Scott Harrington, Principal Planner at Vandewalle & Associates, spoke in early February at a half-day seminar at the WEDA (Wisconsin Economic Development Association) Academy on economic development project analysis. Scott shared some of the best ways – gained from decades of experience with successful project management – to bring greater certainty to approval of economic development projects.
“It’s all about process, process, process,” said Scott. “Knowing how yours works, and being prepared to coherently explain/show it to others.” Scott then walked through that process … from initial phone call through development agreement approval … and pointed out the the various aspects that need to be considered. This included everything from alignment with various community plans, to knowing who and when to involve different staff members, to ensuring appointed and elected bodies understand their respective roles.
Along the way participants received tips for aligning the developer “ask” with the goals and priorities of the public officials, understanding infrastructure needs and design considerations, and guideposts through the twists and turns of project financing and approval.
Scott has worked in planning and development implementation in both public and private sectors. He has become one of the Midwest’s leading experts in “working the TID” and offers resources to guide communities through the process of using TIF funding for a successful return through his video series “TIF Talks.” If you need help in streamlining your project financing and approval process or jumpstarting development in one of your TID’s, give Scott a call or drop him an email.
