EPS provides rigorous analysis and insightful solutions to address complex challenges in real estate development, land use policy, and local government finance. We are motivated by the role our work can play in shaping places where people live and we strive to create high-quality urban environments that advance the principles of diversity, resiliency, and shared prosperity.
EPS offers a wealth of experience, robust technical expertise, and the ability to offer insightful solutions to address the challenges and opportunities of urban development.
EPS is proud to announce the successful execution of a development agreement between the City of Austin (Texas) and Catellus Development Corporation for the Colony Park Sustainable Community in August 2024. This transformative 208-acre project represents years of collaboration between the city, developers, and local stakeholders to create a vibrant, sustainable neighborhood that will include up to 3,000 housing units (including 20% reserved for low-income residents) as well as commercial services, a health clinic and wellness center, and new public parks. The surrounding area was annexed to the City decades ago but has been awaiting the types of public investment and services that this project will provide.
Led by Darin Smith, EPS worked with the City for nearly a decade to reach this milestone. Following a community-centered initial planning effort funded by a HUD grant, the City engaged EPS to assess the financial feasibility of the preferred plan. EPS identified challenges to achieving the desired outcomes through traditional private financing structures, and helped set expectations for the scale and tools of public investment that could help realize the project. EPS then helped the City to solicit developer partners, negotiate development and financial terms, and adopt a Public Financing plan in which the City will take on an active role in financing the required infrastructure but also stands to reap significant financial rewards as well as community benefits from the successful completion of the project over the next decade or longer. This project marks a significant milestone in EPS’s ongoing commitment to helping cities and developers work together to create thriving, sustainable communities.
As housing challenges have worsened across the country since COVID-19, mountain resort communities have been especially impacted. EPS is working with the Eagle County Housing Partners (including the towns of Vail, Minturn, Red Cliff, Avon, Eagle, and Gypsum, and the metropolitan districts of Eagle-Vail, Beaver Creek, Bachelor Gulch, Arrowhead, Edwards, Berry Creek, and Cordillera) to update the region’s 2018 Housing Needs Assessment and better understand current and future housing needs and opportunities. This regional study includes community and employer surveys with partner RRC Associates, and local focus group outreach with partner Habitat for Humanity Vail Valley, and will help shape housing strategies for all communities in the Eagle River Valley.
The five key goals of this effort are to update data on regional housing needs, determine the quantity and type of housing needed in the region (across income levels, ages, and employment/life stages); establish regional housing goals based on the identified needs; identify financial resources available to support community housing and achieve the regional goals; and to identify land available for (re)development to support achieving the housing goals. Initial data was presented to the Housing Partners in Fall 2024, and shows the magnitude of the need, and how much the challenges have accelerated since 2019.
See story below from the Vail Daily.
