Downing Community Advisors helps communities, organizations, and developers move from ideas to execution—structuring projects, securing funding, and delivering results. We are implementers. We help take a plan and put it into action.
We DO.
The Problem We Solve
Most Projects Stall Before They Start
Most projects don't fail because of vision—they fail because execution is difficult. Funding is complex. Public processes are hard to navigate. Internal capacity is limited. Even the strongest ideas stall without the right structure, leadership, and follow-through.
Downing Community Advisors exists to close that gap. We tackle the difficult issues facing communities and create viable, sustainable outcomes—conducting research, analyzing data, developing strategic responses, building capacity, and aligning resources to deliver projects that work in the real world.
What Stalls Projects
Funding complexity
Too many sources, too many requirements
Navigation gaps
Public processes that are hard to move through
Limited capacity
Not enough staff, time, or technical expertise
Our Core Differentiator
We Are Implementers
Many firms create plans. Downing Community Advisors takes those plans and puts them into action. We work directly with clients to implement projects, secure funding, and deliver results—from concept through completion. We don't hand off a report and walk away. We stay until it's built.
Research & Analysis
Deep data-driven insight to ground every strategy
Strategic Structure
Financial and organizational frameworks built to succeed
Hands-On Execution
Embedded leadership from kickoff through delivery
Accountable Results
We measure success by what gets built, not what gets planned
How We Work
From Concept to Completion
We support projects across the full lifecycle—from the initial assessment of opportunity through final delivery. Every engagement is structured to move you forward, not just advise you.
Assess
Understand the opportunity and define the path forward
Structure
Build the strategy and financial approach
Fund
Secure the right resources and incentives
Deliver
Manage execution through completion
Services
Integrated Services for Real Project Delivery
We provide hands-on support across the full spectrum of community and economic development—moving projects from concept to completion with clarity, resources, and accountability.
Industrial Development & Industrial Park Strategy
A defining focus of our work. We help communities plan, position, and deliver industrial and manufacturing development that creates lasting economic impact—from site-ready land to occupied facilities.
Industrial Park Planning
Phased development strategies that maximize long-term value and marketability
Spec Building Strategy
Design, financing, and delivery of speculative industrial buildings that attract manufacturers
Site Readiness
Infrastructure alignment and utility coordination to make sites competitive
Market Coordination
Direct engagement with developers, brokers, and end users to drive occupancy
Fractional Economic Development
Leadership Without the Overhead
Not every community or organization has the capacity to hire a full-time economic development director. We provide interim or ongoing embedded leadership that delivers expert, accountable execution—without adding permanent staff.
We become part of your team, managing initiatives, supporting staff and boards, and keeping projects moving forward with transparency and accountability.
Interim or Ongoing Leadership
Serve as your economic development function on a fractional basis
Project & Initiative Management
Own and drive priority projects from start to finish
Staff & Board Support
Build internal capacity while delivering external results
Implementation & Accountability
Structured reporting and progress tracking throughout
Project Feasibility & Development Strategy
Before committing resources to a project, you need to know whether it can work—financially, physically, and in the market. We provide rigorous feasibility analysis and strategic positioning so clients make informed decisions with confidence.
Site & Project Feasibility
Technical and financial analysis to determine project viability and identify barriers early
Market & Demand Assessment
Data-driven market research to validate demand and refine development concepts
Development Strategy
Clear positioning and phasing strategies that attract partners and resources
Public Finance & Incentive Strategy
Complex projects require complex financing. We structure capital stacks, identify and align incentive programs, and prepare funding applications that position projects for success. We understand the full landscape of public finance tools—and we know how to use them together.
Capital Stack Development
Layering public and private financing to make projects pencil
Incentive Strategy & Alignment
Matching the right tools to the right projects
Grant & Funding Applications
Competitive applications backed by deep program knowledge
Funding Tools We Work With
TIF & CRA
DRD
Tax Credits
CDBG
JobsOhio
Brownfield Funding
Opportunity Zones
Ohio Department of Development
Local Government & Public Affairs
Development success depends on navigating the public systems that shape it. We serve as strategic partners to government and development clients alike—coordinating approvals, building stakeholder alignment, and structuring public-private partnerships that advance projects through complex institutional environments.
Government Coordination
Building productive relationships with local, state, and federal agencies to align support and move projects forward through official channels.
Public-Private Partnerships
Structuring collaborative arrangements that leverage public assets and private investment for maximum community impact.
Approvals & Stakeholder Alignment
Managing the approval process and engaging stakeholders to build the consensus needed for project success.
Municipal Property Advisory
Communities often hold underutilized land that can be a powerful economic development tool—when positioned and managed correctly. We help local governments and development organizations evaluate sites, engage the right developers, and structure disposition strategies that deliver long-term returns.
Site Positioning
Assess value, potential, and barriers to development
Developer Engagement
Identify and attract qualified development partners
Disposition Strategy
Structure transactions that achieve community goals
Land Reutilization & Redevelopment
Vacant, blighted, and underperforming properties represent both a challenge and an opportunity. We work with communities to reposition these assets into productive uses—whether housing, industrial, or mixed-use development—through strategic planning and hands-on delivery.
Housing & Neighborhood Redevelopment
Revitalize residential corridors and stabilize neighborhoods
Industrial Repositioning
Convert former industrial sites into job-generating assets
Corridor Revitalization
Transform commercial corridors into active, productive places
CIC Formation & Land Banking
Sustainable development requires the right institutional infrastructure. Community Improvement Corporations (CICs) and land banks are powerful tools for acquiring, managing, and repositioning land for productive use. We help communities build and operate these structures—providing formation support, ongoing administration, and project execution frameworks.
CIC Formation & Administration
Establish and operate CICs as effective vehicles for community investment and project delivery
Land Bank Coordination
Work within land bank systems to acquire, manage, and deploy properties strategically
Project Execution Structures
Design organizational and legal frameworks that enable complex project delivery
Project Implementation & Delivery
Securing funding is only half the battle. Projects must be implemented with precision—managing compliance, coordinating stakeholders, and reporting progress against milestones. We take ownership of project management from award through closeout, ensuring every commitment is met.
Grant Administration & Compliance
Full-cycle management of grant programs from award through closeout reporting
Project Management
Scope, schedule, and budget oversight from day one through delivery
Coordination & Reporting
Stakeholder alignment, progress tracking, and transparent communication throughout
Technical Assistance & Capacity Building
Organizations often have the commitment and vision to tackle ambitious projects but need specialized expertise to execute. We embed with teams to provide technical knowledge, strengthen staff capabilities, and build lasting organizational capacity that outlives any single project.
Specialized Technical Expertise
Finance, development, and regulatory knowledge on demand
Staff & Leadership Support
Coaching, mentoring, and direct support to build internal capability
Capacity Building
Organizational systems and tools that enable long-term execution
Experience
Experience That Delivers Results
Our work is grounded in real projects—not just plans. Across industrial development, housing, redevelopment, and community systems, we bring a track record of moving complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives from concept to completion.
Industrial & Manufacturing Development
Industrial park planning and execution, manufacturing site coordination, and spec building delivery that creates ready-to-occupy industrial capacity.
Housing & Neighborhood Development
Affordable housing development, single-family redevelopment, and neighborhood stabilization that restores communities and expands housing access.
Historic & Catalyst Redevelopment
Adaptive reuse, historic tax credit strategy, and anchor project development that transforms landmark buildings into community assets.
Community Development Systems
CIC formation and administration, economic development implementation, and long-term development platforms that build lasting community capacity.
Complex Projects
Where Others Stall—We Deliver
Some projects are simply harder than others. They require multiple funding sources layered carefully together, coordination across public and private stakeholders with competing interests, and consistent hands-on execution over months or years. These are exactly the projects we are built for. Our experience navigating complexity—financial, political, and operational—is what separates us from traditional consulting firms.
Multiple Funding Sources
We build and manage complex capital stacks involving federal, state, and local programs simultaneously
Public-Private Coordination
We align diverse stakeholders—government, developers, nonprofits, and communities—around shared project outcomes
Hands-On Execution
We stay embedded in projects, managing the details that determine whether ideas become real outcomes
How We Engage
Flexible, Hands-On Partnership
We work with clients in ways that match their needs—whether you require embedded leadership, targeted technical support, or a dedicated team to lead a specific initiative from start to finish.
Embedded Capacity
We become part of your team—functioning as your economic development staff, taking ownership of initiatives, and providing day-to-day leadership with full accountability to your goals and stakeholders.
Technical Assistance
We provide specialized expertise for specific challenges—feasibility analysis, funding strategy, regulatory navigation, or any area where targeted knowledge makes the critical difference.
Project-Based Engagement
We lead and deliver specific initiatives with defined scope, milestones, and outcomes—bringing full project management and execution to priority projects that need dedicated focus.
Who We Work With
Built for the Organizations That Build Communities
We partner with the public, nonprofit, and private sector leaders responsible for community outcomes—bringing them the structure, expertise, and execution capability they need to succeed.
Local Governments
We help municipalities deliver economic development projects, expand internal capacity, and execute initiatives that require expertise beyond their existing staff resources.
Economic Development Organizations
We advance priority initiatives, structure complex deals, and provide the execution muscle that turns economic development strategy into real investment and job creation.
Non-Profits
We help mission-driven organizations access funding, navigate development systems, and implement community development programs that produce lasting neighborhood impact.
Developers & Companies
We help private sector clients navigate sites, structure incentives, manage public processes, and build the partnerships needed to move projects through complex environments.
About Us
Experienced. Hands-On. Results-Driven.
Downing Community Advisors brings decades of combined experience across community development, housing, public finance, and economic development. Our practice is built on a foundational belief: the most important measure of advisory work is not the quality of the advice, but the quality of the outcomes it produces.
Our work is defined by execution. We operate as genuine partners to our clients—embedded in projects, aligned with outcomes, and focused on delivering results that create lasting economic and community value. We don't manage from a distance. We are in the work, every day, until it's done.
Our Practice
Decades of experience
Deep roots in Ohio economic development and public finance
Execution-first culture
Results, not reports, define our success
True partnership
Aligned with your outcomes from day one through completion
Our Team
Our team brings over 40 years of combined experience across economic development, public finance, housing, and community revitalization. We are implementers—grounded in deep expertise, driven by execution, and focused on delivering real-world results.
Phil Downing
Principal & Founder
Over four decades of experience in economic development, public finance, and community revitalization. Phil has led projects across industrial development, housing, and public-private partnerships, with a career defined by execution and measurable results. His deep relationships across Ohio's development ecosystem are a direct asset to every client engagement.
Chad Downing
Principal
Leads complex redevelopment initiatives, funding strategies, and project implementation. Chad's work focuses on aligning public finance tools—TIF, tax credits, brownfield funding—with real development projects and delivering catalytic outcomes that transform communities and generate lasting economic impact.
Derek Williams
Project Manager
Specializes in housing development, redevelopment strategy, and project execution. Derek plays a central role in implementing housing and neighborhood revitalization initiatives—bringing technical depth and operational discipline to the programs that stabilize and strengthen communities.
Ready to Move Your Project Forward?
Whether you're at the idea stage or stuck mid-execution—we bring the structure, funding expertise, and hands-on leadership to get it done. Let's talk.
Downing Community Advisors We are Implementers. We take a plan and put it into action. We DO.
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We Turn Complex Projects Into Real, Funded Outcomes