News & Events

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See us in at CSDA GM Summit June 28-30

Register Today for May 26th at 10AM

See us in May at SCAG GA, CCCA Annual Conf, and ICSC@Vegas

See listings and find us at these upcoming events

See Kosmont in March at ICSC Monterey, SBCCOG GA, and CASBO

City of Pacifica – Due March 16 at 5:00 PM

See us at the City Managers Conf – Napa Feb 11-13

City of Pacifica – Due March 16 at 5:00 PM

29,550 SF at Redondo Beach Pier

29,550 SF at Redondo Beach Pier

Gov Listings Updates and Announcements

Gov Listings Updates and Announcements

Register Today for Nov. 6th at 12PM

Find us in Long Beach Oct 8-10 at Cal Cities Annual Conf & Expo

Long Beach Oct 8-10 for Cal Cities Annual Conf & Expo

Find us at ICSC Western 9/28-30 & Cal Cities Annual Conf. 10/8-10

Register TODAY for Sept 11 at 11AM

City of Santa Clarita – Due Aug 28 at 11:00AM

Contact Us Today

Find us in Lake Tahoe 6/29 – 7/1

For Immediate Release

Find us at ICSC Vegas May 18-20

You Don’t Want to Miss This

Available May 19th and 20th

Find us in Sacramento April 23-25

In case you missed it, here’s the recording and access to the slideshow from the webinar held on March 30, 2022 on the new world of economic development focused on creating currency for cities and capturing value through zoning and special financing districts… and the grants available to cities to make that happen!

Land Use and Development Playbook For Value-Capture and Creating Currency For Local Community Development Planetizen Article by By Clare Letmon and Photo by Willem van Bergen / Flickr  – Larry Kosmont shares what cities need to do to meet escalating state requirements; add housing density; fix shopping centers; replace sales tax; pay for constituent services;…

Momentum from 2021 carries into 2022 and beyond. Learn more here.

Congratulations to our client, the City of Palmdale, on the successful formation of a joint City/County of L.A. EIFD! Kosmont Companies was proud to assist them in this achievement and look forward to more exciting things to come for the community. #EIFD

Kosmont Client City of Napa continues on track for EIFD formation to fund critical infrastructure Citywide. #EIFD

Kosmont Updates that could affect your community for better or worse! Learn more here.

Kosmont Companies provides value add services to City of Banning by preparing Comprehensive Econ Dev Strategy (CEDS) and evaluating Community Revitalization Investment Authority (CRIA) #toolsascurrency

LA County Supervisors approved ground lease for new mixed-use development at former San Pedro Courthouse Site. Kosmont Companies helped the County successfully solicit and select a development partner and negotiate the transaction.

Congratulations to Larry J. Kosmont for his feature in the L.A. & Orange Counties Commercial Real Estate: Trends, Updates & Visionaries. His career accomplishments, exemplary leadership, and influence make him a true visionary in the real estate field. Click the “Read Print Version” in the linked article.

The American Recovery Plan Act (“ARPA”) became law in March 2021 and provides $64 billion of direct/flexible aid to cities/towns across the USA to assist with COVID-19 recovery. In many California cities, the funding allocation is substantial (see examples below). Click here to find your city’s funding allocation. Cities should receive their funding as late as…

Article by Wes Woods II Ventura County Star (Photo Santa Paula City Hall. Arlene Martinez/The Star) — Santa Paula leaders are looking to transform a 2-acre property that is the gateway to the city from the east. The City Council on Wednesday discussed restaurant, hotel and office building options for a piece of property east of Hallock Drive between Telegraph…

Future of successful and timely regional shopping center revitalization in a post covid world is tied to Allen- SB 696 (Allen). It’s time to enable changes to Reciprocal Easement Agreements to that can stand in the way of community revitalization. — (CAFWD article by Jennifer Lovett – Photo by JohnGiez/Flicker) CARLSBAD — An equitable recovery…

(The Coast News Group article by Steve Puterski) CARLSBAD — Piece by piece, the Encina Power Station and the iconic smokestack are being erased from public view and sent into the history books.  Now the issue is how the City of Carlsbad, NRG Energy and San Diego Gas & Electric will move forward. During the…

Howard Yune, Apr 26, 2021 I Updated Apr 30, 2021 – Napa City Council votes unanimously to take a first step toward potential special district formation to address critical infrastructure needs based on Kosmont findings and City staff recommendations.

California Planning & Development Report  –  Surplus LAND Act is now front and center for CA Cities and Counties!

PUBLICCEO Article – Kosmont client City of La Verne continues to leverage its EIFD to promote economic revitalization surrounding its forthcoming Gold Line station.

Posted by David Melnarik for KHTS HometownStation.com (Santa Clarita Latest News) – The Old Town Newhall Laemmle Theatre opens April 9th with a ribbon cutting ceremony! Kosmont is proud to be a part of the team that made this possible: from site acquisition, developer selection process to negotiating a public private transaction & more.

Senate Bill 780 (Cortese), initiated and supported by CALED, proposes helpful changes and clarifications to improve the functionality and usefulness of EIFDs & CRIAs. Please join us in supporting this critical legislation. Find the fact sheet and sample letter here.

In a meeting last week, the Long Beach Planning Commission signed off on a proposed high-rise hotel development at the intersection of Ocean Boulevard and Pine Avenue. The developer has three years to begin construction.

A shopping center in Miami’s West Little Havana neighborhood is being redeveloped into a mixed-use project that will include residential and office space along with retail and restaurants. Terra, a South Florida-based residential and commercial development firms, announced plans for the redevelopment…

EIFD Annual Reporting: Are we having fun yet? To the Cities and Counties that successfully formed their EIFDs… CONGRATULATIONS! Now the fun begins. Read more here

What’s In Your Community’s Retail Future? Retail shrinking and hotels resetting? Housing and industrial in high demand? What is your city’s revenue preservation and value capture plan beyond a COVID economy? Retail stores are a rapidly diminishing fiscal revenue source. There is a timely opportunity to save your community’s tax base by reimagining retail corridors, malls, and…

Wishing you peace, prosperity, and HEALTH in 2021. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! From the Kosmont Team Watch video here.

SB2 (Planning Grant Program) and LEAP (Local Early Action Planning) are grant funds that each City/County is entitled to receive as long as basic threshold requirements are met. Many public agencies have their SB2 funding approvals and…LEAP funds are on their way! The LEAP over-the-counter period has been extended from July 1, 2020 to January…

South Bay Watch Article: Resetting the South Bay Economy after COVID-19 A Land Use Revolution is in Process!  Written By: Larry J. Kosmont, CRE® – Chairman & CEO, Kosmont Companies – SEE PAGE 3

Will Redevelopment ever come back…likely not. But EIFDs are gaining momentum throughout the state and local candidates are watching, waiting and debating this new form of Tax Increment Financing. See Solana Beach discussion.

EIFDs Roaring into 2021 – City and county EIFDs are beginning to proliferate, and both public agencies and the private sector (developers and corporate landowners) are now learning how to utilize EIFDs to address critical infrastructure and deliver public benefit and valuable community amenities. Below are a few snapshots from the 30+ EIFDs in progress…

JOIN US for an informative webinar on making the appropriate economic development and land use decisions in response to the COVID 19 slowdown. Understand the evolving shifts in the retail, hotels, tourism, industrial, and residential markets. Learn how to leverage new funding sources and implement effective programs that can accomplish recovery in the near-term and…

VIRTUAL BUSINESS: Something Old… Something New – Kosmont Companies understands that virtual business is the new reality for many. The Kosmont Team has been working virtually for over 10 years! So other than maxing out our ZOOM time instead of attending in-person meetings, our “prior COVID-19” business model has helped us make the shift efficiently.…

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN & CEO – Dear Kosmont Public and Private Clients, Collaborators and Friends: This is a tumultuous time with the nation in a state of emergency, schools closing and most families scrambling to ensure a safe and healthy daily life. We recognize the impact and uncertainty that the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is…

TRANSFORMATION … INNOVATION … INTEGRATION – Kosmont Leading Retail Reimagination – Kosmont Companies is innovatively helping both Cities and Developers reimagine retail with a blend of uses. Our Kosmont Retail NOW!® platform leverages big market data, provides strategic and actionable economic development plans, and performs results-oriented implementation. It’s time to Think Outside the Box! Cities…

First ever joint attended City-County EIFD meeting in LA County included County appointed Public Financing Authority members led by Supervisor Hahn in partnership with the City of Redondo Beach led by Mayor Brand & Councilman Horvath. City, county, and state funding; collaborate to transform a part of the AES power plant into a regional park.

OPPORTUNITY ZONES – Final Opportunity Zone (OZ) Regulations were released in December 2019 by the Treasury Department and are expected to provide the clarity needed to unlock the OZ investment marketplace and generate increased project activity. Key Changes include…

Kosmont Companies is proud to be the Title Sponsor of this year’s CCMF golf tournament. It should be a beautiful day and we hope all the players have a great game!

Orange County Register Article – With a fresh year ahead, many organizations host events in January and February to educate their members and the public on the year behind and trends in front. I was privileged to attend three such gatherings recently — the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, the city of Corona Economic…

California Apparel News Article – Malibu has been taking steps to give a final approval to start construction of Malibu La Paz Ranch, a new retail center, it will be one of the only new retail centers to be constructed in Malibu in more than a decade. This project is being developed in a market…

Los Angeles County Approves Property Tax Increment Contribution to La Verne EIFD – On Tuesday, January 14th, 2020, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (BOS) adopted a resolution approving its property tax increment contribution to the City of La Verne’s Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District (EIFD). This momentous occasion marks only the…

Article from the San Gabriel Valley Tribune – A Vroman’s Bookstore, a high-quality organic grocery store, and a 50-room boutique hotel could be built on vacant property near downtown San Dimas. The project known as Pioneer Square replaces the once-proposed four-story hotel on the south side of Bonita Avenue between Acacia Street and Cataract Avenue,…

Los Angeles Daily News article – Shoppers peck for bargains as stores grow more empty; 12 Sears, 2 Kmarts slated to shutter by February. The missteps of Sears are plain to see in the bold letters on banners outside and inside its soon-to-be-shuttered stores. “Store closing.” “Nothing held back.” “Everything must go.” For many Sears…

Bisnow article – The Cypress City Council has approved the sale of a 13-acre plot in front of the Los Alamitos Race Course, clearing the way for the development of a mixed-use megaproject.  The city last week approved the sale and development rights of the city-owned site to Shea Properties for $15.25M, and an additional…

Kosmont Companies is proud to be the advisor for the legacy established by City of Placentia, County of Orange in partnership with SCAG in forming the 1st County City EIFD in California. The EIFD integrates the City’s Opportunity Zones to focus on Transit Oriented Development. SCAG PROJECT OF THE MONTH – An Enhanced Infrastructure Financing…

Kosmont Companies expands our team and services beyond California into Arizona and the Midwest! We’d like to welcome Mr. Joseph Fackel (Midwest Territory) and Mr. Bob Tunis (Arizona Territory) to the team. Read more – click link/image above.

Kosmont partners with SCAG, the City of Placentia, and County of Orange on the Placentia TOD Packing House & Old Town EIFD The City of Placentia/County of Orange TOD Packing House & Old Town Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District (“District” or “EIFD”) was formed on July 30, 2019 as the first City/County cooperative EIFD to be…

START UP CAPITAL FOR HOUSING, INFRASTRUCTURE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT –  New and expanded Federal and State grant programs can help bridge the gap for EIFDs/TIF district projects

Larry Kosmont quoted in The Economist Special Report “California and Texas have different visions for America’s future.” Read it here.

The future of Pasadena’s historic YWCA building one block from City Hall is front and center again Monday as officials polish a new Request for Proposals and Councilmembers consider extending by one year the site’s zoning entitlements from an earlier failed hotel plan. The new call for ideas for use of the empty landmark designed…

It was a bill that, depending on what side you were on, either held the promise of easing the crushing lack of affordable housing in the state of California, or was the mechanism by which local, single-family neighborhoods would be compromised irrevocably by large-scale development. Senate Bill 50, an ambitious proposal authored by Sen. Scott Wiener,…

A survey by Kosmont Companies and the Rose Institute ranked Santa Clarita among the best cities for doing business across Southern California. The recent survey, titled “2018 Kosmont-Rose Institute Cost of Doing Business Survey,” recognized Santa Clarita as a “low-cost” city for its low property tax rates, no utility tax and several other business benefits…

San Dimas Councilman Ryan Vienna didn’t realize searching for a potential tenant to develop a vacant lot near the downtown could be like speed dating. Earlier this year, San Dimas tapped an economic development firm to determine whether restaurants and retail may be a viable alternative at the site of a four-story hotel proposed on the south side of Bonita…

California’s First County-City EIFD Partnership

The IRS issued new regulations that add flexibility to the 31-month working capital safe harbor period for delays caused by government agency actions that may include permitting and CEQA reviews. The new rules would apply to operating business investment and real property investment, provided the government action application was completed during the 31-month period.

California OZ Projects Get CEQA Relief!

Larry J. Kosmont is chairman and CEO of Kosmont Companies, a real estate and economic development services firm specializing in public-private transactions. Robert Valenti is a senior project analyst with Kosmont Companies and provided research assistance.

St. Helena officials are eyeing a new financing tool that could help fund infrastructure and housing. An Enhanced Infrastructure Finance District (EIFD) allows local governments to leverage future revenue from increased property taxes in order to issue bonds and otherwise pay for infrastructure projects.

The city-owned 5.6-acre Adams Street property, which now contains a vineyard, could become the site of a luxury resort, with some space left over for public use. (Note: After this article was published, the council’s initial discussion of the Adams Street property was postponed to May 28.)…

TULARE COUNTY – The American economy, and even economies at the local level are experiencing a huge boon. What Tulare County is trying to do now, is capitalize on the upswing. And last month the Tulare County Board of Supervisors accepted their economic report that has been months in the making.

Building a Pasadena Department of Water and Power headquarters on land it owns adjacent to City Hall is being considered under a new set of options related to possible future uses for the Pasadena YWCA building, according to a City staff report. As part of its search for possible reuse or development proposals for the…

Amazon is not the enemy. They are a retailer and real estate company Amazon.com has been expanding its physical retail presence in recent years, as exemplified by its acquisition of Whole Foods Market, its expansion of the Amazon Go cashierless grocery stores and its creation of the 4-Star store concept. But one would not see…

Kosmont is participating in 4 upcoming events focused on Opportunity Zones. Check out the event details here and be sure to click on the link to hear the Governor’s thoughts on EIFDs and OZs

City Hires Private Firm to Craft Strategic Plan In response to downtown’s protracted retail woes, the Santa Barbara City Council voted to spend $84,000 to hire a private economic consulting firm, Kosmont & Associates, to help craft a strategic plan to bring local shoppers to the central business district. Previous studies have repeatedly concluded that…

After several months of waiting, real estate investors, developers and other keen commercial real estate observers have finally received answers to some of their many questions about the Opportunity Zone program.

Bond Buyer article by Keeley Webster titled “Kosmont grows by helping California cities navigate post-redevelopment world” is about how Larry Kosmont’s advisory and real estate firm thrived after the state axed local redevelopment agencies.

The City of South Gate receives $5.1M from Shopping Center Developer in Successful P3 Deal. Kosmont proudly represented the City as its real estate & financial advisor. Appropriation of funds was approved on 6/12/2018.

Project Video: The City of South Gate receives $5.1M from Shopping Center Developer in Successful P3 Deal.

Kosmont pulls back the curtain and shows you how to take advantage of the most significant tax legislation relating to real estate development since the creation of the 1031 Exchange.  Created as part of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Opportunity Zones (O.Z.) were created to unlock unrealized capital gains money and encourage investment…

Since the passage of the Opportunity Zone provision in January, commercial real estate developers, business owners and investors have been digging up information on how to incorporate the program into future investments and scouring the designated distressed neighborhoods for investment opportunities.

Kosmont Companies and the City of Redondo Beach are the proud recipients of the 2017 CALED Award of Excellence for Economic Development Partnership for the Marine Ave. Hotels Project.  Read more about the project here.

People communicate and engage online more than ever before, whereas cities rely on traditional methods that require in-person attendance at meetings or town halls that limit the conversation typically dominated by a faithful few. Kosmont Companies is proud to provide digiConversation™, an online economic development, real estate, and land use outreach platform utilizing digital and social…

The 2016/2017 Kosmont-Rose Institute Cost of Doing Business Survey provides annual info about the costs of operating a business in 307 cities across 9 western states. The Survey celebrates its 22nd year of publication and was recently featured in the LABJ.

FIRE AFTERMATH – Long road back for unfortunate residents and businesses, but the expectation is that local government impacts will be less devastating and public finance issuers will be supported by the underlying land values, which are high in California. Read The Bond Buyer article by Keeley Webster with quotes from Kosmont’s Senior Vice President,…

Keeping Out of the Middle, an article in the November issue of California Centers Magazine, provides insight into the changing retail market and the attempt to “move out of what was once considered the comfort zone.

“The state just approved 15 housing bills in California, several of which are dependent on leveraging and providing federal support through tax credits – those would be destroyed by the proposed federal legislation,” Kosmont said.

On Nov. 20 Redondo Beach Announced a New Effort to Redevelop the AES Power Plant Site. Kosmont is proud to serve as real estate & finance advisor for the City on this project and thanks Mayor Bill Brand for his kind words (see video – click read more below). We look forward to making the…

La Verne city leaders have spent the past 18 months coming up with a plan to redevelop 100 acres into a mixed-use development involving housing, infrastructure and a parking structure for a train station on the Foothill Gold Line, a light rail extension into the San Gabriel Valley, said Larry Kosmont, founder of Kosmont Cos.,…

It’s official! On October 30, 2017, the City of La Verne approved the first Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District (EIFD) in L.A. County. Kosmont acted as the City’s EIFD, real estate, and finance advisor throughout the process. For the full story, click Read More below. For more EIFD info, visit EIFDs under the Services tab at…

Larry J. Kosmont, President & CEO of Kosmont Companies was quoted in the following Apparel News article “Los Angeles Boutique Streets Undergo Change to Survive.”

Larry J. Kosmont is quoted in the L.A. Times article about Amazon’s search for a second headquarters where “They are asking communities to dress up and go to the dance.”

We congratulate Ryan Aubry, former Kosmont Companies Vice President on his success and becoming one of the “Who’s Who in Real Estate.” Read LABJ article on Ryan Aubry here.

Great cre.tech article by Franco Faraudo! Larry J. Kosmont was interviewed about the changing political nature of real estate and how technology is involved. Read all about it here.

Using the OppSites Platform at ICSC RECon in May 2017, the Kosmont Team promoted 61 economic development OPPORTUNITY SITES in 11 cities. Our cities had over 550 views and are now tracking over 100 leads on OppSites. Learn more.

You’re invited to CALED’s Ice Cream Social, to Visit our Booth #8, and to Attend our Panels. For details and invitation, click here: http://conta.cc/2mpLgKH    

As a Certified Provider, Kosmont Companies introduces OppSites OppSites is an Economic Development Online Marketplace where public agencies can showcase privately owned as well as public owned property opportunities. OppSites built a national platform that empowers local leaders, is supported by the latest technology, and puts every community on ONE MAP to create a single global online…

Contact us at our new number (424) 297-1070.

By Keeley Webster December 29, 2016 LOS ANGELES — With San Bernardino poised to exit bankruptcy in January after a grueling 54-month process, leaders of the Southern California city will shift from cost-cutting to achieve solvency toward growing the city’s economy. City Manager Mark Scott said he, Mayor Carey Davis, and the City Council are scheduling…

WATER: Cadiz hopes new administration will prove friendlier to desert project. — By HOWARD FINE Friday, December 9, 2016 Few L.A. companies are looking forward to Donald Trump taking the presidential oath of office more than Cadiz Inc. The L.A. land and water company, which has been trying for a quarter-century to win approval for a…

This event was held at the California Club in Los Angeles on Friday, December 1st. BizFed Founder David Fleming, L.A. County Supervisor-elect and current Congresswoman Janice Hahn, Kosmont Companies CEO and Biz‎Fed Executive Committee Member Larry J. Kosmont, California Consulting CEO and BizFed Executive Committee Member Steve Samuelian, and BizFed Founding CEO Tracy Rafter-Hernandez were…

Larry Kosmont, President & CEO of Kosmont Companies, was recently featured in an article published online and in print by Apparel News on the subject of the newly remodeled Village at Westfield Topanga Mall in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley. The following is a portion of the article, written by Andrew Asch and posted on the Apparel…