Press Release:
Quint and Rishy Studer today announced the creation of a new organization named Studer Community Development Group, LLC. This organization is designed to bring investment capital to local real estate and business projects which will produce a reasonable self sustaining return on investment that will be reinvested back into the community.
“Rishy and I have been blessed in our lives and we will continue to invest in projects that will positively impact the economic and social well being of downtown Pensacola and its surrounding communities.†said Studer.
In recent years Quint and Rishy have made significant contributions and investments designed to bring economic vitality to the area. Because of their interest in significantly helping improve the lives of children with special needs, the Studers’ donated funds to the Westgate Snoezelen Center, which works with students with cerebral palsy, autism, Down’s syndrome and those suffering from brain injuries at birth. They initiated the effort and provided the funds to start the Sacred Heart Autism Center, which is a crucial resource for parents of children with autism. The Pensacola Pelicans baseball team, which Quint and Rishy own, spearheads a children’s reading program through the local public school system which provides incentives for over 20,000 youngsters to excel in reading.
In 2008 they bought the Rhodes Building on the corner of Palafox and Chase which today houses numerous governmental, private and civic organizations. The offices of Studer Community Development Group, LLC will be housed there.
In April, Five Sisters Blues Café will open on the corner of Bellmont and DeVillier just in time for the annual Goombay Festival. The restaurant owner, Cecil Johnson expects to hire 30-35 people from the neighborhood and enliven a once thriving corner that had stood vacant for many years. In addition to funding the renovation of this property to make the restaurant possible, the Studer’s have purchased other property with potential in the area and hope to partner with others to bring new life to this traditional neighborhood.
Bess Marshall Abernathy, will be the CFO of Studer community Development Group, LLC. Bess brings years of experience with the Studer Organization and has previously been managing and operating Studer’s properties.
Chuck Tessier of Asheville, NC has been hired to head this new organization. Tessier has worked for over twenty five years on numerous private and civic projects in downtown Asheville, helping to make that city a national model in downtown revitalization. As a part of his role in SCDG, Tessier will work closely with CMPA, CRA, the Downtown Improvement Board and the Bellmont DeVilliers community.
“Positive community development requires strong self sufficient business development.†Tessier said.†Jobs are the economic engines that make everything else possible. By investing in projects that will bring people downtown and produce jobs for local residents we can make a difference.†he said.