Economic and Funding Strategies

Economic and Funding Strategies

FCS GROUP economists help governments create vibrant sustainable communities. We model the fiscal and social return on public investments and provide creative ways of funding projects and services. Challenges turn into opportunities as we support goals aimed at fair housing and job creation.

FCS Principal Todd Chase

“Our success is measured by our ability to deliver exceptional service, high quality work, and innovative solutions to our clients.”

Todd Chase
Principal and Economist

FCS GROUP economists help governments create vibrant sustainable communities. We model the fiscal and social return on public investments and provide creative ways of funding projects and services. Challenges turn into opportunities as we support goals aimed at fair housing and job creation.

“Our success is measured by our ability to deliver exceptional service, high quality work, and innovative solutions to our clients.”

Todd Chase
Principal and Economist

FCS GROUP understands what makes governments tick. Our economists document the interplay between regional economic characteristics and local development opportunities. Your unique “economic landscape” is comprised of workforce capabilities, environmental features, public facilities, tax structure and private business activities. FCS GROUP provides economic analysis that informs policy decisions which leverages strategic investment and targeted job growth.

  • Industry cluster strategies
  • Economic and demographic forecasts
  • Workforce training infrastructure analysis
  • Geographic information systems (GIS)
  • Trade capture and leakage analysis
  • Municipal finance benchmarking
  • Market opportunity assessments

Your community is poised for growth, and it is time to address issues concerning the relationship between available land, buildings, and public facilities. FCS GROUP urban planners and land use economists are experts at preparing infrastructure investment strategies that balance your available capital and operations and maintenance (O&M) financial resources with community development benefit and cost impacts.

  • Low impact development (LID) strategies
  • Transportation economics and finance
  • Real estate market analysis
  • Development feasibility analysis
  • Industrial land assessment
  • Economic and fiscal impact analysis

Community development is dependent on global and regional economic forces combined with local actions aimed at achieving development goals and objectives. FCS GROUP conducts primary research and works with economic development leaders to perform strategic planning and community visioning that clearly articulates community development goals and objectives.

  • Economic opportunities analysis
  • Attainable housing market analysis
  • Target industry attraction
  • Workforce development
  • Public policy analysis
  • Community visioning

FCS GROUP analyzes P3 deal structure options from varying perspectives to determine how public and private commitments are defined to mitigate risks and optimize return on investment. A solid P3 understanding is required to ensure that public and private objectives are clear and development performance metrics are defined. This approach helps ensure that P3s deliver desired capital projects along with strategic public and private investment.

  • Return on investment analysis
  • Financial pro forma analysis
  • Funding gap strategies
  • Alternative development strategies
  • Special funding district formations
  • Development agreement terms
  • Development site prospectus
  • Monitoring and evaluation

FCS GROUP works with ports to enhance operations and financial performance. Our findings are used to rethink and reposition port investment, leverage private investment, and create job opportunities. We utilize data resources, business outreach and strategic planning to efficiently identify both near and long-term opportunities and priorities to optimize your regional and global trade market.

  • Strategic planning assistance
  • Economic competitiveness analysis
  • Economic analysis of transportation and shipping infrastructure
  • Economic needs assessment
  • Business incubator assessment
  • Tenant market evaluations
  • Federal grant application assistance

FCS GROUP supports land use planning by performing detailed economic assessments that inform strategic growth initiatives. We take a focused approach toward gathering and evaluating your existing land inventory, development patterns, existing infrastructure, tax and fee structures, and housing and labor statistics. Our assessment of your growth and funding strategies will shape both your short- and long-term goals of attracting business, work force, and development.

  • Urban growth area annexation impacts
  • Buildable lands inventory
  • Housing needs analysis and action plan
  • Development impact fee evaluations
  • Fiscal benefit-cost assessment (BCA)
  • Alternative funding strategies

What our customers are saying

“I can vouch for the FCS Group’s work. Todd Chase is about as sharp as they come and his feet are firmly on the ground. He’s judicious in his time but is not afraid to answer questions and explore options. I think EDA would say that Todd’s work was critical in helping Garibaldi receive our recent federal award.”
Kevin Greenwood, Former Manager, Port of Garibaldi, Oregon