The Small Scale Development Workshop on small scale real estate development is all about project formation. We take a big picture view of neighborhood-based development to help attendees analyze what makes a good project, how a building makes money, and how small developers interact with the broader ecosystem of professionals in the built environment.
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH:
Chinatown Fresno Foundation
SCHOLARSHIP
A limited number of full scholarships (rate reduced to $0) for the workshop are available and awarded on a rolling basis. Scholarship applications will close on April 10, 2025, or until scholarships have all been awarded. To apply, the scholarship application form is available here.
Details
REGISTRATION
There are three different tiers of tickets available, with deeper discounts offered to people who live and work in the target project area of the Fresno Community and Economic Development Partnership (CEDP), Fresno, and Clovis. People who live and work beyond these areas are also encouraged to participate and would enroll with a regular ticket purchase.
Fresno CEDP Neighborhood Rate - available to people who live or work in neighborhoods served by Fresno CEDP (https://www.fresnocedp.org/about). These neighborhoods are: Chinatown, Jane Addams, Better Blackstone, Downtown Fresno, El Dorado Park, Every Neighborhood Partnership, FACE (Fresno Area Community Enterprises), Hidalgo, Highway City, Jackson, Lowell, Saints Rest, Southwest Fresno, South Tower and Tower Neighborhood Alliance. Early Bird: $25 / General: $45 / Last Minute $65
Greater Fresno and Clovis Rate - available to those who live and work in Fresno, beyond the area served by Fresno CEDP, and Clovis. Early Bird: $50 / General: $70 / Last Minute $90
General Rate - All other participants that live and work beyond Fresno and Clovis. Early Bird: $150 / General: $170 / Last Minute $190. Note: IncDev Members get 20% off the General Rate using their Member Discount Code.
Early Bird Registration - open until April 10, 2025
Regular Registration - open until April 22, 2025
Last Minute Registration - open if space is available. Note: lunch is not guaranteed.
This program aims to support skill building and the real estate ecosystem for small scale development in Chinatown Fresno and other Fresno Community and Economic Development Partnerships (CEDP) neighborhoods.
COURSE OVERVIEW
You can find a course overview and more information about our workshops and who should attend here.
WORKSHOP AGENDA
Welcome and Introductions
Power of the Incremental Approach | Incrementalism is best paired with time. By rooting in a neighborhood, building relationships and making many small improvements over time, a small developer can build wealth in their community.
Business Models and Skill Sets | What kind of projects are you interested doing? How will that be structured? What skills do you have and whose help do you need?
Right-Sizing Your Project | By evaluating zoning, financing tools, and building codes, a project can conform to systemic thresholds that control costs and minimize risk.
Building Arts 101 | A small developer who understands architecture, urban design and planning fundamentals can create more value with their project while contributing to the health, safety, and welfare of their community.
Market Research & Site Selection | Finding the right site or building as the critical first step to any development project. Understand how to establish a baseline range for the rents, sales and other variables in your neighborhood and pay the right price for property.
Lunch at the Venue (Provided with Registration)
Zoning | Understand the key regulatory basics that shape a project’s physical form and the typical processes that govern what is allowed by-right versus with special permission.
Project Pro formas | Get familiar with a financial pro forma template and the important concepts, key terms, and industry jargon that show how a building makes money.
Hands-on Site Planning and Pro forma Activity | Apply everything learned so far in the day to layout a building on a site by following a sample zoning code and then filling out a project pro forma to see how the project performs financially under many conditions.
Financing a Project | A great project needs a great plan for obtaining permanent mortgages and construction/renovation loans. To get there, a small developer will need a written financial package and a verbal pitch to present to a bank and/or private investor.
Buying a Property | A basic overview of the process for purchasing property and the elements of the crucially important due diligence process.
Wrap-Up | Q&A and Next Steps
Conclusion
Download Draft Full Detailed Schedule
Contact
Chloe Chapman · training@incrementaldevelopment.org · (479) 305-4807