Development

We’ve seen it time and again: Companies go through a painstaking process of identifying suitable locations for developing new projects. They settle on a location and make a deal with the developer that is initially met with much fanfare — only to have the project eventually scuttled as a result of community opposition or governmental roadblocks. One need look no further than Amazon’s announcement of plans to locate half its HQ2 in New York City, representing 25,000 jobs, only to find it necessary to withdraw those plans in the face of challenges posed by so-called “community leaders.” Situations like that arise repeatedly, not only with the Amazons of the world, but also with lesser-known companies working with development partners to build new facilities, whether they be for office, industrial or retail uses. In many jurisdictions, the public approval process can be challenging to navigate. There is often a cacophony of voices from community residents, community organizations and governmental entities with different — sometimes conflicting agendas — that may or may not be economically viable or even in the community’s best interests. Those voices carry weight and are often enough to ground an ambitious project. The lessons we’ve learned as a …