HR&A Advisors

We’re always grateful for the opportunity to connect with and learn from urbanists across the globe.     This week, we were honored to host 26 experts from The University of Tokyo’s Smart City School at our New York office. This delegation, consisting of real estate practitioners, urban tech and media innovators, and mobility experts, joined us for a dynamic discussion about planning, equitable economic development, and urban tech in NYC.       A big thank you to everyone who made this event a success and to our guests for the engaging dialogue – we look forward to continuing this collaboration!      #SmartCities #UrbanInnovation #GlobalCollaboration #UrbanTech #UniversityofTokyo 

HR&A Advisors is proud to support Cornell Tech in quantifying the university's contributions to talent growth, innovation, and economic prosperity in the New York region with our Cornell Tech Impact Study. Cornell Tech hosted an event at Civic Hall yesterday to discuss the findings of our report, with HR&A Partner Kate Wittels moderating. Alongside New York City Economic Development Corporation President Andrew Kimball, Tech:NYC President Julie Samuels, Cornell Tech Dean Greg Morrisett, and psyflo co-founder and CEO Deeana Oliver, Kate highlighted the incredible momentum Cornell Tech has brought to the city. The report reveals that Cornell Tech, its alumni, and affiliated startups have driven $768 million in economic impact in NYC for FY 2022-2023 alone, supporting 2,800 jobs. By 2030, this impact is projected to grow to $1.5 billion annually, supporting 7,000 jobs—demonstrating Cornell Tech’s pivotal role in New York’s tech ecosystem. With continued intentional partnership, Cornell Tech can continue to foster innovation, bridging academia and industry to secure NYC's future in tech leadership. Stay tuned for more updates on how Cornell Tech is bridging academia with industry to drive growth and ensure NYC remains a global tech leader. Read the full press release: https://lnkd.in/e8ZJjEU4 #CornellTech #EconomicImpact #TechInnovation #NYC #JobCreation

Congratulations to our client, SomeraRoad Inc., for officially breaking ground on their transformative $550M redevelopment project in Kansas City’s West Bottoms neighborhood!     This ambitious project will bring critical infrastructure upgrades, historic preservation, new vertical development, and vibrant public open spaces to one of Kansas City’s most historically significant neighborhoods. HR&A is proud to have played a key role in securing City support through our comprehensive economic and fiscal impact analysis and helping structure the public-private partnership that will facilitate SomeraRoad’s mixed-use vision.    With plans for over 1,200 market-rate and affordable apartments, 68,000 square feet of office space, 100,000 square feet for retail, and a boutique hotel across 26 acres, we’re eager to see how the new amenities contribute to a more vibrant future for the West Bottoms neighborhood.     Read about the development in the Kansas City Business Journal.     #KansasCity #Redevelopment #SomeraRoad #UrbanDevelopment  

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is now accepting applications for the latest round of Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grants, offering $1.5 billion in total funding. Individual projects can receive up to $25 million, with up to three projects eligible per agency. This grant is ideal for municipalities and agencies focused on the implementation of capital projects related to transit and infrastructure or planning projects that consider transportation corridors through the lens of economic development, land use, and housing. Additionally, the Build America Bureau at the U.S. Department of Transportation has announced a new funding opportunity through the Regional Infrastructure Accelerators Program (RIA). This program offers up to $10 million in no-match grants to accelerate planning for transportation infrastructure projects through innovative financing and public-private partnerships. At HR&A, we understand the transformative power of transportation infrastructure in driving accessibility, supporting transit agency revenue, and attracting private investment. Our experience navigating similar funding opportunities makes us an ideal partner to help you secure this critical funding for projects that promote equitable growth and community connectivity. If your organization is considering applying for the RAISE Grants or the RIA Program, don’t miss out! The RAISE Grants application period closes on January 30, 2025, and the RIA Program application deadline is January 9, 2025. We’re here to help you seize these opportunities to make lasting impacts in your region. More information about RAISE: https://lnkd.in/e7PPy_5 More information about RIA: https://lnkd.in/eMbyYaer

We were thrilled to co-host the NYC Nonprofit Real Estate Breakfast with Kasirer LLC, bringing together New York’s nonprofit and real estate leaders to discuss key opportunities for collaboration and impact. The event, "Real Estate Driving the Future of Nonprofit Impact," provided a valuable platform to explore how nonprofits can leverage real estate strategies to amplify their missions. After an introduction from Senior Advisor Carl Weisbrod, Partner Kate Wittels moderated one of the event panels featuring insights from prominent leaders, including: Lindsay Ornstein, Founder & CEO, Open Impact  Anita Laremont, Partner, Fried Frank  Susan Sack, Managing Director, Robin Hood  Dave Brown, GRB Consulting  Louise Mirrer, President & CEO, New-York Historical Society  Kristie Maduro, VP of Capital Finance & Real Estate, Brooklyn Public Library    Together, they addressed critical considerations for nonprofits engaging in real estate ventures, from maximizing existing or donated spaces to aligning real estate goals with organizational missions. Attendees also gained insights into navigating land use, securing investment, and accessing government funding opportunities to further their impact.    The panel was followed by an engaging Q&A where Partner Bret Collazzi helped field questions from non-profit leaders about the real estate challenges they’re facing in an evolving market.    Thank you to everyone who joined us for this meaningful conversation! We look forward to seeing how these connections and insights shape New York City’s future.    #NonprofitRealEstate #NYCNonprofits #RealEstateInnovation #NonprofitImpact

Roughly 500 young adults exit foster care every year in New York City, on their own, not having been adopted or reunified with their birth families. Thrust into one of the most competitive housing markets in the world, studies have found that one fifth of the City's foster youth experience homelessness within six years of leaving care. We are so proud to support a bold, youth-led project to end the foster care to homelessness pipeline in NYC and help all youth exiting foster care in New York City have access to safe, high-quality, and integrated housing located in desirable communities. Thank you to our partners Youth Advisory Board, The Center for Fair Futures, The Children's Village, and Good River Partners, for inviting us into this work and Conrad N. Hilton Foundation for supporting it. We were honored to host foster youth leaders last week in our office, where they presented to Councilmember Rita Joseph, the Administration for Children’s Services Commission Jess Dannhauser, and philanthropic leaders. Next, we’re working with our partners on a report, due out in early 2025, about how to finance, at scale, the housing young people aging out of care want and need.     Check out the full press release here: https://lnkd.in/eQTF2avc    #FairFutures #youthleadership #youthleaders #HousingJustice #homelessness #NYCHousing

Tomorrow, Principal Preston Rhea and Director Shawn Daugherty will be speaking at the inaugural Broadband Communities Summit West. This conference, focused on delivering next-generation connectivity across communities in the Western U.S., brings together leaders from diverse sectors to tackle challenges in bridging the digital divide.    Preston will participate in a panel on Overcoming the Challenges of Urban Development, addressing crucial topics like poverty as a barrier to connectivity, digital redlining, infrastructure restrictions, and improving access in affordable rental housing. Shawn will moderate a panel on Connectivity Challenges and Opportunities in Affordable Housing, focusing on infrastructure upgrades, engaging key stakeholders such as ISPs and property managers, and exploring federal or state subsidies.     We are proud to contribute to this vital conversation, as we explore innovative solutions to ensure every community—from densely populated cities to rural areas—has access to essential communications infrastructure.     #BroadbandCommunitiesSummitWest #DigitalInclusion #Connectivity #UrbanDevelopment #AffordableHousing     https://lnkd.in/eU-aN9hH 

It’s uncommon for local governments to act quickly and decisively to meet community needs, but Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato is making significant progress since taking office earlier this year. In the first three months of her administration, she engaged 19,000 residents to understand their priorities. Just six months later, the administration has delivered on 91% of the community's action items, addressing issues such as housing affordability, expanding voting access, and enhancing health-focused crisis response. The Innamorato Administration is setting a national example of what it means to govern in partnership with community. HR&A is proud to have provided intensive daily project management and strategic guidance to her transition, supported the largest and most inclusive community engagement effort in Allegheny County's history, and helped create the All In Allegheny Action Plan. We look forward to the Innamorato Administration’s continued work delivering on these action items and congratulate them on this significant progress in their first year! Read more: https://lnkd.in/eFk3mh2C #AlleghenyCounty #InnamoratoAdministration #ActionPlan #CommunityEngagement #AllInAllegheny

A big thank you to everyone who joined us for HR&A’s TOD Managers Happy Hour during the Mpact Transit + Community Conference! It was a pleasure connecting with so many of you and discussing the ways transit, mobility, and development can shape vibrant communities.     We look forward to continuing the conversations and exploring more ways to collaborate!     #Mpact2024 #TransitCommunity #UrbanDevelopment #HappyHour #Networking #TOD 

HR&A had the honor to support the 2nd Annual North American Chinatown Solidarity Conference last week. Spearheaded by the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation and hosted by Welcome To Chinatown at their recently opened Small Business Hub, the conference brought together community leaders, advocates, and organizations from 21 Chinatowns across US and Canada to share strategies for preserving Chinatowns' cultural legacies, advancing public safety, and building economic resilience. Our team is grateful for the opportunity to help organize and facilitate this effort. We were truly inspired by the stories, lessons, and ideas shared during last week's sessions!    Find more photos from each event: Opening Reception (credit Kevin Yan, @Kaiwen.photo on Instagram): https://lnkd.in/eXwnZvJU   Meetings (credit Cindy Trinh, @cindytrinh.photo on Instagram): https://lnkd.in/egK-GqeP   Celebratory Dinner (credit Zack Chan, @byzackchan on Instagram): https://lnkd.in/e72K_qds