Project Consultants for Tribes and First Archives

Wilderness Camp Feasibility & Prototyping

Northern Cheyenne Tribe | An economic development plan prepared for the tribe included a recommendation for a series of hunting camps throughout the tribe’s lands. In this illustration, an actual facility near Cook Creek Road is prototyped.

Illustration work shown here is a product of aec‘s Rapid Prototyping Unit, combining feasibility results with preliminary project scaling, layout, and overall guest experiential design – created to assist Ownership group in confirming design intent and project budgets.

South Dakota RV Campground

Confidential Client | Included as part of our work as tribal – First Nation project consultants, as a potential project for exploration, in an overall portfolio 10-year economic development plan. Bear Butte State Park (South Dakota) is a distant scenic backdrop to the property.

Mid-Wilshire Office Development – Project Feasibility

24.08.2016 Project Consultants for Tribes and First

Shimizu North America | Financial analysis and prototypical deal structuring for a planned office tower to be developed along the Wilshire Corridor in Los Angeles, California. Analysis included impact of tenant leasing program, leasing velocity, lease roll-overs, and the like. Project investment returns were tested for an array of scenarios regarding inflation, months vacant upon roll-overs, and rental step-up lease provisions. IRR analysis included review of sensitivity of different contribution components of partitioned rates-of-return.

Due Diligence for Resort Acquisition

30.05.2016 Project Consultants for Tribes and First

Newfield Enterprises International | Due diligence for resort acquisition, involving a master-planned golf community in development in Lovenlund (on St Thomas) in the U.S. Virgin Islands (“USVI”). The due diligence was prepared on behalf of an international family office (based in Riyadh) considering an investment in, or outright acquisition of the property.

Our due diligence work for this resort acquisition included a review of historic operating results, the appeal of the community’s residential product to buyers, repair and maintenance issues, and staffing matters. A forecast of expected operating performance was prepared, along with a budget for upgrading the property to assure continued first-class operations.

The Mahogany Run Golf Course that was one component of the prospective acquisition, had been completed in 1980. The course enjoyed a top reputation with its design by George and Tom Fazio. At the time of the due diligence, Mahogany Run was the only golf course on St. Thomas island. Another interesting feature of the property is the historic Old Stone Farm House Restaurant, situated in a restored farm building on the 300-acre former Lovendahl (Danish) sugar plantation.

Lovenlund is a settlement near Magens Bay on the north side of the island of Saint Thomas. St. Thomas along with Saint John, and Saint Croix, form a county and constituent district of the USVI.

Due Diligence for Resort Acquisition

Feasibility Consultants for Planned Community

24.08.2012 Project Consultants for Tribes and First

Feasibility consultants for planned community in San Bernardino County, California, as part of the project’s master-planning design team.

The site of the former Greenspot Ranch is a 1,046-acre planned community featuring 2,045 units of single family, condominium, and detached residential, commercial and 27 hole golf. An equestrian area was also included in the overall master land use plan. A planned unit development located at cross streets, Newport Avenue and Emerald Avenue.

As project feasibility consultants for this planned community, our work was part of ongoing master-planning and entitlements. Specific financial analysis also evaluated the residential land value yield on specific enclaves of the development, estimating net margins that could be achieved in pad sales to end-builders. Our work for this client was part of our land development consulting practice at the time, during the halcyon days of master-planned community development in the U.S.

The project was related to what was then known as the East San Bernardino County Water District, the name was changed to East Valley Water District in 1982. An annexation in September 2000 increased the District’s service area by 3,228 acres and included the Greenspot Ranch Area.

During the process of initial planning and securing overall land use entitlements, the project was purchased by Landmark Land Co., a New Orleans land developer. Our work as feasibility consultants for this planned community, as well as the overall master-planning and entitlements, were competed prior to the sale to Landmark Land Co.

Landmark Land was a high-profile golf community developer with extensive landholdings and properties throughout the Western U.S. Following a probe by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Landmark Land filed for bankruptcy protection and its affiliated savings and loan (“S&L”) was seized by regulators.

The seizure of Landmark Land’s S&L interests was part of somewhat forgotten major meltdown within the U.S. financial services industry. Between 1986 and 1995, some 1,043 out of 3,234 savings and loan associations in the U.S., failed. Before the crisis was concluded, the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation (FSLIC) closed or otherwise resolved 296 institutions, and the (then) newly established Resolution Trust Corporation (RTC) closed or otherwise resolved 747 institutions.