SECTOR LEADERSHIP "Marilee Utter created the vision for an abandoned rail yard and convinced the community it could be a vibrant part of the city. Her leadership was critical in bringing together the public and private concerns for the Central Platte Valley and changing the face of downtown Denver." - David Syre, CEO, Trillium Corporation, Bellingham, Washington

Transit-Oriented Developments

Developments around transit are harder to design, entitle, finance and build than almost any other. But they are powerful assets to communities as activity and identity centers with high-stakes economic return. Managing the natural tension between the public and private partners involved in these projects is where Citiventure excels.

Planning is important - Making it happen is extraordinary.

Land use and transportation work best when they are planned and developed together. Usually they aren't, and substantial economic benefits often are lost. Citiventure knows from first-hand experience how to create special, human-scale places around bus and rail stations, and how to make them work for transit agencies, developers and communities.

"Communities around the country are bidding for transit lines. Every one of them needs to show how they will encourage the right kind of land use to earn critical funding. We can help show the way." Marilee Utter

• Assemble the team
• Talk to the community
• Shepherd the vision
• Help secure the resources
• Phase the elements
• Structure and negotiate the deals
• Manage the partnerships

Citiventure brings this leadership to challenging land use and development situations. Citiventure draws upon a wide landscape of experience in master planning and developing rail yards, transit villages, aging mall sites, town centers, brownfields, mixed-use and historic properties.

"We help project planners and architects formulate a vision that is consistent with market and development realities." Marilee Utter

• Careful listening
• Strong analysis
• Frank talk
• Creative solutions

• Identifies and assembles the right team
• Formulates the design
• Sets the schedule
• Structures and negotiates the deal
• Determines timing and implementation
• Manages the process
• Talks to the community
• Delivers the project

"Citiventure brings foresight and insight, energy and know-how to strategize even the most difficult real estate developments to make them happen." Marilee Utter

"Rapid Response" Development Advisory Services

It is not uncommon for development teams to get bogged down in details, red tape and differences of opinion. What is often needed is a fresh perspective to get the ball rolling again so that projects come in on-time, on-budget and on-plan. Citiventure can quick assembly a "rapid response" team to kick-start any project into action while providing valuable direction to ensure success.

When time is of the essence and strategic direction is the principal requirement, a "Rapid Response" team might be what is needed. Citiventure will custom craft an intense 3-5 day workshop for the client to address the issues at hand. With a hand-picked team of national experts, recommendations come in days instead of weeks.

Citiventure makes it happen.

Citiventure:

• Assembles the team
• Scrubs the plan
• Studies the options
• Presents targeted recommendations
• Provides measures of success

"Sometimes forces like mother nature, market cycles or and political pressure present development authorities with monumental challenges that need to be overcome quickly. Our Rapid Response teams are there to help." Marilee Utter

Public Asset Management Advisory Services

Real estate decisions often involve substantial investment and complex issues. Yet it is not unusal for cities, counties and other public entities to lack a useful inventory, in-house expertise or full understanding of how to best use their real estate holdings. With skillful management, real estate can be just as valuable as cash in accomplishing the goals of the community. It can be swapped, developed, used for a variety of public uses, leased, sold, joint-ventured, upgraded, held for future action, packaged with an assemblage, levered, or surplused.

What differentiates Public Asset Mangers from private sector practicioners is the understanding of the role of the public sector in the community. After all the private sector real estate market and financial analysis techniques are used, there is ultimately one additional criteria that a public sector real estate decision must meet, and that is furtherance of the long term goals of the community.

Citiventure knows the ins and outs of managing public real estate, be it a special property destined for redevelopment, a strategy for development of a public building, or overall portfolio analysis and management.

"With today's excruciating financial strains and workforce overloads, more than ever, government will be taken advantage of if it doesn't shrewdly evaluate and manage its real estate holdings." Marilee Utter