Economic Development Strategies for Highest & Best Use

Mixed Use and Commercial Development Projects in British Columbia

Real estate development potential & marketing evaluation for Mt Washington Village, Vancouver Island, BC

This project required visioning, market & economic development & implementation strategies, including marketing plan evaluation, to develop this winter ski destination into a year-round integrated resort community and significant tourist attraction. Our Market and Economic Study included implementation strategies. Uses were examined for hotel, residential, retail, entertainment, and cultural/arts as well as an array of outdoor recreation and eco-tourism activities and programs. We assisted them to obtain their rezoning, then we completed their detailed neighbourhood planning and securing joint venture partners.

Downtown Vernon, Revelstoke & Squamish, B.C.

Market studies, merchandising and implementation plans were needed, including addressing specific issues facing these downtowns as well as preparation of a business recruitment package to assist in attracting specific merchants to downtown Vernon.

Highest & Best Use Development Potential for land in the West bank area, near Kelowna, BC.

We assessed a land parcel for its development potential at the time of partial taking for the Ministry of Transportation & Highways. We evaluated its site and locational attributes, market conditions, recent development trends for residential, commercial, industrial, and resort development potential.

Eco-rejuvenation Spa/wellness Retreat, Denman Island, B.C.

This project required a Vision/Concept plan, highest & best use, market study and financial projections for a 67-acre coastal land parcel to identify the attributes for an ecologically based spa/wellness/healing centre and retreat. We also worked on the implementation stage, including rezoning, environmental impact assessments, servicing, and initial architectural/design of the 'green & sustainable based' accommodation, restaurant, general store, and spa facilities, along with the marketing strategies.

Wine Country Welcome Centre, Oliver, B.C.

Highest & best use development strategy to maximize site’s revenue potential: uses examined included restaurant/retail, hotel, spa/wellness center, culinary facilities, meeting space, office and residential. Both residential & tourism demand were examined to further assist in positioning Oliver as an agricultural resort destination.

Takhini Hot Springs, Whitehorse, Yukon

This primarily single-use, day-use area needed to be repositioned as a year-round international tourist destination and sustainable integrated resort community. This required visioning and concept plan to include cohousing, retail, Eco lodge, spa/wellness center, equestrian centre, greenhouse based industries, and permaculture.

Mixed Use and Commercial Development Projects in the United States

Vail Valley Center, Vail Colorado

This 190-acre site was envisioned and analyzed as a mixed use, pedestrian oriented town center development serving the entire Vail Valley. The project required a Highest & Best Use Development Strategy and Master Plan. The identified uses included retail, hotels, offices/business park, residential, institutional, Cultural Arts Recreation & Entertainment & Education (CARE) facilities and other tourism uses.

New town centre, Bloomington, ID

A highest and best use 'market driven' development assessment and master plan was developed for this 320-acre site, situated at the outskirts of this mid-sized university based town.

Mixed Use and Commercial Development Projects in Australia

We developed a highest & best use development strategy for vacant waterfront parcels situated within Coolangatta, Gold Coast, a seaside resort community. Uses examined included: hotel, residential, retail, spa/wellness & medical offices.

We completed commercial and residential development strategies for residual lands around Bond University, Australia’s First Private University, Gold Coast, Queensland, based on both local market conditions as well as comparable North American universities.

In Shute Harbour Resort, Whitsunday Islands, Queensland, Australia, we completed a mixed use waterfront development strategy including resort retail, hotel, marina, spa/wellness, and entertainment uses.

At the Ocean Shores Resort Community, near Byron Bay, N.S.W., Australia we completed Town Center Retail Commercial Development Strategy, including residential, office, spa/wellness, retail, recreational and university development for this pedestrian oriented town center.

In Auckland, New Zealand, we worked on development planning and market opportunity analyses for the redevelopment of underutilized railway yards to a retail, residential and office complex.

Mixed Use and Commercial Development Projects in Chile

We conducted a highest & best use development strategy for a new town center in Concepcion, Chile, including a regional shopping centre, office, hotel, and other commercial development.

New Town Center, Santiago, Chile.

We did the same in Santiago, Chile. The new town center required mixed use development opportunity analysis and development guidelines for repositioning a regional shopping center into a major town centre situated at the terminus of the City’s southern subway line.