THG was commissioned by the Interlink Group to assist this Puerto Rico-based development firm to author a future story (a vision) for the company, along with an implementation strategy supported by a business plan to ensure that the firm would realize that vision. Working with the President and CEO, the son of the company’s founder, and the leaders of the company, THG delivered a document that met these objectives – “clearly distinguish Interlink by sharpening its competitive story, make the company’s activities more focused, have it become recognized as an innovator, get more out of its quality partnerships, and be more strategic especially in terms of new-business development.”

Positioned as a gateway to the Caribbean, a sister island of Cuba, and with strong cultural ties to the vibrant Hispanic culture of South Florida, Interlink is poised to benefit from the explosive growth that is occurring in the region – both as a developer and as a company with its own heavy construction expertise. In the conclusion to the future story, Federico Sanchez-Ortiz, the President and CEO of Interlink, summed it up this way:

“The two most frequently used words we hear our clients, associates and partners use to describe Interlink are ‘respected’ and ‘trusted’. Respected for our sense of design and our attention to detail, and trusted because we can be relied upon to do everything we commit to doing. They also know we are as focused on their success as we are on our own.”

First Avenue in downtown Seattle should have been the city's best neighborhood with the famous Pike Place Market as its primary draw. However, prior to the construction of Harbor Steps, it was riddled with gun shops, strip clubs and retailers with security bars on their windows. The visionary development of Harbor Steps was a catalyst for change in the entire area.

The Seattle Art Museum elected to develop across the street from the site, and faced their front door toward the development. The four-tower, mixed-use development is truly a village within a city and has its own small grocer, a child care center, restaurants, galleries, a yoga studio, fashion boutiques, a charming inn, and every amenity from a basketball court to a swimming pool, all of which can be utilized by its residents, commercial tenants and guests. But what is entirely unique about this development is the team's decision to build and continuously operate at their own expense, a public park down the center of the project, including three levels of fountains, areas for sitting and steps that reconnect downtown with the Seattle waterfront.

Located on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California, Mammoth Mountain is the third busiest ski resort in North America, with 1.6 million visitors annually. In the 1990's, Intrawest became involved in this popular year-round resort. Robert Holmes was integral in structuring Intrawest’s development agreement and acquisition. Through this partnership between the founding family of the resort and the world's largest destination resort company, Mammoth grew in popularity and profitability. In addition to arranging this partnership, Robert was a key team member in the development of the Mammoth Village plan and execution.

Today, the village with its signature clock tower, central plaza, numerous shops, restaurants, activities and visitor services has become the heart of the Town of Mammoth Lakes. Robert continues to consult to the Mammoth Mountain Ski Area (MMSA), the operator of the mountain itself. Most recently, THG was asked by MMSA to help the Town Of Mammoth Lakes author a new vision for this destination in the aftermath of 2007’s financial downturn – an event that, along with the effects of global warming, affects this high-altitude community to this day.

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THG was retained by the City of Bothell to put together a development strategy and market feasibility study for the suburban city's downtown, based on the community's Downtown Subarea Plan. Like many other communities, Bothell has experienced significant strip mall, plat housing and office park growth over the past 60 years.

This growth, while positive for the City, has also disconnected the community from its original downtown. When the City approached THG they had a sound vision but wanted to ensure that the details of their plan was consistent with the wants and needs of the market. THG partnered with the Concord Group to develop a market study and phasing plan for the vision, which was then vetted, and approved by the City Council in the fall of 2009. Bothell then moved forward with the phasing plan that included:

• Introducing the adaptive re-use of the Anderson School Building
• Generating an RFP for the City Hall mixed-use project
• The sale of two land parcels
• During this period, THG acted as an advisor to the city specifically on the City Hall project.

To see the remarkable outcome of Bothell’s renaissance see: http://www.seattlemag.com/article/9-seattle-neighborhoods-are-hot-right-now

As the CEO of Harbor Properties, Robert Holmes led the team to help SBRI realize their goal to double its research capabilities and recruit world-class scientists. As a non-profit focused solely on curing the world's deadliest diseases (including malaria, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and African Sleeping Sickness), SBRI required a building that would support wet-lab research, provide space for expansion, and allow for fiscally responsible operation. In addition, the organization wished to be an ownership partner in the building, allowing grant dollars to be spent on research, not on rent. The facility has also brought new street-level energy to the emerging neighborhood of South Lake Union. A percentage of the development budget was allocated to public art. A significant piece standing at the entry to the building utilizes the gene sequence of the disease Leschmania (African Sleeping Sickness) as a motif for a colorful glass installation.

In addition to attracting new retailers, the team worked to assist SBRI in creating BioQuest at the foot of the building - a learning laboratory for area high school students that includes a gallery for the public to understand the organization's important research.

The collaboration between Kemper Freeman, Chairman and CEO of KDC, and Robert Holmes initially began with a shared belief in the concept of “placemaking” that Robert had helped pioneer in locations like British Columbia’s Whistler Resort and again at Harbor Steps in downtown Seattle. Kemper and Robert viewed The Collection as a “resort-like experience within a city.” It was possible to think this way because KDC retained ownership of the development as well as operating and programming The Collection.

THG also has also completed a number of advisory projects for The Collection, among them working with the internal leasing team on the search for the perfect “fresh-from-farm-to-table” grocery concept suited to the needs of this discerning urban neighborhood. That search has now been successfully concluded with the announcement that Whole Foods will launch a new concept at The Collection. Known as 365 by Whole Foods Market, it will occupy space in the former J.C. Penney location.

KDC and THG have also focused on creating a concept for a revolutionary state-of-the-art wellness and health center that would serve the entire Puget Sound area. As a regional destination in the heart of one of America’s foremost high-tech regions, the trendsetting Bellevue Collection would be the ideal location for it. That began an ongoing series of discussions with Canyon Ranch, the gold standard among destination resorts and spas and a company that understood THG’s and KDC’s concept of “integrative wellbeing.”