Market & Financial Analysis.
We analyze markets and create financial models to help clients make smart development decisions. Our assessments combine population data, competitor research, and financing expertise to determine what should be built, how much it will cost, whether projects will be profitable, and how to structure deals that work for both investors and communities while ensuring projects succeed over time.
HR&A served as strategic partner and development advisor to Rice Management Company for The Ion and broader 16-acre Ion District in Houston, overseeing real estate and programmatic development. This comprehensive advisory role has successfully transformed a former Sears building into a thriving innovation hub while laying the groundwork for a 3-5 million square foot mixed-use innovation district that fosters an inclusive tech ecosystem and creates equitable economic opportunities.
HR&A supported San Diego State University to develop the vision and business plan for a 1.6 million square foot Innovation District at SDSU Mission Valley, a transformative mixed-use development on a 165-acre transit-oriented site. We guided master plan refinement and are supporting procurement of a developer for up to 500,000 square feet of research space, positioning SDSU to expand career opportunities for its 35,000 students while growing its $5.7 billion annual regional economic impact.
HR&A worked with Buffalo Bayou Partnership to develop a comprehensive investment framework and master plan for Buffalo Bayou East, a 260-acre waterfront transformation extending Houston's celebrated greenway network four miles east of Downtown. Our strategic planning work created the foundation for securing a historic $100 million catalyst gift from the Kinder Foundation, which will leverage an additional $210 million in public and philanthropic funding to support the first decade of development and operations.
HR&A co-led a multidisciplinary team developing an equitable transit-oriented development (ETOD) strategy for CapMetro's Project Connect, spanning 100+ station areas. Working with Austin Transit Partnership and the City of Austin, we created a comprehensive policy toolkit that minimizes displacement while maximizing economic opportunities for local residents and businesses.
