CRE Consulting Corps: Making a Difference in Georgia
To say the Consulting Corps Team has given us much to consider and evaluate for the future would be
a gross understatement. They asked the tough questions, interviewed more than 50 people, and
worked very long hours. Words like “creative, innovative, on-target, and tremendously detailed” were
common descriptors of the Team and their work given by those attending the exit briefing.
▪ W. Michael Couch, Executive Director, Central State Hospital Local Redevelopment Authority
CLIENT: The Central State Hospital Local Redevelopment Authority
was established to oversee the redevelopment of the vacated
Central State Hospital campus, located in Milledgeville, Georgia. At
its height in the 1960s, the population of CSH was nearly 13,000
patients. At that time, the site was like a small city with its own fire
and police departments, school programs, and steam plant. Today
the property consists of nearly 2,000 acres and more than 200
buildings in various stages of disrepair. Concern has been expressed
about preservation of the property’s historic Victorian buildings
before disrepair makes them impossible to save. The property has
many unique features, including a 90,000-square-foot kitchen—one of the largest in the world—and
cemeteries where thousands of patients were buried with only numbered stakes as grave markers.
CHALLENGE: The Central State Hospital LRA sought the strategic
assistance of the CRE Consulting Corps to refine and attain a
redevelopment vision for the property. The Authority recognized
that the greatest strengths of the property included its proximity
to a number of higher education institutions and its natural
beauty. They saw the site’s major weaknesses as its somewhat
isolated location within the state (with no easy access by interstate
highway or rail), a lack of industry in the area, and its
contamination and reputation stigma. The task facing the
Consulting Corps team was to determine the highest and best use of the 2,200-acre site. And, while
highest and best use is usually defined in terms of dollars or profitability, the state and local leadership
overwhelmingly favored job creation over tax revenues.
ASSESSMENT:
In January the leadership of the CRE Consulting
Corps visited the site to meet with key stakeholders to define the
project scope. The team leader travelled to the site in April to
meet with the Authority staff and leadership to determine what
information should be included in the project briefing packet and
to finalize on-site arrangements. In June the five-member
Consulting Corps team assembled in Milledgeville for six days.
The team gathered and reviewed thousands of pages of
documents. They interviewed more than 50 stakeholders (often more than once) that included college
presidents, Authority board members, state and local public officials, college students and even the wait
staff at local restaurants where they dined. They inspected the property and surrounding areas on foot,
by air, and from the water. The team visited and revisited the property. As one team member noted,
they drove down unpaved roads, and when the roads ran out, they walked!
RECOMMENDATIONS:
The team left the Central State Hospital LRA with a 90-day action plan: (1)
develop a Memorandum of Understanding with city, county, and other stakeholders documenting
commitment and actions for goals; (2) propose special legislation for
incentives to encourage businesses to relocate; (3) identify the best
conveyance structure to ensure incentives remain with the employer or
tenant; (4) develop a tenant improvement/construction financing package
with lenders; and (5) start the strategic planning effort—guided by goals
and measures.
Regarding building strategy, the team recommended the Authority
focus on the buildings that have great significance (historical or
architectural) and have a good chance of being leased immediately. At the same time, since there is
likely a limited window of time to have buildings removed at the State’s expense, the team
recommended the Authority also focus on the removal of buildings that are beyond cost-effective
repair, are functionally obsolete, or are located too far from the
central campus. The team recommended building removal be
completed as soon as possible.
With the development of a new highway located south of the
property and current traffic patterns, the team recommended
relocation of the main entrance to the property. They suggested
integrating the adjacent state forest into the overall development
package. Most importantly, they urged the Authority to exploit the
natural physical amenities of the entire tract, including its unpolished
gem of more than 18,000 feet of pristine navigable river frontage. The team provided both near term
(within the next two years) and long term building and land use recommendations.
The team left the Authority with some “big picture” suggestions that capitalize on the prospects
of highest and best use. These included: an outdoor concert venue, a waterpark, an equine center, and
a conference center.
TEAM: The team was led by Howard C. Gelbtuch, CRE, Greenwich Realty
Advisors, New York City. Panelists were Walter S. Clements, CRE,
Clements Realty Advisors, Highland Park, Ill.; Maureen Mastroieni, CRE,
Mastroieni & Associates, Plymouth Meeting, Pa.; H.E. “Skip” Preble, CRE,
Land Analytics LLC, Boerne, Texas; and Jerry W. Turner, Jr., CRE, T4
Investment Solutions LLC, Houston, Texas. Special appreciation is extended
to David R. Walden, CRE, National Property Valuation Advisors Inc.,
Chicago, who introduced the Consulting Corps to the Central State Hospital
LRA.
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Please take a few minutes to think about how the expertise of your fellow Counselors,
combined with their strong desire to give back, could benefit a not-for-profit organization,
an educational institution or a municipal agency in your community. Send your
suggestions to the CRE Consulting Corps, 430 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611
(phone 312-329-8431; email shaack@cre.org).