Over the past twenty years, we have been involved in economic revitalization projects in more than 50 mill towns across the state of Massachusetts. We begin these projects with a quiet visit to each community. Moving off a state or interstate road, we meander down through a highly dense village of multiunit tenements. Built close to the road, they are always a decided mix of well-kept and decaying structures. They are rarely one or the other entirely. It is as if the residents and owners are undecided about reinvestment or commitment to the community.