Jim Ambrose of Tipping Point Development presented to the Morgantown Land Reuse Agency on the company’s approach to neighborhood-focused commercial and housing projects, saying the firm seeks to “unlock a neighborhood’s highest potential through transformative commercial development.” He emphasized mission-driven values—truth, transparency and community priorities—over strictly financial-driven design decisions.

Ambrose explained the financing constraints that shape buildable uses: lenders underwrite projects based on projected cash flow and net operating income, so designers must calibrate uses that produce revenue while meeting community needs. He cited multi-source capital stacks as typical—federal grants, historic or new-market tax credits, traditional debt and anchor/seed funds—and warned that transactional and legal costs often make small projects hard to fund without a blended approach.

Using past work as examples, Ambrose described a $40 million Cleveland project and the Wheeling Gateway Center to show how many capital sources must be threaded together, and he noted an example 28,000-square-foot rehabilitation estimated at about $15.2 million where roughly $2 million was structured through tax-credit mechanisms. He also discussed a HUD Economic Development Initiative (EDI) scenario and used a hypothetical $5,000,000 HUD EDI award to illustrate how construction-level drawings and term sheets can unlock follow‑on financing.

On timing, Ambrose told the board that from first funding to project close the typical range is about “18 to 24 months” after a concept is set, and he recommended closing capital sources incrementally rather than trying to finalize every subsidy at once. On engagement, he recommended a 90–120 day outreach campaign combining town halls, targeted digital advertising, incentives and visual libraries (prepopulated imagery) to help residents react to concrete options rather than abstract questions.

Ambrose and local partner Brad Frankhauser described tools used on prior projects—a ‘change maker’ website and digital surveying—and reported large response counts for some campaigns (Ambrose cited “209,000” data points across channels for one prior effort, with most responses concentrated in the tri-state area). Both presenters stressed documenting what the community wants (for example, whether affordable housing means 80% AMI vs. another threshold) so developers and elected officials can pursue specific funding opportunities.

Board members pressed Ambrose on managing detractors and conflict; Ambrose said critical comments are included in the record except for content that is blatantly insulting and that sustained, transparent engagement helps reduce hostility. He left examples and survey templates with staff and offered follow-up assistance as the agency prepares visual materials and a community meeting schedule aimed at January outreach.