The practice of economic development typically involves counterparts having asymmetrical knowledge and resources. Private developers come to the table with years of experience, a cadre of advisors and closely held knowledge regarding how much public assistance they actually need to move forward on a project.

Public agencies come to the table with good intentions and a desire to enhance their communities.

Columbia Capital assists public agencies in balancing-out these asymmetries.

Columbia Capital also maintains an active economic development consulting and advisory practice, assisting public clients with analysis of development proposals, creation and management of economic development districts (TIF, TDD, CID, etc.), plan of finance development for financing transactions, and cost-benefit and rate of return analyses for public incentives.

Fierce advocates for our clients , we focus on the return on the public's investment in the project: of incentives dollars, of exclusive development rights, of aligning incentives and of working to ensure quality projects are constructed.

When the deal is struck, Columbia Capital brings its financial advisory skillset to the transaction, assisting in the documentation of the transaction, developing financial modeling, ensuring our client's desired business deal is embedded in the agreements, coordinating any related financing transactions, providing governing body education and seeing the project through to financial closing and execution.

Finally, the firm is active in innovative economic development finance structures such as public/private partnerships (P3) and securing allocations for and advising on transactions on behalf of borrowers of New Markets Tax Credits financings.