All posts in “News”

San Francisco Board of Supervisors Unanimously Accept Plan to Implement the First Municipal Bank in the Nation

September 6, 2023 / No Comments

This press release was originally issued by Supervisor Dean Preston.

 

San Francisco, CA — As the city and the country grapple with severe shortages of financing for affordable housing, green infrastructure, and small businesses, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors formally accepted a plan to create the first municipal bank in the nation.  

 

The approved proposal comes at a critical time as the city continues to navigate ongoing concerns with the post-pandemic economic recovery. The plans include a business and governance plan for creating a publicly owned municipal financial corporation (MFC) and then converting the MFC into San Francisco’s first public bank.  

 

“As we continue to chart a path to economic recovery and a sustainable economy, the plans approved today provide a road map for our city to create the first municipal public bank in the country, a crucial strategy to ensure that our city funds are used to reverse inequities, not perpetuate them,” said Supervisor Dean Preston. “The approved plans are a huge step forward toward establishing a San Francisco Public Bank.” 

 

Public banks are not novel, with over 900 institutions worldwide controlling tens of trillions in assets, but a municipal bank would be a first for America.  

 

“The plan for the new public bank in San Francisco prioritizes social impact over shareholder returns while being financially self-sustaining, robustly managed, and accountable to San Franciscans’ policy goals and values,” said HR&A Advisors Partner Andrea Batista Schlesinger, “It will collaborate with community lenders and organizations to achieve this vision. 

 

The business and governance plans were over a year in the making. The Working Group consisted of community leaders, public banking and Community development financial institution experts, and small business leaders. The Working Group worked closely with HR&A Advisors, leaders in inclusive economic development, investment, governance, and stakeholder and community strategies; the Findley Companies, experts in establishing de novo banks and providing guidance on management, operations, and compliance in California; and Contigo Communications, San Francisco-based practitioners who co-construct solutions that reflect the needs of community members. 

 

“Given the continuing failures of our banking industry, we are stepping up in innovative ways to provide a green and equitable alternative to big banks. Our investment in the public bank protects the future of our local economy and the financial interests of San Franciscans,” said Budget Committee and Local Agency Formation Commission Chair, Supervisor Connie Chan. “We will continue to build on this momentum until we get this done.” 

 

Traditional private banking has failed to offer sufficient access to financial services for residents and small businesses, especially in communities of color. The consequences of that lack of access include inequitable economic, employment, health, affordable housing, and environmental outcomes that continue to this day. 

 

“It’s crucial we move immediately on these plans and establish a green bank.” said Jackie Fielder, co-founder of the San Francisco Public Bank Coalition “President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act presents a rare opportunity to get substantial funding for community-centered and equity-focused green banks.” 

 

Now that the plans have been approved by the Board of Supervisors, the city can now take action to implement an MFC or public bank in San Francisco. 

 

For more information on the final plans, visit https://sfgov.org/lafco/reinvestment-working-group  

 

Photo: Jared Erondu

Great Headway for the Texas Digital Opportunity Plan

August 22, 2023 / No Comments

With over 7 million Texans currently lacking internet connectivity according to the FCC, there is a strong need for improved broadband access across the state. The lack of access so many experienced in the height of the pandemic lockdowns made clear the need to ensure that everyone can connect to the internet and have access to  the financial resources, equipment, and digital skills needed to get online.  

 

Last month, Texas received $3.3 billion in federal funding to expand its broadband infrastructure. The federal funds, combined with $1.5 billion from the state, offer rural and underserved communities an opportunity to bridge the technology gap. 

 

As part of the Connect Texas Team, created by the Texas Broadband Development Office, HR&A is collaborating with Connected Nation and Accenture to identify the digital opportunity barriers affecting Texas households, such as the lack of infrastructure, digital literacy, affordable service, or access to devices. We are developing the Texas Digital Opportunity Plan (TDOP), which will serve as a roadmap for expanding the adoption of reliable and affordable broadband, computing devices, digital skills training, and cybersecurity awareness for all Texans. 

 

The Connect Texas Team has established an external engagement process that fosters collaboration with local, regional, and tribal entities. The Broadband Development Office is engaging with communities by hosting in-person and virtual meetings across the state to hear about Texans’ experiences with internet access and use. Find a public meeting. 

 

Widespread input will ensure the state develops a plan that addresses the digital opportunity needs of all Texans. If you are a Texas resident over 18, please complete this survey by August 31st.  The survey is available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Mandarin.  

 

Press Related to the TDOP engagement process: 

 

State broadband leaders connect with Burnet County residents – DailyTrib.com

East Texans provide input to help increase broadband internet access

Officials discuss the importance of internet access in rural East Texas 

Hear from our 2023 Summer Fellows

August 16, 2023 / No Comments

“HR&A immediately stood out to me as an organization whose practice aligns closely with its values. When I was browsing through different positions at peer companies, I felt that the Summer Fellowship Program offered a remarkable amount of autonomy and responsibility within a supportive framework of mentors. It became clear to me that HR&A was a community in which my interests would be supported, and a place where I would be challenged to explore new practice areas, methodologies, and ways of thinking about cities. 

 

The proximity between my projects and tangible change in the cities in which they are based makes my work deeply gratifying. The analyses I have prepared have informed decisions for transformative infrastructure projects. I find the high-impact nature of the work at HR&A equal parts exciting and humbling.” 


“The projects that I’m working on this summer include a community planning project and pulling together the HR&A Parks Practice Library. Both projects are incredibly different but exciting in their own ways. For the first project, I get to facilitate a community visioning process to reimagine the potential of underutilized brownfield sites with local stakeholders. The second project allows me to comb through years of amazing work that the firm has done for parks throughout the country and set up a streamlined process for future Parks projects. 

  

I would highly recommend this program to anyone who is endlessly curious and love figuring out how to get things to work!”

 

 

“I am working on projects that expand my graduate studies and introduce me to new planning strategies focusing on inclusive economic development practices, housing studies, and real estate development trends.

 

 

As a generalist, these projects are a perfect way to expand my knowledge and skills and make me a well-rounded future economic developer.” 

 

 

 

 

Interested in learning more? Meet our full class of Summer 2023 Fellows!

 

 

 

 

Dominion Square Project Announcement

August 15, 2023 / No Comments

It is becoming increasingly difficult for families living on a low-to-moderate income to find housing that is affordable. As housing costs reach unprecedented heights, the production of new housing is failing to keep up with the growing demand, resulting in a severe deficiency of available homes across the nation. Addressing this critical shortage of  affordable housing demands a collaborative effort involving various sectors and stakeholders. 

 

HR&A Advisors is pleased to announce the closing of $55 million in financing through the Amazon Housing Equity Fund (HEF) for the development of 516 new permanently affordable homes at Dominion Square. Located in Tysons, Fairfax County, Virginia, Dominion Square is being developed by the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH), a renowned non-profit developer in Northern Virginia. HR&A collaborated with Amazon and Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH) to underwrite an Amazon HEF loan. 

 

Dominon Square is in a transit-rich neighborhood, just a five-minute walk (0.3 miles) to the Spring Hill metro station and several bus stations, providing residents with reliable and affordable transit options to high-quality schools, economic opportunities, and amenities across the region. The project will also include a 30,000 square foot community center for the Tysons community, to be operated by the Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services department. Dominion Square will be the first 100% affordable housing multifamily development at scale in Tysons, and the largest project ever developed by APAH. 

 

Amazon’s $55 million commitment, initially announced in May 2022, helped catalyze and accelerate the Dominion Square redevelopment. As a result of Amazon’s initial interest, APAH increased the scale and accelerated the delivery timeline for much-needed affordable housing. $9 million of Amazon’s funding will be available to APAH to fund pre-development activities, helping the non-profit finance the significant upfront costs associated with this large-scale project. 

 

The Amazon Housing Equity Fund is providing more than $2 billion to preserve and create over 20,000 affordable homes in Amazon’s home communities of Washington’s Puget Sound region, Arlington, VA and Nashville, TN. HR&A works with Amazon as a credit underwriter for transaction in the Washington DC Metro Area and Nashville. 

 

Additional Coverage  

Dominion Square Affordable Housing Community Secures Development Site and Funding 

Amazon-Backed Affordable Housing Towers Moving Forward In Tysons 

 

Rendering: KGD Architecture 

 

Clearwater opens new Coachman Park and waterfront

July 25, 2023 / No Comments

In contrast to other downtown waterfronts in the Tampa Bay region, Clearwater Beach’s downtown and adjacent waterfront have seen less development, cultural programming, and recreational activity. There is no question that Clearwater’s downtown waterfront is one of its most beloved civic assets, and it is an important gathering place for the community that hosts cultural events that draw visitors from across the region.   

 

HR&A Advisors is proud to have supported the City of Clearwater to develop a vision to transform Clearwater’s downtown park into an expanded signature space as a way to rebrand downtown, increase visitation, improve connectivity and accessibility, and catalyze adjacent residential development. This plan included a phased redevelopment strategy for potential catalyst sites, a vision and framework for public and private investment, and an action-oriented implementation plan. 

 

Throughout the master planning process, HR&A worked with the City to conduct a comprehensive public engagement strategy that included seven community workshops, with over 700 community members participating. Imagine Clearwater, the actionable master plan was presented to City Council, stakeholders, and the public in January 2017, and with the opening of Coachman Park and the waterfront.  

 

Check out this  article from Tampa Bay Times that highlights the incredible journey behind the transformation of Coachman Park into a stunning waterfront oasis. 

Welcoming Nike Irvin to HR&A Advisors’ Board of Directors

July 24, 2023 / No Comments

HR&A Los Angeles was excited to welcome Nike Irvin to our Board of Directors earlier this month with a rooftop happy hour at our downtown office. Thank you to clients, collaborators, and friends who were able to join us to celebrate Nike’s appointment!

 

Looking to the future

Working with some of the most innovative clients and collaborators in the world, HR&A is focused on building solutions that address the complex, interconnected challenges facing urban communities. The unifying theme across this work is our passion for building more resilient, equitable cities for the people who live in them — a passion Nike shares.

 

This is a critical time for cities. Our clients are coming to us to help them leverage once-in-a-generation federal funding, integrate emerging technologies, and build tools to chart new paths forward. We look forward to Nike’s leadership and contributions to further expand HR&A’s critical work with clients and communities in over 180 cities, six countries, and three continents.

 

“Office-to-Residential Conversion in San Francisco’s Changing Real Estate Market” Research for SPUR and ULI San Francisco

July 7, 2023 / No Comments

HR&A Advisors has been honored to contribute to a landmark study with SPUR, ULI San Francisco, and Gensler to investigate how stakeholders might shape the post-pandemic future of downtown San Francisco. We investigated the economics underlying office to residential conversion to help fuel downtown San Francisco’s post-pandemic recovery. With downtown office space sitting vacant, can residential conversion activate downtown and deliver on needed housing? What would it take to make that happen?

 

SPUR Shares “Office-to-Residential Conversion in San Francisco’s Changing Real Estate Market” Research 

“Flexible work has transformed San Francisco, changing how companies and employees use office space. Firms are reducing their physical footprint, and the decrease in people and activity downtown has negatively impacted small businesses, cultural institutions, and the hospitality industry. Downtown’s recovery is hindered by a lack of economic diversity and a shortage of workforce housing. Could converting vacant office space to residential use be a financially viable solution to both problems?

 

In a first-of-its-kind study, SPUR and ULI San Francisco, in partnership with Gensler and HR&A Advisors, explored not just the physical suitability of office buildings for redevelopment as housing, but also tested the financial feasibility of conversion projects under different economic conditions and policy scenarios. We published a summary of our findings in March 2023. A report presenting our full analysis and expanding on our findings will be released later this year.”

 

You can learn more about the study on SPUR’s website and access the Executive Summary of the report here.

 

Press Coverage

S.F.’s empty office space could hold 11,000 new homes — but only with City Hall’s help, report says — San Francisco Chronicle (March 2023)

 

More than 10K residences could replace SF’s empty office towers — The Real Deal (March 2023)

 

Nike Irvin Joins HR&A’s Board of Directors

June 20, 2023 / No Comments

“As a believer in cities as the engines to our equitable and prosperous futures, I’m thrilled to join the Board of HR&A Advisors. HR&A is at an important inflection point, and I look forward to helping the company advance an even more brilliant future.”   

 

HR&A Advisors is pleased to announce Nike Irvin’s appointment to HR&A’s Board of Directors.

 

More about Nike

A lifelong Angeleno with a deep love for her hometown, Nike is a highly regarded leader in policy, politics, and philanthropy in Los Angeles and across the country. A member of Mayor Karen Bass’ transition team, she also serves on many local and national Boards. Nike’s insights, accomplishments, credibility, and experience will be invaluable to helping shape HR&A’s future as the company continues to grow and advance our mission and impact.

 

Nike leads the Civil Society Fellowship, which engages next-gen leaders to build civil discourse across ideological differences through text-based, moderated seminars in Aspen, Amsterdam, the Middle East, and the American South. A member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network (AGLN), this new Fellowship is a partnership of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and AGLN.

 

Nike previously led the California Community Foundation’s (CCF) grantmaking for six years, overseeing grants to arts, education, juvenile justice, and health. Before this work with CCF, Nike served as president of the Riordan Foundation for seven years. She is active in American Truth and Reconciliation efforts with AGLN and in Los Angeles. Prior to her nonprofit career, she was a Brand Manager for Nestlé and Pepsi Cola. She is a trustee for The Durfee Foundation, the John Randolph Haynes & Dora Haynes Foundation, the Nonprofit Finance Fund, and the Broad Center at Yale School of Management.

 

Nike received a Bachelor of Art in Economics & Political Science from Yale and was named one of the “100 Most Inspirational Alumni” by UCLA Anderson School, where she earned her MBA. Nike is a Marshall Memorial Fellow and a member of the 2004 Class of Henry Crown Fellows within the AGLN at the Aspen Institute.

 

Looking to the future

Working with some of the most innovative clients and collaborators in the world, HR&A is focused on building solutions that address the complex, interconnected challenges facing urban communities. The unifying theme across this work is our passion for building more resilient, equitable cities for the people who live in them — a passion Nike shares.

 

This is a critical time for cities. Our clients are coming to us to help them leverage once-in-a-generation federal funding, integrate emerging technologies, and build tools to chart new paths forward. We look forward to Nike’s leadership and contributions to further expand HR&A’s critical work with clients and communities in over 180 cities, six countries, and three continents.

Urban Land Institute Panel Provides National Insight on Downtown San Francisco Recovery

June 15, 2023 / No Comments

This press release was originally issued by Urban Land Institute.

 

WASHINGTON (June 15, 2023) – San Francisco can create a more commercially vibrant and socially inclusive downtown that attracts a diverse range of industries and employers, advances housing attainability, and promotes stronger leadership, according to findings released today by the Urban Land Institute (ULI).

 

The recommendations are the product of a panel of renowned urban planning and real estate experts convened in May through ULI’s Advisory Services Panel (ASP) offering. The panel is a multi-day program that is tailored to meet a community’s specific needs, wherein ULI members from across the country hold in-depth interviews with local stakeholders and deliberate on potential courses of action before making a final presentation of their recommendations. This ASP represents the first time ULI has worked with the City and County of San Francisco and provides an opportunity for communities across the country to learn from the findings.

 

Following the release of Mayor London Breed’s Roadmap to Downtown San Francisco’s Future, in February the panel was tasked with helping the city prioritize implementation actions and policy changes that will create a downtown neighborhood benefitting San Francisco’s residents, businesses, and the broader Bay Area region. While the panel’s findings are applicable to the entirety of Downtown, the recommendations focused on a 239-acre study area that falls mostly within the city’s historic financial district.

 

“San Francisco has a track record of responding to challenges by collaborating across sectors and thinking outside the box – it’s time to apply that muscle to the Downtown Core,” said panel co-chairs Eric Tao, managing partner, L37 Development in San Francisco, Calif.; and Kate Collignon, partner, HR&A Advisors in Oakland, Calif. “Our panelists have shown us how city government, community groups, and institutions such as ULI can evolve the current narrative of Downtown San Francisco as a place only for business interests.  We can profoundly transform Downtown into a place that welcomes everyone, drives economic benefit, serves as a center for arts, culture, entrepreneurship, wellness, and entertainment beyond 9-5, and reflects the diversity of and is embraced by all San Franciscans.”

 

Sponsored by ULI San Francisco, the City and County of San Francisco, the ULI Terwilliger Center for Housing, and the ULI Foundation, the panel provided short- and long-term strategic recommendations for leveraging the city’s existing physical assets, identifying opportunities for financial incentives, and implementing public policy reforms that promote the economic and social health of Downtown, with many of the recommendations aligning with key elements of the Mayor’s Roadmap.

 

Top recommendations include:

    • Pursue placemaking and programming to make Downtown a magnet for residents, businesses, and visitors. Ground-plane activation is needed to help transform public spaces and empty storefronts into vibrant city attractions. Revitalized Downtown community spaces will enliven the neighborhood and provide compelling spaces for arts and cultural expression. The panelists recommended specific Downtown destination zones to meet the needs of current and future residents, workers, and visitors.
    • Ensure public transit provides comfortable, safe, and easy access to Downtown, along with a welcoming arrival experience. Public transit, including Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) and Muni are reliable, but the panel recommends an infusion of funding to ensure comfortable rider experiences into and out of Downtown. Enhanced collaboration between the City and BART will be essential to ensure the transit experience, and the surrounding points of arrival downtown, are clean and feel safe.
    • Reduce and restructure business taxes to facilitate a diverse mix of companies Downtown. A meaningful reduction in the gross receipts tax, CEO tax, commercial rents tax, and transfer tax will help the city retain its current employers and help attract new businesses. Mayor Breed has initiated a process to identify broader business tax reforms to ensure the city’s tax structure is more resilient and competitive and that will be informed by the panel recommendations.
    • Incentivize office to residential conversions to address the housing shortage. Building on recently approved legislation to reduce zoning and building code barriers to adaptive reuse projects, the panel recommends providing a bundle of incentives to catalyze conversions in the short-term, with a goal of establishing a basis for purely market-supported conversions in the future. The city should require some level of affordable housing by reducing other taxes and fees. Incentives could include temporarily waiving impact fees or the transfer tax, providing property tax abatement through the Mills Act or other state legislation, and identifying other direct funding tools.
    • Counter the negative narrative about Downtown San Francisco. The panel found the negative narrative about Downtown does not match reality. While the city and Downtown stakeholders have launched a series of focused campaigns to attract visitors and businesses, the city should embark with its partners on a strong and sustained branding and public relations campaign that celebrates Downtown and rebrands it as a vibrant neighborhood, rather than just a business district.
    • Build community and governmental capacity to facilitate action. The panel emphasized the importance of coordinated leadership within City Hall to champion Downtown recovery efforts in partnership with stakeholders and the community, building on the efforts of the Economic Recovery and Regeneration division within the Office of Economic and Workforce Development. Enhanced governance and an internal champion will help expedite decision-making and approvals to reduce uncertainty, break down silos, and identify financial tools to attract and drive investment. The panel also suggested building the capacity of Community Benefit Districts (CBDs) to direct public and private resources to implement the recommendations.

     

    “The roadmap the Mayor has laid out for Downtown’s future is a strong foundation for the work we have ahead, and the contributions of this panel of national urban planning experts both affirm and expand upon that vision,” said Sarah Dennis Phillips, Executive Director of the City of San Francisco’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development. “While we’re already moving ahead on many of the ideas called out by the panel, from business tax reforms and attraction efforts to supporting a diverse mix of arts and culture events, I look forward to collaborating with city and state leaders as well as private-sector and community partners to take further actions.”

     

    Tao and Collignon were joined on the panel by Antoine Bryant, planning director, City of Detroit, Detroit, Mich.; Mike Grisso, senior vice president, development and land planning, Kilroy Realty Corporation, San Francisco, Calif.; Paul R. Levy, president & CEO, Philadelphia Center City District, Philadelphia, Pa.; Nolan A. Marshall III, executive director, South Park Business Improvement District, Los Angeles, Calif.; Rico Quirindongo, acting director, City of Seattle Office of Planning & Community Development, Bainbridge Island, Wash.; Geeti Silwal, principal, Perkins&Will, San Francisco, Calif.; Michael Spies, founder, Fuse Strategies LLC, New York, N.Y.; Sujata Srivastava, San Francisco director, SPUR, San Francisco, Calif.; and Carl Weisbrod, director, Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, New York, N.Y.

     

    “We’re grateful for ULI’s work to assemble a team of accomplished industry leaders with fresh perspectives. We’ve already rolled-up our sleeves and begun the work to take the panel’s ideas and shape them into policy,” said Rich Hillis, Planning Director for the City and County of San Francisco.

     

    A summary of the panel’s recommendations can be found here.

     

    For more information, contact media@uli.org.

     

    Photo: Sebastien Gabriel

Congratulations to Senior Advisor Marilynn Davis on her appointment to the American Academy in Rome’s Board of Trustees!

June 9, 2023 / No Comments

HR&A Advisors congratulates Senior Advisor Marilynn Davis on her appointment to the Board of Trustees of the American Academy in Rome! Marilynn will apply her past experiences in advisory roles and on several boards related to the arts, architecture, and cities to advance the Academy’s mission to “support innovative artists, writers, and scholars living and working together in a dynamic international community.” 

 

Click here to  read more about the American Academy in Rome.