What do we do about retail leakage?

What do we do about retail leakage?

Retail leakage, for our purposes, is the gap between the money spent by local consumers and the revenue generated by local businesses, often due to residents shopping in neighboring areas. Significant retail leakage in an area points to opportunities for new and...
Improving access to childcare as local economic development

Improving access to childcare as local economic development

“Employers can no longer afford to overlook America’s escalating child care crisis,” according to a January article in Site Selection magazine. A report from the NC Chamber Foundation indicates that thousands of North Carolinians are leaving the workforce, forgoing...
What will happen to construction costs in 2025?

What will happen to construction costs in 2025?

Going into a New Year, everyone has an interest rate prediction. We thought we’d look at expectations for construction costs instead. Aided by the 0.5% Federal Reserve cut in the Federal funds rate in November, the second such cut of the year, Q3 of 2024 saw the...
Happy New Year!  A list of annual reminders

Happy New Year! A list of annual reminders

As we get to the start of 2025, we offer this list of items to keep in mind as you plan for new capital projects and manage your existing projects. Here are a few things to think about at least once a year: Do something with unused financing proceeds. Why pay...