sample Development/Financial Feasibility Projects
neighborhood revitalization strategy
Baton Rouge, LA
Old South Baton Rouge was once a self-sufficient, self-contained immigrant neighborhood, populated by the descendents of African slaves, as well as Italian and Jewish households. With the social gains achieved through the Civil Rights movement, Old South Baton Rouge began to experience a steady out-migration to the suburbs that continues today. The RKG Team consisted of national and local experts in the areas of urban design, neighborhood planning, project implementation, real estate development, and public involvement. The RKG Team spent over twelve months building the capacity of local residents and organizations to play an active role in the implementation of the revitalization strategy. Today, hip Board of Directors is working closely with the Baton Rouge Area Foundation to undertake residential and commercial rehab projects.
Economic Development and Downtown Revitalization Strategy
Blacks burg, Virginia
Home to the State’s largest university, Virginia Tech, Blacks burg is admired for its livability, innovation, and small-town quality of life. RKG Associates, Inc. was retained by the Town to prepare a strategic economic development and downtown revitalization strategy. The plan focused on strategies for revitalizing the Town’s downtown commercial district and creating other economic development opportunities. Virginia Tech is now pursuing plans to construct a performing arts center on North Main Street and a private developer is proposing a new 80,000 square foot mixed-use office-retail building on South Main Street. The Town will construct a new 310 space parking garage to support the downtown.
Downtown Redevelopment Strategy After Hurricane Katrina
Gulfport, Mississippi
Gulfport, a regional center for financial and banking services, was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Approximately one-third of the downtown properties were destroyed or significantly damaged. RKG was retained to prepare both a retail market study and a redevelopment strategy for the downtown. Since then, the City of Gulfport has initiated financial and development incentives to encourage private sector re-investment in its downtown core, and has leveraged more than $300 million of investment in banking and casinos.
urban redevelopment
Memphis, Tennessee
The Mid-South Fairgrounds is a seasonal and under-utilized 170-acre parcel, in the heart of Memphis and owned jointly by the city and county. RKG Associates, Inc., working with LRK, an architecture and planning firm, prepared several redevelopment options for the Fair-grounds. An extensive public outreach process identified the most desirable options and RKG completed a detailed fiscal and economic impact analysis of each of these options. The city is currently reviewing the redevelopment options and exploring the potential for private sector participation.
adaptive reuse/ waterfront development
Newmarket, New Hampshire
RKG assembled a team of professionals that included architecture, civil and environmental engineering to evaluate the re-use potential of historic and underutilized mill buildings under a variety of alternative scenarios. The analysis undertaken by the team, along with ongoing public input, led to the creation of a “developer’s kit” that the Town used to market the property to potential private sector partners. A developer has since acquired the site and successfully developed high end residential condominiums in the attractive waterfront set-ting, which in turn is helping to transform the retail core of the down-town..
highest and best use analysis
Richmond/Henrico County, Virginia
Reynolds Development, LLC retained ownership of the former Reynolds Aluminum headquarters after the company was sold to Alcoa and was interested in developing the remaining undeveloped land at the site. To accomplish this, they required a zoning change. RKG Associates was retained to perform a detailed market analysis for each of the proposed land uses at the site and then to prepare a fiscal impact analysis to highlight the added benefit the mixed-use project would bring to the County, in terms of net tax revenue. A rezoning of the site was accomplished as a result of this work.