Consulting
Experience
Karl
F. Seidman Consulting Services has completed over forty
projects for federal, state and local governments,
foundations, community development corporations, business
associations, and private firms and developers. Our main
assignments in recent years are summarized below.
Economic
Development Plans and Strategies
Downtown
Brattleboro Strategic Marketing Plan
Prepared strategic marketing plan for downtown Brattleboro
that included business recruitment, primary and secondary
area marketing, tourist attraction, physical improvements,
and arts and cultural initiatives.
Client: Brattleboro Arts Initiative, Building a
Better Brattleboro, and Town of Brattleboro.
Calumet
Empowerment Zone Application. Prepared economic development
and tax incentive plan for East Chicago, Gary, and Hammond,
Indiana's successful 1998 Empowerment Zone application.
City
of Fitchburg Strategic Economic Recovery Plan. Prepared
plans on zoning, infrastructure, and real estate development
issues as part of city's economic development plan.
City
of Hartford Empowerment Zone Application. Prepared
airport-based economic development plan and tax incentive
plan for Hartford's 1998 empowerment zone application.
Northampton/Easthampton
Economic Development Strategy. Formulated economic
development strategy for two cities based on business
survey, asset assessment, real estate site analysis, and
public forums.
North
Shore Economic Diversification Strategic Plan. Developed
plans to address real estate and economic development
capacity needs for regional economic development strategy
Providence
Empowerment Zone Application. Prepared tax incentive plan
for 1998 Empowerment Zone Application from the City of
Providence.
Shelburne
Falls Market Analysis and Strategic Plan. Prepared five-year
strategic plan for improvement of this rural business
district based on market analysis, business and customer
surveys, focus groups and interviews. Included a business
recruitment plan and brochure.
Town
of Montague Neighborhood Planning Project. Conducted market
analysis and helped local committee formulate economic
development plan for two business districts.
Town
of Yarmouth Comprehensive Plan. Prepared economic
development plan for this Cape Cod community that addresses
priority development projects, tourism, business development
and retention, and zoning.
Economic
and Fiscal Impact Analysis
Defense
Procurement Economic Impact Analysis. Estimated the
employment impacts from reduced defense procurement in
Massachusetts.
Economic
Impact Analysis for the Plasma and Photon Materials
Processing Center. Prepared economic impact analysis for a
four-university technology development and transfer
consortium.
South
Weymouth Naval Air Station Reuse Plan Fiscal Impact Analysis. Prepared fiscal impact analysis for three reuse
options for this closed military base.
Town
of Milford, Dual Tax Rate Impact Study. Prepared an analysis
of the impact of Milford's dual tax rate on business
investment for the Town's Finance Committee.
Program
Design and Evaluation
Boston
Main Streets Study. Documenting the outcomes
and best practices from the City of Boston's Main Streets
Program as part of the Pew Partnership's Wanted: Solutions
for America project.
Community
Business Network. Evaluated the impact and recommended
operating improvements for a community-based business
development program.
Empowerment
Zone/Enhanced Enterprise Community Interim Outcomes
Evaluation. Designed methodology, conducted field research,
and wrote reports on Boston's five-year outcomes for the
national evaluation of the federal Enterprise
Community/Empowerment Zone program.
Hyams
Foundation Economic Development Funding Strategy. Assessed
local needs and opportunities and recommended funding
strategies for economic and workforce development in five
low-income neighborhoods.
Massachusetts
Community Development Finance Corporation Venture Fund.
Evaluated impacts from state managed venture capital fund
and recommended steps to increase impact, build stronger
partnerships, and improve operations.
Neighborhood
Preservation Initiative Evaluation. Prepared a case study on
the implementation and outcomes from a three-year
comprehensive community development initiative in East
Boston.
Real
Estate and Economic Development Finance
Brockton
Star Market Site Financing Package. Prepared financial
package for non-profit developer of a supermarket site.
Financing
Plan, Central Plaza, Lowell. Advised shopping center owner
on financing plan for major renovations, prepared financing
package, and secured loan commitments.
Financial
Analysis and Plan, Parkway Plaza, Chelsea. Prepared
financial feasibility analysis and financing plan for two
development options at 30-acre brownfield site.
Financing
and Ownership Options for Brownfields Project, Lawrence
Massachusetts. Evaluated ownership and financing options for
the reuse of a former chemical plant into a parking facility
and office building.
Southside
Investment Partnership. Assisting city state,
and community agencies to design an innovative equity
investment fund for community-based economic development
projects in Providence, Rhode Island.
Market
Analysis and Real Estate Feasibility Studies
Brattleboro
Market Analysis. Prepared strategic marketing
plan for downtown Brattleboro, including demographic and
economic analysis, customer surveys, and strategy
formulation and action plan.
Brockton
Supermarket Feasibility Study. Completed feasibility study
for reuse of a former discount Store into a supermarket and
economic development center.
Colle
Building Feasibility Study. Prepared study for the reuse of
former opera house into a retail and office development,
including market analysis, financial feasibility analysis,
marketing plan and recommendations to enhance downtown
development.
College
of William and Mary Community Economic Development
Partnership. Evaluated real estate development
opportunities, including a university-sponsored research
park.
England's
Building Feasibility Study. Completed feasibility study for
the reuse of a former department store, including market
analysis for retail, office, new media companies and
artists, recommendations on reuse scenarios, financial
feasibility analysis and financing plan.
Long
Branch, New Jersey Mixed Use Development. Prepared financial
feasibility analysis for mixed-use development project,
including hotel, office, residential and retail development.
Jonathan's
Restaurant Business Plan. Assessed potential demand,
competition, and market position for proposed restaurant.
Quadrant
Group Brownfields Project. Conducted office and industrial
real estate market analysis and financial feasibility
analysis for the redevelopment of an 8.5-acre brownfields
site in Lawrence, Massachusetts
Plymouth
Waterfront Development Plan. Market analysis
for pier and land development uses as part of waterfront
development plan for the Town of Plymouth.
Science
Center at Oyster Point. Prepared benchmarking assessment,
marketing plan, and development recommendations for a
technology park adjacent to the Jefferson National
Accelerator Facility in Newport News, Virginia.
Shelburne
Falls Market Analysis and Strategic Plan. Analyzed retail
and commercial market conditions and potential as part of a
strategic plan for improving this rural business district.
Technical
Assistance and Training
Franklin
County Circuit Rider. Evaluated projects,
prepared financial and implementation plans, and provided
technical assistance to advance economic development
projects in Franklin County, Massachusetts.
Fall
River Strategic Planning Retreat. Planned and facilitated
strategic planning meeting for public-private economic
development partnership.
Easthampton
and Northampton Economic Development Retreat. Planned and
facilitated meeting to define implementation plan for
economic development strategy.
Economic
Development Planning Course, Council for Urban Economic
Development. Instructor for course offered by international
professional association as part of its certificate program.
Real
Estate Development Training. Conducted training session on
real estate development for community development
corporations.
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