energy permitting issues at both the state and local levels.

Tracey Dubuque, Vice President – Energy at Atwell: Serving as a representative for several of the nation’s most successful renewable energy developers, Tracey is a trusted leader offering guidance and expertise on energy trends. For close to 20 years, she has assisted with siting energy facilities to minimize environmental impacts and expedite permitting success.

Jason Utton, Vice President – Energy at Atwell: Throughout his career, Jason has been on the leading edge of renewable energy projects across the country. With over 16 years of experience in developing renewable energy projects, he helps clients understand and navigate the shifts in energy policy.

The post How to navigate permitting challenges for successful renewable energy projects appeared first on Atwell.