Practice Area Archives - Page 4 of 8

Defining the Economic Impact of WeWork

April 19, 2018 / Comments Off

Challenge

As part of an initiative to shape the future of work and cities, WeWork was interested in demonstrating how the WeWork community creates an economic ripple effect for people, businesses, neighborhoods, and cities.

Solution

To quantify the economic benefits of WeWork to a range of stakeholders interested the company’s growth, HR&A developed the first detailed economic and fiscal impact analysis of WeWork communities in New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago. The analysis focused on WeWork’s value-add to each partner and its crucial role in growing each city’s innovation economy, small business sector, and entrepreneurial community. HR&A built on this by assessing neighborhood-level demographics and market trends, and creating illustrative profiles of WeWork’s members. Finally, HR&A developed projections to estimate how WeWork’s expansion could impact other cities across the U.S.

IMPACT

Our study found that WeWork would be among the largest private-sector employers in New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago, supporting 50,000 jobs across the three cities. For each member, one additional job is created somewhere else where in the city, in total representing nearly 1% of each city’s workforce. A subsequent report, WeWork’s Global Impact Report 2019, expanded to track impacts the impacts of the company worldwide. Findings from both studies will be incorporated into WeWork’s Future of Work initiative and will continue to support outreach to policymakers as WeWork expands.

Imagine Clearwater

November 8, 2017 / Comments Off

HR&A developed an action-oriented, community-led master plan to activate a 66-acre waterfront site in downtown Clearwater.

CHALLENGE

While Clearwater Beach has witnessed significant growth in recent years, Clearwater’s downtown and its adjacent waterfront have seen less redevelopment, cultural programming, and recreational activity than similar downtown waterfronts in the Tampa Bay region. Clearwater’s downtown waterfront is a beloved civic asset. Home to Coachman Park and the Main Library, the waterfront is an important community gathering place, hosting cultural events that attract visitors from across the region. Nonetheless, citizens across Clearwater recognize that the waterfront and bluff are underutilized assets, including large surface parking lots and the aging Harborview Center, and view an opportunity to transform the area into a destination for all of Clearwater.

SOLUTION

HR&A, working with Sasaki Associates, Kimley-Horn, and B2 Communications, developed 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 general public in January 2017.

RESULTS

Since City Council’s approval of the master plan in early 2017, the City – in partnership with key stakeholders who participated in the master planning process – has moved to make the vision laid out in Imagine Clearwater a reality. In November 2017, Clearwater voters overwhelmingly approved modifications to the City Charter to allow for changes to City-owned parcels along the master plan, a key step in the implementation process. As it continues to seek necessary multijurisdictional approvals, the City is also currently developing a detailed design and engineering scheme for the redevelopment, due to be completed by the mid-late 2020s.

Imagine Boston 2030

June 9, 2017 / Comments Off

Imagine Boston 2030, the city’s first comprehensive plan in 50 years, sets the agenda for future growth, investment, and development.

A historic, land-constrained city with a highly productive workforce and a fast-growing population, Boston’s greatest challenge is one that many growing cities are facing—how can it keep housing affordable, invest in infrastructure, and expand access to opportunity as it grows?

Imagine Boston 2030 is a plan to strengthen the city’s physical assets and encourage equitable economic growth. On behalf of the administration of Mayor Martin J. Walsh, HR&A used economic, demographic, real estate, environmental, and land use analyses, coupled with input from over 14,000 community members, to guide development of an innovative framework that will enhance and preserve Boston’s historic communities while accommodating long-term population and job growth. Working in partnership with Utile Design and supported by Inkhouse Communications, Greenberg Consultants, Hood Design Studio, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates and Nelson Nygaard – HR&A estimated the housing and working space needed to accommodate growth and developed a strategy that leverages the City’s physical assets, human capital, and regulatory and financial tools to achieve the City’s goals of affordability, inclusive growth, preparing for climate change, and investing in quality of life improvements.

Through our analysis, we identified three areas requiring customized approaches to growth, enhancement, and preservation—existing neighborhoods, the commercial core, and edge areas. HR&A helped the City to build consensus on a set of initiatives that combined this place-based planning with new policies —ranging from carbon neutrality to anti-displacement measures —to advance the plan’s underlying goals. By combining planning and capital investment with policy, Imagine Boston 2030 will enable the City to firmly guide development of new housing and investment in areas with the ability to support sustainable growth, while ensuring that the benefits of that growth are accessible to more Bostonians.

The final Imagine Boston 2030 plan articulates how the initiatives and priority actions will be funded, led, and measured to ensure success—directly informing the City’s five-year capital plan. Concurrent plans like Climate Ready Boston, Go Boston 2030, and 100 Resilient Cities are other important avenues of progress for the plan’s goals, providing complementary strategies that build off Imagine Boston.

Downtown Revitalization Initiative

June 9, 2017 / Comments Off

HR&A developed investment strategies to secure $75 million in private investment and create 500 jobs in three downtown neighborhoods.

In 2016, New York State launched the $100 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative to transform 10 formerly declining downtowns into places where tomorrow’s workforce will want to live, work, and raise a family. HR&A worked with three downtown communities – Jamestown in Western New York, Plattsburgh in the North Country, and Jamaica, Queens – on a seven-month strategic planning effort to identify targeted public investments that will spark private investment and create jobs.

With a team of planning, landscape design, engineering, and public engagement professionals – in concert with local planning committees composed of leaders from government, business, and civic organizations – HR&A identified local strengths, challenges, and priorities through technical analysis, public workshops, and deep engagement with local planning committee members. HR&A’s work resulted in 32 project recommendations across the three communities, including:

Gap financing in Jamestown to redevelop two vacant properties into a 140-key full-service hotel and a brewery, which would draw on visitation from the National Comedy Center.
Public infrastructure funding to unlock development potential in Plattsburgh, including redevelopment of a publicly owned site in the historic downtown.
Development of an inviting gateway plaza in Jamaica, plus investments to support local job and industry growth, including a 10,000-square-foot co-working space and high-speed broadband. Final awards are forthcoming.

HR&A framed the proposed projects within long-term revitalization strategies and developed implementation plans, which were summarized in strategic investment plans submitted to the state on behalf of each downtown. In total, awarded projects will leverage nearly $30 million of state funds to attract more than $75 million in additional private and public investment, create at least 500 direct jobs, and set the stage for further downtown growth and community development.

Based on the success of first round of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative, New York State announced the launch of a second round in the spring of 2017.

To learn more about this project, please contact Partner Kate Collignon

Menil Collection Neighborhood Preservation and Development

February 10, 2016 / Comments Off

Since 2012, HR&A has supported the Menil Collection in realizing its vision for a “neighborhood of art” in Houston’s urban core.

Founded by John and Dominique de Menil in the Montrose neighborhood of Houston, the 30-acre campus currently hosts four museum buildings that display modern exhibitions and select works from the Menil’s private collection of over 17,000 works of modern, contemporary, and African, Pacific Islands, and Pacific Northwest art, as well as two neighborhood parks.

HR&A was pleased to serve as a strategic advisor to the Menil Foundation to guide the organization through the development of a real estate and implementation strategy; provide solicitation and transaction support; and help secure economic development incentives from the City of Houston. The Menil engaged HR&A at the onset of its planning effort for a fifth museum building – the Menil Drawing Institute – and a new adjoining park, to prepare for the mission, financial, and managerial implications of the expansion.

HR&A advised the Menil through a series of strategic decisions regarding the density, program and phasing of new real estate development on its campus, ultimately supporting the Menil through a real estate solicitation for the first phases of new development. HR&A also crafted a neighborhood property business plan that would ensure the restoration of the unique aesthetic form and fabric of the Menil neighborhood, which is characterized by dozens of historic Arts-and-Crafts style bungalows and a network of open spaces.

Images Courtesy of: The Menil Foundation

Los Angeles Economic Development Framework

February 10, 2016 / Comments Off

HR&A worked with the City Administrative Officer and Chief Legislative Analyst of the City of Los Angeles to evaluate and recommend a new approach to citywide economic development.

Following the recent dissolution of Community Redevelopment Agencies throughout California and the lingering effects of the 2007-2009 Great Recession, the Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously in support of a new framework for the City’s economic development structure. HR&A prepared this framework with the following recommendations for a new public-private structure to deliver economic development services:

A new Economic Development Department to support the City’s businesses, industries, and communities; direct production of a citywide economic development strategy; manage and facilitate the distribution of federal and state resources; and consolidate certain economic development functions from existing City entities, including workforce development.
A new independent Citywide Economic Development Nonprofit partner, operating under contract with the City, to manage the City’s strategic real estate assets; advance major economic development and public-private real estate projects; manage the City’s off-budget finance entities; and provide expert research, analytic, and transaction negotiation services.
A Deputy Mayor for Economic Development charged with ensuring coordination among the Mayor’s office, the economic development department , the independent economic development non-profit, other related City departments, proprietary agencies, and external economic development stakeholders.

This new framework will provide the organizational platform required for the City to create new jobs, attract new businesses and industries, maintain global competitiveness in the 21st Century, and grow its tax base.

The report’s recommendations are based on the HR&A team’s analysis, which was completed in three months of intensive work. The analysis included interviews with more than 80 key stakeholders, including executives and staff from the Mayor’s office, City Council, City departments, proprietary City agencies, nonprofit and community-based organizations, and private industry leaders; an online survey distributed to more than 160 economic local development entities; detailed organizational reviews of 19 City departments and proprietary agencies; and in-depth case studies of economic development organizational models employed in eight other U.S. cities.

To date, the City Council has approved formation of, and allocated the inaugural-year budget for, a new Economic and Workforce Development Department, and Mayor Eric Garcetti appointed a new Deputy Mayor for Economic Development in 2013.

Image Courtesy: Historic Core of Downtown Los Angeles

Anacostia Waterfront Initiative

February 10, 2016 / Comments Off

HR&A guided the work of six nationally renowned planning firms to create the Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan. We also led the planning and implementation work for the Anacostia Waterfront’s newest district: Capitol Riverfront.

On behalf of the District of Columbia’s Office of City Planning, in partnership with city and federal agencies HR&A worked with urban design teams to create a development framework for a ten mile stretch along the Anacostia Waterfront. Our work included analyzing the opportunities and challenges for development, performing economic analyses to demonstrate the viability of the Framework Plan, building consensus for the vision among numerous public agencies, and coordinating substantial public outreach efforts.

The Capitol Riverfront is one of the District of Columbia’s most successful neighborhood transformation efforts in the last decade. This 350-acre neighborhood surrounding the Washington Navy Yard has attracted more than 12 million SF of mixed-use development and more than $3.3 billion in public and private development that is completed or currently under construction. There are currently 4,000 residents in market-rate and affordable housing living in the Capitol Riverfront, a daytime population of 35,000 workers, and new waterfront parks. The Capitol Riverfront BID estimates that 2.6 million people attended events at Nationals Park, the Navy Museum, and the Yards Park during 2012.

HR&A was the real estate and public policy advisor for the planning and development of the waterfront district surrounding the Nationals Ballpark, now known as the Capitol Riverfront.

Managed an urban design team to create a master plan for the Capitol Riverfront;
Prepared a development framework for The Yards, Forest City Washington’s ongoing development at the Southeast Federal Center site, immediately adjacent to the Ballpark;
Conducted a feasibility analysis of the development plans and identified the preferred alternative;
Supported the District of Columbia in creating a new Tax Increment Finance (TIF) district around the Nationals Ballpark, which provided $1.8 billion in financing for the completion of the Ballpark in 2008, further investment in public infrastructure, and a community benefits fund for neighborhood revitalization; and
Managed a developer solicitation process.

The Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan won an AIA Honor Award for Regional and Urban Design in 2005. According to the Washington, D.C. Mayor’s Office, the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative has catalyzed over $8 billion in economic development investment to date. In October 2017, the revitalized southwest waterfront opened to the public as The Wharf – a mixed-use development by Hoffman-Madison Waterfront LLC.

Economic Value Study of the Dallas Park System

February 10, 2016 / Comments Off

The City of Dallas identified opportunities and secured new funding to maximize the economic value of its park system.

Challenge

The Dallas Parks and Recreation Department oversees one of the largest park systems in the nation, comprised of 382 parks and 145 miles of trails. This immense portfolio not only provides community benefits, but also revenue generation and value capture opportunities. With growing municipal budget constraints, the department engaged HR&A to develop detailed analysis on the financial return of its parks to advocate for park expansion as a viable economic development strategy.

Solution

HR&A assessed the incremental impact of the park system on real estate, tourism, environmental, and city-building. After reviewing factors attributing to spending and value – including visitation and increased real estate values – HR&A found that Dallas parks contribute a seven-to-one return on public investment, which is approximately $678 million to the local economy every year. However, after reviewing the system’s assets, operations, resources in relation to peer park systems, HR&A found that the Dallas spends almost 40% less per resident on operations and 45% less on capital improvements than its peers. Working with the City, HR&A helped identify key projects and investments that would maximize the value created by the City’s parks.

Impact

The Dallas Parks & Recreation Department used the study as a critical piece of its advocacy for a $262 million bond proposal. The request also generated support from local public and private entities that pledged an additional $150 million in matching funds. In 2017, the Dallas City Council added the proposal as a ballot proposition, which voters overwhelmingly approved.

Fulton Center Implementation & Retail Strategy

February 10, 2016 / Comments Off

HR&A advised the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on the retail vision for the Fulton Center, its solicitation process for a master retail operator, and a landmark revenue-sharing agreement with Westfield.

As the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) planned to enhance its transportation infrastructure in Lower Manhattan, the agency sought to incorporate retail uses and public space into its development program for a $1.4 billion transit hub. HR&A helped the MTA develop a vision for a flexible retail and commercial environment that promotes a vibrant public realm while creating a dynamic commuting experience for one of New York’s busiest transportation corridors. The resulting development, Fulton Center, connects 300,000 daily commuters to nine subway lines, and provides 50,000 SF of signature, multistory retail and commercial space operated by Westfield, one of the world’s premier retail owners and operators.

HR&A created a strategy to optimize a retail space that would serve a diverse array of shoppers –residents, workers, and tourists – and ensure the retail is in harmony with existing and future retail in the station-area. By first establishing spatial boundaries that accounted for pedestrian circulation needs and transportation functions, we were able to create an exciting space-by-space tenanting strategy that reflected physical feasibility, market potential, and fulfilled gaps in the current retail landscape. We advised the MTA to dedicate the Center’s second-floor to a destination food environment, which would activate the less heavily trafficked space, and fulfill a missing niche in lower Manhattan. To translate this strategy into an operations concept, we partnered the station architect to ensure accommodations for an appropriately-sized back-of-house space, utility provisions, and signage needs.

As of January 2016, Shake Shack, Zaro’s Bakery, and Irving Farm coffee and roasters have all leased spaces in this new food destination. Additionally, co-working startup WeWork signed a 15-year lease for 38,000 square feet in the renovated Corbin Building

Equipped with a well-defined retail vision and strategy, the MTA asked HR&A to manage its solicitation process to identify a master lessee for the management the operations of the retail and public spaces. For this process, HR&A drafted the RFP, engaged developers, structured the pre-proposal conference and site tours, and answered respondent questions. The clearly articulated guidelines of the retail strategy provided confidence to RFP respondents that the space would be functional for tenants, but also ensured that the MTA would procure a retail operator that would adhere to world-class standards. HR&A actively supported the MTA through the proposal review and selection process, as well as negotiations with preferred bidders.

In 2013, after two years of planning and negotiation, the MTA selected the Westfield Group as master lessee, who is responsible for leasing, operating, maintaining, and dedicating private dollars to the upkeep of the retail and public space. In addition to the lessee agreement, HR&A structured an innovative public-private agreement as part of the transaction, in which Westfield and the MTA will share revenue from the retail space and the ad-revenues generated by over 50 digital screens installed throughout the station.

Times Square Economic Impact Analysis & Retail Strategy

February 10, 2016 / Comments Off

HR&A Partners led New York City and State efforts to reinvigorate Times Square, and begin the process of building its strong brand.

Following World War II, through the 1980s, Times Square, while the heart of New York City’s entertainment district, suffered from crime, urban decay, pornography, social disaffiliation and general economic deterioration. Today, Times Square is the nation’s best example of the successful transformation of a symbol of urban decay into a world class center for entertainment.

HR&A conducted the first economic impact analysis of Times Square on the New York City economy since its transformation in 2007.

Beyond measuring traditional impacts, HR&A quantified how Times Square promotes the City to the world by serving as a tourist destination, global headquarters, premier public gathering space and prime event location. The Times Square Alliance used the study to engage in the City’s PlaNYC process, securing the district’s future as one New York’s most important public spaces and vibrant mixed-use neighborhoods. In 2011, HR&A completed an update of the 2007 impact analysis.

HR&A Partner Kate Coburn created a comprehensive retail strategy for Times Square.

Working with the Times Square Alliance, Kate developed a strategy to diversify the retail tenant mix in the Times Square area extending retail and restaurant opportunities to Eighth Avenue. She created an implementation plan to attract new tenants to the area, outlining a marketing strategy that included public relations, retailer outreach, outreach to area landlords and broker contacts.