Sample Community Development Projects

Economic Development Study – Pryor, OK
Analysis of Office Space Potential for Pearland, Texas
Market Demand Study for Proposed Industrial/Business Park

Economic Development Study – Pryor, OK

Situation The city of Pryor, Oklahoma, the county seat of Mayes County, had experienced modest growth in recent decades but had sustained declines in its traditional downtown district and dispersion of its working population to areas outside the city. The city administration and Chamber of Commerce were anxious to stimulate new community growth and improve quality of life for Pryor. CDS Market Research and its alliance partner, Spillette Consulting, were selected to conduct a comprehensive market study of residential, retail and hospitality land uses and recommend a growth management plan to address current and future needs in order to attract development and redevelopment.

Approach
CDS/Spillette began the analysis with an assessment of economic and demographic trends for Pryor. This was followed by market analyses of each of the three land uses to be addressed. With respect to housing, a hand-out survey was conducted among 279 employees of companies located in the primary employment center in the area - the Mid America Industrial Park - to determine their housing preferences and attitudes toward the town of Pryor as a residential location. Based on the market analyses, CDS/Spillette was able to identify the specific factors that were limiting new development and redevelopment and make specific recommendations to stimulate single and multi-family residential, retail and hotel development in Pryor. Key to the analysis was the recognition that all three were interdependent and that there was a synergistic effect to be expected from new activity related to the land uses involved.

Action to Date
The study findings have been presented to the Pryor City Council, which is considering a number of actions needed to implement the study recommendations.

Analysis of Office Space Potential for Pearland, Texas

Situation During the 80s, 90s and 00s, Pearland had become one of the standouts of new suburban residential and retail development in the Greater Houston area. From its modest beginnings as a small county town in Northern Brazoria County, it had been transformed into a thriving community with many attractive subdivisions and shopping centers. Yet, contrary to the experience of a number of other rapidly growing areas surrounding Houston, and in spite of its excellent access to the Texas Medical Center and Downtown by way of the SH 288 freeway, Pearland had never succeeded in attracting significant general purpose office development. Accordingly, the Pearland Economic Development Corporation (PEDC) felt that it needed an objective assessment of office space potential for the community and guidance on how to market Pearland to office developers and users. CDS market Research was selected to do the analysis.

Approach
CDS utilized a multi-faceted approach. The primary methodology involved the definition of the competitive market area (CMA), analysis of current population and demographics, forecast future employment and population and assessments of existing/under construction/planned/purposed office space in the CMA. This was followed by projections of future potentials for both medical and general purpose office space. Potentials were calculated on the basis of forecast future medical and general purpose employment, and on the basis of the average ratios of medical and general purpose office space to population for the greater Houston market outside Beltway 8. Next, CDS examined the historical development of four major suburban activity centers - the Energy Corridor, Greenspoint, Sugar Land and The Woodlands - to determine what implications their success might have for Pearland. CDS performed an analysis of seven factors that impacted Pearland's attractiveness for office developers and users. This step included interviews with 15 real estate professionals. Based on these analyses, CDS projected the shares of total CMA medical and general purpose office demand that Pearland could expect to achieve over a 12-year planning period.

Results to Date
PEDC is using the CDS report as a marketing tool. A four-story Class A 80,000 SF general purpose office building is planned and negotiations are underway with developers and users regarding other office projects in Pearland.

Market Demand Study for Proposed Industrial/Business Park

Situation The City of Palestine, Texas was interested in establishing a modern industrial/business park on city-owned acreage to slow the city's decline in employment and attract one or more new industries. It contracted Page Sutherland Page, a major planning firm, to be its lead consultant, and PSP contracted CDS to participate as a member of its consulting team on the project.

Approach
Following an initial tour of existing industrial facilities and the proposed site for the park, CDS undertook a field survey of sixteen existing industrial/business parks owned and operated by thirteen East Texas economic development corporations and industrial foundations. The purpose was to gauge size, quality, configuration, amenities, marketing methods, historic absorption rates, tenant bases and expansion plans of competitive projects in order to measure the current supply of industrial park sites in the East Texas market. In the next phase, CDS conducted 21 interviews with community and business leaders, site consultants and economic development professionals to identify the advantages and disadvantages of Palestine from a business location standpoint, industries that were best suited to Palestine, critical site location factors, and to assess the overall competitiveness of East Texas and Palestine from the standpoint of business attraction. Finally, CDS identified ten specific industries offering the best recruitment targets and recommended a recruitment strategy believed to have the best chance of success.

Action to Date
The City proceeded to develop a 352 acre industrial/business park, called the Willow Creek Business Park, on South Loop 256 in 2004. Following the grand opening in May, 2005, the Palestine Economic Development Corporation has successfully recruited three companies and an office suite project for the park.


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