debra

Debra Jeans, Principal, an economist, conducts market and economic research, investment analysis, and economic and fiscal impact analysis to evaluate and program the best use of land and real estate and to identify beneficial land use, infrastructure and real estate development, housing, and economic development policies and strategic action plans for the revitalization of downtowns, commercial corridors, and neighborhoods and the adaptive reuse of buildings no longer in their highest and best use.

Ms. Jeans frequently evaluates and identifies asset enhancement and disposition strategies for surplus government and institutional properties. She played a major role in estimating the demand for office, retail, and residential uses and evaluating the real estate economics of alternative plans for the disposition and reuse of the 75-acre State of California closed Fred C. Nelles’ site in Whittier, California and contributed financial analysis to evaluate and assist in the negotiation of proposals for the purchase of the property which the selected team lead by Brookfield Residential is redeveloping into a mixed-use community. She also played a major role in the solicitation and evaluation of proposals for the ground-lease and development of surplus land for industrial and retail uses at a State of California correctional institution in Chino, California that resulted in the development of 3.1 million square feet of building space by the selected developer Majestic Realty under a participating ground lease. She led market research and real estate financial analysis and valuation of State of California surplus sites in Downtown San Francisco. She also directed the financial analysis of proposals for the disposition and reuse of the Cal Expo Fairgrounds in Sacramento and contributed market research and real estate economic analysis to program and value the disposition and reuse for private non-fair uses of a portion of the site. She co-led the formulation and implementation of a developer solicitation program for the disposition and redevelopment of the former 20-acre corporation yard of the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) into a mixed-use transit-oriented development by SKK Developments planned to total 878 residential units, 20,000 square feet of commercial/retail space, along with various community amenities at an estimated value of $420 million. She also directed the evaluation of developer proposals and recommended the selection of M&R Development, which built a transit-oriented five-story mixed use development in Downtown Wilmette on land purchased from the Village of Wilmette, Illinois.

Ms. Jeans provided market research and financial analysis to support the identification of facility master plans and occupancy of space to house public workforces and provide for joint development and revenue-generating, enhanced use of surplus public real estate assets for the city of San Diego and counties of Alameda, Orange, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, and Sonoma.

Ms. Jeans completed market research and financial feasibility analysis to evaluate and program revenue-generating interior station and parking lot development opportunities for Metra and the Chicago Transit Authority. She co-led the design and implementation of a revenue-generating tenant solicitation program for a broad variety of CTA stations. She has also provided the market, economic and financial foundation and contributed to the preparation of strategic action plans to generate revenue from aviation and non-aviation development at DuPage International Airport, Northern Colorado Regional Airport, Phoenix-Mesa, Gateway Airport, Reading Regional Airport, and Southern Illinois Airport.

Ms. Jeans co-led a widely cited econometric analysis (hedonic price modeling) and survey research study to assess the effects of transit station proximity on residential property values for the Regional Transportation Authority.

Ms. Jeans has also completed fiscal impact studies to estimate the effect on operating budgets of local and county governments of the development of office, industrial, retail, hotel, and science and technology-oriented business parks as well as single-family and multi-family residential developments. She has also estimated the economic impacts of office and industrial buildings, shopping centers, hospitals, colleges and universities, fairs and fairgrounds including the Oregon State Fair as well as infrastructure including highway interchange, power plants, and the Chicago Executive Airport and the DuPage International Airport.

Ms. Jeans has led or made major contributions to the completion of housing need assessments and housing policy studies for Chandler, Arizona; Davis, California; the city and county of Pueblo, Colorado; Des Moines County, Iowa; Lea County, New Mexico; Blue Ash, Ohio; Brookfield and Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin; and the city and county of Sheridan, Wyoming. She also directed a statewide housing needs assessment for the State of Iowa.

She has assisted numerous municipalities and developers with evaluating the need for and structuring incentives to bridge feasibility gaps to bring about the development of office, industrial, retail, restaurant, hotel and housing uses that revitalize existing downtowns, corridors, and employment centers or create new infill neighborhoods in many communities, including Queen Creek and Tempe, Arizona; Grand Junction and Wheat Ridge, Colorado; Chicago, Glen Ellyn, Highland Park, Morton Grove, Oak Lawn, and Romeoville, Illinois; and Brookfield, Wisconsin.

Ms. Jeans has contributed demographic and market research, economic analysis, financial feasibility, analysis and impact evaluation for the preparation of comprehensive and specific plans and prepared economic development plans for many communities including Buckeye, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Mesa, Peoria, and Scottsdale, Arizona; Lincoln, Rancho Cordova, Riverside, and Tracy California; Boulder, Centennial, Greeley, Thornton, Woodland Park, and La Plata County, Colorado; Altoona, Ames, Bettendorf, and Des Moines, Iowa; Algonquin, Antioch, Aurora, Buffalo Grove, Clarendon Hills, Downers Grove, Harvard, Hinsdale, Montgomery, Northbrook, Northfield, Oak Park, Romeoville, Schiller Park, South Elgin, Wheaton, and Kane County, Illinois; Logansport and Whiting Indiana; Garden City, Great Bend, Olathe, and Wichita Kansas; Haverhill Massachusetts; City of Crystal and Park Rapids Minnesota; Liberty Missouri; Hobbs and Lea County, New Mexico; Reno, Nevada; Grand Forks, North Dakota; Bristol, Brookfield, Franklin, Greendale, Kenosha, Menomonee Falls, Oak Creek, Waupaca, Waukesha, and West Allis Wisconsin.

Ms. Jeans has completed market research, including survey research and demographic and economic analysis to identify the scale, type, and mix of market responsive and financially feasible real estate development for real estate investors and developers including the Alter Group, Crown Community Development, Hunter Properties, Regency Centers, Strong Capital Management, and The Verde Group. For municipalities she has also conducted research to evaluate the demand for and financial feasibility of the development of sports facilities and conference and convention centers. She had contributed survey research, market analysis, and financial feasibility analysis to identify revenue-generating enhancements to fairgrounds and fair programming.

Ma. Jeans has guest lectured on real estate market research and investment analysis at Ohio State University. Articles she has authored include “The Shortfall in the Production of Housing and Its Effects”, Economic Development Journal and “Transit Stations Influence Residential Property Values”, Urban Land.

Ms. Jeans earned a M.B.A. (with a specialization in Finance) from the University of Chicago and a B.A. in Economics from Scripps College. Ms. Jeans is a member of the American Economic Association and the International Economic Development Council.