Our Projects

Benchmark Planning prepared an assessment and audit of the City of High Point's Planning and Development Department that included a particular focus on understanding customer satisfaction with the inspections Services Division and Development Services Division. Recommendations were provided in the areas of organization structure and staffing, administration, technology, customer service. Following completion of the audit, the City implemented significant changes to the overall structure of the Department, staffing, and customer service relations.

In 2021, the Town of Mooresville hired Benchmark Planning to assess the feasibility of establishing a building inspections department. The feasibility study considered growth trends and future impacts on permitting and related activity that would influence the size and scale, staffing, and necessary equipment to support a newly established building inspections department in the short- and long- term. Prior to the assessment, building inspections were conducted by Iredell County. Following the assessment, the Town has successfully implemented a municipal building inspections department, providing greater oversight of permitting and development review.

In 2022 and 2023, Benchmark Planning worked with the Blue Ridge Corridor Alliance in Raleigh to outline a blueprint for establishing a potential Greater Blue Ridge Corridor Business Improvement District, known as a Municipal Service District in North Carolina. The corridor is home to a wide-variety of healthcare, university, office, business, government, college and professional sports, entertainment venues, and residential neighborhoods. Some of the major public entities and uses within the corridor include the North Carolina State Fair, NC Museum of Art, UNC Rex Hospital, PNC Arena, and NC State University. The study examined potential boundaries for the district, potential revenues and services, organizational structure, general operating plan and budget, and included an action plan for moving forward.

Forward High Point, Inc. (FHP) was formed six years ago by the City of High Point to spearhead the City Council’s Goals of bringing new investment, businesses, employees, and residents into a quadrant of downtown that had been seeing a decline in business, activity, and value. FHP took the lead in the development of a catalyst project (Multi-Use Stadium - Truist Point Stadium). During these past six years, FHP has operated primarily as a very proactive economic development organization.

Over the past five years, Downtown Wilmington has experienced significant growth and development with over $346 million worth of new investments transforming the historic Downtown.  New Hanover County, working with Wilmington Downtown Incorporated (WDI) selected the Benchmark Planning team to conduct a Market Demand Analysis to determine viable development opportunities for the Downtown central business district and a Site Analysis to examine land use codes and architectural issues that could lead to the redevelopment of the entire one block site called Project Grace. At the conclusion of the study, the County contracted with Benchmark to lead Phase Two of the project, helping the County prepare a request for proposal to select a development team to redevelop the entire downtown county-owned block.