Globally, there has never been as much money ready to be invested into infrastructure systems as there is today. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity will rewrite the destiny of cities and their ability to mitigate and adapt to climate change, aging populations, etc. 

Building Better Cities has worked with numerous cities leading this urban infrastructure transformation, from identifying assets in need of investment to developing projects that will improve quality of life. We’ve assisted governments and developers in garnering community support for various projects, advancing them to a shovel-ready phase, creating public-private partnerships to ensure the appropriate structure can effectively deploy project capital. Building Better Cities is here to help you bring stagnant projects to realities through our array of services:

STRUCTURE

  • Finance & Partnership Structuring: At Building Better Cities, we excel in stakeholder engagement and project structuring (with a focus on public-private partnerships), ensuring your project has the foundation for success from the very beginning. With expertise in both private and public financing mechanisms, we can help you identify the right resources for your project and work towards a plan to efficiently structure partnerships and deploy capital- even in tough markets.

PLAN

  • Entitlements Strategy & Project Phasing: Navigating complex regulatory landscapes and aligning project phases with cash flows is crucial for long-term, large-scale developments. We specialize in crafting strategic entitlement plans that synchronize with your project’s goals, cash flow, and the technical needs of your project.We know how to de-risk projects and get them to shovel-ready conditions.

INNOVATE

  • Master Planning & Land Development Solutions: Building Better Cities can help your team identify and implement innovative urban design and infrastructure solutions to maximize land value and community benefit. We leverage our experience delivering critical infrastructure and transitioning brownfield land for private and public investment to ensure your projects are maximize economic, equity, and sustainable outcomes.

  • Policy Development and Support: When partnership isn’t enough to find resources for progressing projects, Building Better Cities can help your team propose and develop policy solutions to addressing urban challenges.

EXECUTE

  • Delivery Strategy and Execution: We can help you identify the right experts and contractors so that your team is ready to execute. And, in projects that need ongoing support, Building Better Cities can provide end-to-end project management services to ensure timely and successful project completion.

Selected Projects (from top left clockwise):

Cuyahoga Riverfront Development, Cleveland, OH: 35-acre, 3.5M SF mixed-use, master-planned community, a public-private partnership with the City of Cleveland
● Worked with Bedrock executive leadership to create a public-private partnership with the City of Cleveland, execute on a development agreement, and get Planning Commission approval for the master plan
● Led the entitlement and land development work, ensuring project costs and phasing aligned with proposed (and eventual) tax increment financing legislation and bond issuances
● Led land development (design and construction of grading, environmental, wet and dry utilities, roadway improvements) for Sequences 1A-1B, 2, 3

Hunters Point Shipyard Phase 2 Candlestick Point, San Francisco, CA: CEQA-approved 272-acre mixed-use, master-planned community at Candlestick Point, a public-private partnership with the City and County of SF
●Managed land development (design and construction of grading, environmental, wet and dry utilities, roadway improvements) for Phases CP-01-04
●Collaborated with the City of San Francisco and state agencies to expedite agreements and lead the close-out and acceptance process for Candlestick Point’s first affordable housing development
●Ensured appropriate cash flows for infrastructure investments in alignment with the financing plan and Community Facilities District (CFD)

San Diego Riverwalk, San Diego, CA: 200-acre redevelopment project converting a golf course to a mixed-use, master planned community
● Worked with Hines leadership to perform a due diligence analysis for public financing options, inclusive of TIFIA, RRIF, and private activity bonds, to lower project financing costs and support ongoing project infrastructure costs without burdening the real estate development
● Identified opportunities in project structure and processes that would enable to project to become eligible for each public financing option

Fort Street Industrial Campus, Detroit, MI: 37-acre industrial campus redevelopment
● Developed the conceptual master plan, including necessary infrastructure improvements, with a proposed timeline to align with opening of Gordie Howe International Bridge
● Worked with stakeholders to identify a pathway towards site development and economic growth for the neighborhood
● Developed project costs to understand the financing gap and overall request for public financing support through grants and loans