Project Acquisition and Feasibility
HBA regularly assists clients in assessing the feasibility of a project prior to committing significant cash and time. HBA assesses a project's site constraints, zoning and entitlement requirements, develops a concept massing plan, and creates a concurrent economic model that determines initial feasibility. The development of concept design and economic modeling occurs hand-in-hand so that design expectations are a reflective of budgetary constraints and projected returns for the client.
Entitlements
HBA has a wealth of experience assisting clients through the entitlement process. We have taken projects through conditional use permits, large- and small-scale development plan approvals, CEQA coordination, lot splits, and condo map development. HBA participates in negotiating with municipal stakeholders and agencies and regularly presents before Design Review Boards, Planning Commissions, Town Councils and Boards of Supervisors. We also assist our clients in satisfying the development conditions that accompany entitlement approvals, and regularly complete final plan-check sign-offs with individual agencies, utilities companies, and other associated government departments.
Financial
Pro-forma and Underwriting
Our firm stands apart from other architectural firms in that we offer the ability to create a financial model that follows and guides the design process. We have developed models for senior, mixed-use, and student housing as well as master planned phased developments. We are able to assist our clients in sourcing finance options and often continue to work through the underwriting process with a lender, refining financial projections and coordinating third party-reports including market studies, appraisals, fair housing marketing plans, as well as physical site studies including Phase I, soils, ALTA surveys and seismic studies.
HBA has created a niche for themselves in sourcing and assisting clients in processing HUD 232 financing for assisted living and nursing homes, as well as 221 D4 financing generally used for multi-family and mixed use development. We are responsible for the last three 232 loans for senior housing projects in Santa Barbara, and are deeply versed in HUD, UFAS, ADA, and Fair Housing requirements. We are also able to generate final construction documents and attending exhibits that are compliant with these requirements.