Partner, Director of Acquisitions, Urbanist Development: Age 39
Vadim Tulchinsky
While earning a master’s degree in real-estate development from Columbia University, Vadim Tulchinsky realized early on that he didn’t want to spend his career building skyscrapers or shopping malls.
“I wanted to find a place where I could make a difference,” he said. “And I was never super motivated by money. If I could exist in a place with a lower cost of living and make enough money to pay my mortgage, that was good enough for me.”
About 15 years ago, he visited Holyoke, explored the mill and canal area, and “it was love at first sight.”
He met two like-minded professionals, and they started discussing their vision for urban living, one that’s safe, dense, walkable, and bikeable. “We understood the value of a downtown where you can walk or bike to it; that’s the difference between a thriving place and a stagnant one.”
So they started Urbanist Development about eight years ago specifically to revitalize downtown Holyoke. Since then, they have purchased and redeveloped historically significant buildings in the High Street area, bringing them back to life with a mix of storefronts, offices, and much-needed residential units.
“The once-vibrant Holyoke downtown area has seriously gone into decline since the July 1979 opening of the Holyoke Mall,” said Helene Alderman Florio, president of the Holyoke Taxpayers Assoc., one of 14 people who nominated Tulchinsky for 40 Under Forty. “Vadim has recognized the value in getting people back into the central downtown of Holyoke.”
Tulchinsky not only serves on the board of that organization, but also on the board of directors of Holyoke Preservation Trust, and he has worked to create a business improvement district downtown as well.
An immigrant from Russia — his family fled in the early ’90s when the Soviet Union was collapsing — Tulchinsky grew up in Boston, but is gratified to be working on meaningful projects in a smaller city, projects the size of which many larger developers won’t touch.
“Somebody has to do it for these little buildings, relatively speaking, that otherwise might get torn down. It’s heartbreaking to see these beautiful assets of the city get wasted,” he said. “We have the patience, we have the wherewithal, and we feel like we can make a difference here. If all we do is turn around one block, that will move the needle. We believe we can change the perception of Holyoke.”
—Joseph Bednar
