Seventh & Tryon

A 24/7 hub for public and private purposes, the up-and-coming Seventh and Tryon development located in the heart of Uptown Charlotte was missing a key component – integrated housing that served not only mixed incomes, but also a variety of people and families – and their needs. Five local stakeholders (including the city of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, Bank of America, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library, and the Charlotte Housing Authority) came together in an unprecedented partnership with Littlejohn to work through a needs assessment, understand shared usages, leverage land and set a new paradigm for affordable housing in Charlotte.

• Client: Seventh & Tryon
• Category: Urban Planning and Development Strategies

Chatham County

Chatham County. One of North Carolina’s fastest growing counties. With that said, Chatham County’s opportunity was nothing short of big, quite literally – large geography with a serious need for long-term, sustainable plan in the midst of that growth. On top of that, Chatham County needed a strategy to make housing work for a community where annual incomes range from the average – $17,000 – to well over $110,000.

The Chatham Plan project was unique in that Littlejohn worked with the educated and interested stakeholders who did their homework and were ready to take on change, engagement, and forward thinking. One of those stakeholders was LandDesign, a trusted partner of emma +co. Together, the team conducted extensive interviews with homebuilders, non-profit organizations and key stakeholders to make the Chatham Plan realistic, actionable, and game-changing for people in this community.

• Client: Chatham County
• Category: Public Planning

Strawn Cottages

In 2014, the Charlotte Housing Authority (CHA) developed a sustainability strategy that established and grew Horizon Development Partners (HDP) as an affordable housing subsidiary of CHA. Located in a sought-after, fast-growing, Charlotte neighborhood, Strawn was the first property that is a part of this new approach – and the largest. Littlejohn and partners worked with CHA and the City of Charlotte to further develop a market-driven strategy for the Strawn site, guaranteeing that the program and pricing were appropriate and competitive.

Strawn’s success was really about the people involved. Littlejohn served as lead consultant, spearheading a team and crafting a strategy that attracted an experienced out-of-market developer with deep ties to financing and a connection to the Charlotte market.

• Client: Charlotte Housing Authority
• Category: Development & Asset Repositioning

Asheville - Bear Creek

This 55-acre parcel of land, once included in the historic portfolio of the Billy Graham family, is located in close proximity to the emerging community of West Asheville. Following a recent vote by the City of Asheville to include a trail improvement plan, the property owners needed an assessment and strategy delivered quickly to support both a five-year development plan that would leverage the location, size, and natural amenities including connectivity to Asheville’s trail system.

Littlejohn partnered with LandDesign to make it happen. This project builds on Littlejohn’s deep history in Asheville; over several decades, she and her team have developed property on every major mountain area in the Carolinas from Lake Toxaway to West Jefferson.

• Client: Asheville - Bear Creek
• Category: Project Development

Glen Lennox

Glen Lennox, a 63-acre multi-block site located in Chapel Hill, has offered a serene and welcoming home to nearly seven decades of Chapel Hill residents.

Today, Glen Lennox, contains a 440-unit apartment community as well as a two-story commercial building with 21,276 sq ft of retail and 5,084 sq ft of office. Owner, Grubb Properties, needed a full study of a possible re-development plan.

Littlejohn and team created a research plan that would allow Grubb Properties to determine the mix and type of alternative uses, including for-sale residential (both attached and detached). The research plan included additional options and other product types including senior housing, affordable housing and student housing. The team created and delivered strategic recommendations all of which integrated the retail and other uses on site with the residential components to provide a better experience for those living there or shopping at Glen Lennox.

• Client: Glen Lennox
• Category: Finance

The Vue

Northwood Ravin set up leasing of The VUE after purchasing the asset out of foreclosure. Their leasing efforts began to capture market share, however, their management and leasing teams knew they needed a more well-honed strategy.

Emma Littlejohn led the effort by starting to understand the apparent consumer confusion on the product and the target renter. The market’s consumer base was confused and unclear on the property having been converted from a for-sale condominium development to a for-rent space. Additionally the leasing operations, resident engagement as well as communication, concierge services and advertising all needed fortification. Littlejohn’s team worked with Stewart Marr Creative to elevate the brand inside and out; they trained the leasing team on a new approach to showings, a new, unique, customer-driven concierge service was set up and new advertising was designed to properly target and increase qualified traffic. There was substantial growth in the qualified traffic to the space and leasing. Resident events were well-received and well-attended. Leasing agents loved the new program as showings were decreased by implementation of appointment only showings.

• Client: Vue
• Category: Development & Asset Repositioning

Brightwalk

In 2013, The Charlotte Housing Partnership’s Double Oaks Community was at a standstill, struggling. With 98-acres just north of Charlotte’s Uptown, the low income housing community, needed not simply a change – they needed a new image, a new strategy and new hope.
Emma Littlejohn and team were called in to help with the strategic planning, implementation and relaunching of Double Oaks community with affordable housing both for-sale and for-rent.

Littlejohn proactively provided support in and for all aspects of the development as well as the community engagement with public and private partnerships. While this partnership faced multiple challenges, including rebranding an area with a negative reputation, the team undertook the goal to create a healthy community, which would support the current market rate.

The goal was simple and strong – create a dynamic, healthy community that would support the current, market rate. Together with all partners, Littlejohn and team exceeded expectations, allowing the Double Oaks community – renamed as Brightwalk – to grow and thrive as a community during a time when most builders were not expanding.

• Client: Charlotte Housing Partnership
• Category: Project Development/Product Development

Product Development

Housing is a product that has many shapes – and opportunities. It’s both science and magic.

emma + co builds neighborhoods and communities that appeal to clients and potential buyers. We leverage and evaluate real-time, analytics and research so that you know your demographic better than anyone. Next, we utilize the industry’s best processes and practices to design profitable projects that benefit a developer’s financial and intrinsic needs, paving the way for the next, great housing opportunity that needs both science and magic.

Community Planning

We plan for dynamic communities. And we do that with a holistic approach that starts with our natural curiosity paired with our industry expertise. We ask how a lot – how to develop this land, how to use this space, how to ignite community here.

We develop different approaches for land planning, envision opportunities, and then assess possible community planning strategies. We then partner with municipalities, and communities and government agencies to plan, strategize and implement initiatives.

In the case of community planning, we understand how to deliver; most importantly though, we understand that patience, time, and tenacity that it takes to work through the politics with and for the stakeholders.

Project Development

From concept to closing, our team is capable of consulting on and with all phases of development. We see ourselves as your partner, coaching you and your team with our deep and wide industry experience to guarantee the smoothest, most valuable transaction possible.

Development / Asset Repositioning

After more than 30 years in this industry, it’s safe to say we know this business – past and present market realities, opportunities, and threats, and future opportunities. We are constantly seeking a different approach that is not only strong and smart, but also maximize an asset’s possibility and creativity.

Match Making

emma + co is a development consulting matchmaker with the experience and network to curate the right match between our partners and our clients which then maximize returns.

Our matchmaking power is a one-two punch: first, identify; then, align. Identify project and financial opportunities; complementary skills and relationship opportunities. Then, we match – align buyers with sellers, capital with developers, and niche developers with joint venture partners.

Matchmaking at its core is really about identifying goals, financial objectives, acquisition needs, and then the partnership that will make it happen to maximize the asset’s potential for the client.

At its core, matching is about great relationships. No one understands that better than our team.

Financing

We respect just how important it is to review and assess property development performance – and the numbers driving it.

Which is why we are deeply involved in the respective processes responsible for pitching, placing, and keeping capital. We partner regularly with lenders and lenders’ underwriters to assess properties for our clients or for the institution. A go-to source for any and all project underwriting, we can endorse a project for a lender and we can run all the financials setting you up for success early in the process.