The Polsinelli Shughart PC Real Estate Development group is structured with a focus on providing comprehensive representation to our clients as they navigate the challenging waters of new real estate development and redevelopment, or reutilization of existing facilities.  From concept to ribbon cutting, your Polsinelli Shughart team has the experience and expertise to provide value-added services in support of your real estate initiatives. We consider it our responsibility to not only solve problems as they arise, but to proactively identify potential issues at the outset of the development or acquisition process, and provide strategies to avoid them.  The Governmental Approval process in any jurisdiction is inherently time consuming and costly in terms of development exactions.  Our goal is to take your concept and see it through to implementation consistent with your schedule and budget.

Our group consists of 20 professionals located throughout our offices bringing years of real estate experience to the equation.  In addition, many of our members were in governmental service prior to private practice, and therefore bring a unique perspective and ability to understand and address the public policy issues often presented during the development process.  We understand the success of a project often rests upon persuasion of key decision makers, such as local elected officials, planning staff and community associations, and we have forged good working relationships with those that we deal with in our communities.  However, it takes more than a large rolodex and access to achieve success for our clients in today’s environment.  Complete command of all laws and regulations applicable to a project, coupled with our experience in operating in the public arena is the tool set we bring in support of our clients’ efforts to advance a development project.

In addition to obtaining land use entitlements such as zoning and plan approvals, our practice group is capable of bringing financing solutions to the process as well.  Increasingly, we are seeing a gap between owner capital or traditional debt and the funds necessary to complete a project. Through the utilization of Tax Increment Financing, Transportation Development Districts, Community Improvement Districts, Development Bonds and other similar financing mechanisms, we have been able to successfully forge numerous public-private partnerships whereby the developer is able to capture other sources of revenue to address development costs. There has never been another time that the need for new approaches and innovative ideas is so critical to successfully financing a real estate project.

There are times that a project design or financing structure makes sense to all parties involved, public and private, but existing laws do not allow the concept or approach.  In those instances, the Polsinelli Shughart team has the experience and know-how to change the rules of engagement. We have been successful in advancing ordinance amendments and legislative changes at both the state and federal level on behalf of our clients so that projects can move forward.  No cookie cutter approach here: our job is not to just read the laws and conclude the answer is no; our job is to find a solution.

From zoning to financing we stand ready to be a part of your development team.

      Zoning and Land Use Entitlements

• Zoning, special use permits, mast plan approvals
• Platting, subdivision of property
• Variances, ordinance amendments, legislative initiatives
• Permitting
• Clean Water Act compliance – Section 404 permits
• Wetland mitigation
• Sewer and water district formation
• Annexation

     Project Financing

• Special obligation bond financing
• Tax increment financing districts
• Transportation development districts
• Community development districts
• Special benefit districts – off-balance sheet financing
• State and federal tax credits