Forget WeWork, This Participatory Real-Estate Development Company Is Setting ‘NEW RULES’

Christopher Webley is not a traditional real-estate developer. He wants to build wealth to share it and wants power for the satisfaction of giving it away. At 32, he is managing $8 million in assets and trying to change the dynamics of the industry. But he’s not selfless, he’s smart.

His business, NEW RULES® BENEFIT CORPORATION, started with three storefronts in the Northside of Minneapolis—three “doors” in developer lingo—that has since become a communal marketplace combining a collaborative shared workspace, and a gathering space. Three additional buildings, all on the Northside, will be developed by NEW RULES in the next two years. All of these projects have been “iterated and co-created by the community,” he says. Projects are undertaken based on need, membership is priced on a sliding scale, and the community participates in the decision-making process through brainstorming sessions and voting. Whereas most developers are in the business to turn a profit at the highest margins and then move on, Webley wants to make it clear that he’s here to stay. 

In addition to building community spaces, he is testing out the idea of integrating affordable housing into his developments. He has already bought properties in his home state of North Carolina as a trial run, paid for in cash. He wants to build cluster developments around a commercial node. “Housing is the number one crisis for our members,” he tells me, “[the issue of] affordable housing needs addressing.”

When I first met Webley I thought he was much older than 32, judging by how he talks. He spoke about the joy he felt in his previous job as a fabric engineer at Target, the joy of “walking into light and [his] calling.” He uses numbers and financial jargon to describe exactly what he’s talking about. This way he can avoid one of the things he’s most wary of: overpromising. He counters it with transparency, accountability, and being proactive. He explained what it means for him to participate and show up: no one is a competitor, there is room for everyone to collaborate. And it goes beyond collaborating: “if I can’t use you and you can’t use me, I’m useless,” he says. He expects that people will take advantage of the space, and go on to start their own businesses. NEW RULES is a pipeline through which he wants young creatives to matriculate.

“[NEW RULES] has been supportive and instrumental in my growth personally, and as an artist in my career,” says artist Philli Irvin. Webley in particular, “has gone to crazy lengths to help me out.”

Within a few years, NEW RULES will be a product Webley can license, a model for participatory development projects that can be bought. Webley will stay close to the projects, he says. Beginning in September, the original NEW RULES will be home to the City of Minneapolis’ public access TV channels and community media services for the next few years, in collaboration with NEW RULES member Rebecca McDonald, whose production company BFRESH Productions won the contract with the city. NEW RULES will be one media lab out of multiple, ideally in neighborhoods across the city, that will have editing suites, production space, equipment and media training opportunities. McDonald tells me that BFRESH will be the first for-profit steward of public access TV in the country. “It’s all about speaking your truth, owning your narratives, and creating economic opportunities through our shared passion for community media,” she says, echoing a sentiment that Webley had expressed to me a few weeks prior.

“As a non-profit I would not be able to build wealth for not only myself but more importantly to show those working out of our space how to scale,” he said. It is a business at the end of the day, there’s no doubt about that, but ethics are at the forefront. To be a registered public benefit corporation in Minnesota, a business must prove it has a net positive impact on society, the environment, as well as “the well-being of present and future generations.” In exchange, a business has some additional rights under state law. 

The most important first step was to own space, not rent. From there, Webley’s goal is to remain self-sufficient, and to be able to absorb losses while experimenting with new ideas. Otherwise he cannot innovate, and come up with new solutions. Baby showers, comedy shows, birthday parties, and yoga classes “keep the lights on,” so that the space can be a playground for creative people. The space has screen printers, cameras, and livestream equipment. Webley wants to get a 3D garment printer. 

Despite his young age, he now serves the role of a mentor. He described letting a group of young people shoot a music video in the space, giving them the keys and walking away.

“One of the most satisfying things about being human is giving up power.”

This article was originally published on Jul 31, 2020. It was updated on August 5, 2020.