We are excited to announce that Sasaki Associates has been selected to serve as the lead Planning Consultant for the Vibrant NEO 2040.
Vibrant NEO 2040 will be the key product of our work during the coming year and the culmination of the NEOSCC project. The team led by Sasaki Associates will be responsible for three critical tasks:
1) Regional Planning Services and Project Management (Managing and coordinating the efforts of a team of consultants and staff who will create the Vibrant NEO 2040 plan and increasing overall operational capacity.)
2) Scenario Planning (engaging stakeholders throughout the region to develop a “base case” and alternative scenarios that anticipate where there region is heading.)
3) Fiscal Impact Analysis (Assessing the short- and long-term financial impacts of the base case and alternative regional scenarios.)
Hunter Morrison, NEOSCC Executive Director, said, “The Board has recommended Sasaki for several reasons:
1. They are a world-class planning organization with substantial experience in Northeast Ohio.
2. They provide an integrated approach that allows them to handle all three consulting tasks.
3. They excel at scenario planning, which we believe is the real key to the success of Vibrant NEO 2040. We can’t afford a steep learning curve on this project and Sasaki doesn’t have one.”
“Sasaki’s commitment to embracing and supporting Northeast Ohio expertise has also contributed to this decision. They will partner with a local firm, City Architecture, and per our request, they have found tasks within their proposal that may be accomplished through NEOSCC’s staff and in-kind resources instead of through consultant time. This saves money and, just as importantly, builds local capacity, expertise and experience.”
“We are excited to work with the NEOSCC team to develop a long range vision for Northeast Ohio,” said James Miner, Managing Principal of Sasaki Associates. “Together, we have the opportunity to develop a regional framework that not only increases efficiency and lowers costs to taxpayers, but also creates an environment that will attract and retain more talent, increase employment opportunities, and reverse population decline. Our approach will build upon all of the good planning work that has preceded this effort, and enhance the quality of life in each of the region’s communities. We are eager to engage community members to understand their goals and priorities for the region, and to develop a series of scenarios that illustrate a variety of ways in which those priorities can be carried forward.”
The Scenario Planning team will include the following consultants: Sasaki Associates, Inc., City Architecture:, Fregonese Associates, Nelson Nygaard along with previously retained Cleveland firm The Cobalt Group and Western Economic Services.
