Anyone Actively Developing Land? Let’s Talk Strategy, Zoning, and Entitlements

[Robert Ellis]

Hey BP community,

Curious to connect with others who are actively working on or exploring land development projects—especially those who’ve gone through the entitlement process, rezoning, or leveraged incentives like LIHTC, TIF, or new zoning overlays.

I’m currently working on a large-scale mixed-use project that includes affordable housing, senior housing, retail, and commercial components. We’re in the early stages of rezoning agricultural land into a mixed-use district and building strong relationships with local municipalities.

A few questions for the group:

• How are you approaching feasibility studies before you tie up land?

• What’s been your experience navigating the entitlement process or working with planning commissions?

• Have you used any creative structures like ground leases, public-private partnerships, or SPVs to reduce upfront capital risk?

• For those who’ve done horizontal development, how are you managing infrastructure costs and timelines?

Also curious how others are balancing community engagement with maximizing density and ROI.