Economic Development Growth Monitor Archives

North America’s Borders Remain Closed

12.12.2020 Covid-19 impacts and recovery, Economic Development Consultants, Economic Development Growth Monitor, Project Consultants for North America, StoneCreek Partners News and Research

North America’s borders remain closed through January 21, 2021, limiting border crossings to “essential trade only” between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The mutually-agreed extension has been made on a month by month basis during 2020, and has been in place since March of this year.

The border closure is due to Covid-19 cases on both sides of each border, and the interest of each country in protecting their citizens. The national health agencies and ministries, and health officers, for each country are part of the decision-making for these restrictions. Each country is looking to relevant data and protective health measures that seem to be working.

So-called border crossing due to “essential trade” activity is allowed under the provisions of the agreed restrictions, between the U.S. and Canada, and between Mexico and the U.S. While essential economic development and various business activities continue, cross-border tourist activities to any number of visitor destinations have been decimated.

Presumptive President-elect Joe Biden’s administration will be part of the next consideration of these border restrictions. Biden is set to take office on January 20, and the current border restrictions come due for consideration on January 21st.

A full article in Travel Pulse from December 11, 2020 indicating that North America’s borders remain closed, is available at this link:

US, Canada and Mexico Land Border Restrictions Extended

Economic Development Consultants for Tribes

22.11.2020 Economic Development Growth Monitor, News about economic development, News about global real estate consulting, News about local government real estate, Project Consultants for Tribes and First, StoneCreek Partners News and Research

Our work as economic development consultants for tribes and other indigenous nations has expanded with additional services and new regions covered.

StoneCreek Partners’ client work with Native American tribes and pueblos, as well as Native Hawaiians, now includes Canadian First Nation tribes and organizations. Over the years, StoneCreek Partners has also worked with indigenous nations in addition to those in North America, including those sovereign nations in the MENA region and the Pacific Rim.

The Covid-19 pandemic of 2020 has increased the interest in economic development plans that can reliably produce economic results – increased jobs, new investment, and enhanced quality of life. And sooner than later. Our economic sector analytics have an increasingly granular focus on real estate investment asset classes. This is due to some types of investment now being in question, and relatively new asset classes commanding investor attention.

Our consulting focus is on projects that can be made to happen, and less on broad programmatic objectives.

Another focus is on the feasibility of specific projects. As we act as economic development consultants for tribes we explore how development might occur in a particular region, focusing more on projects that can be made to happen, and less on broad programmatic objectives. With specific projects identified, strategic partners can be identified and pursued.

Today’s economic development strategies can include all manner of visitor destination strategies, location-based entertainment, sports mega-complexes, life sciences projects, and other development can prosper within specific locations and markets. Our experience with design management, development, facilities management, and with overall dealmaking and transactions allows us to take economic strategies through implementation.

What is a charrette? Charrettes explained StoneCreek Partners is a business planning and development firm, with expertise that includes commercial real estate, hospitality, location-based entertainment, and direct-to-consumer technologies. StoneCreek Partners has provided economic development planning and program implementation support to Native American tribes and their sovereign development companies, as well as to similar city, county, and state organizations.

Our firm’s essential value to clients is our hands-on experience in designing, developing, and operating projects and businesses. StoneCreek Partners is led by co-founder Donald Bredberg and his substantial experience as an executive with The Irvine Company, NBCUniversal, and the Riyadh-based family office of Newfield Enterprises International.

The firm was first established in 1984 in Los Angeles, and is now headquartered in Nevada. Our economic development consulting for tribal nations and other indigenous nations got started shortly after the firm’s founding.

Additional information about our economic development consulting practice is available at this link:

StoneCreek Partners – Economic Development Consultants

Comparing the Pfizer and Moderna Vaccines

17.11.2020 Covid-19 impacts and recovery, Economic Development Growth Monitor, News about acquisitions and financing, News about c-store fuel stations, News about economic development, News about global real estate consulting, News about hotels and destination resorts, News about local government real estate, News about malls and shopping centers, StoneCreek Partners News and Research

We found this interesting, an article comparing the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines by Mike Terry writing for BioSpace, the life sciences digital hub. All of us are of course keen to know what may be coming with these Covid-19 vaccines. The economic recovery and economic development we all hope for, depends upon the actual and perceived protections and treatments that are coming.

The best early news is the so-called “efficacy rate” … both vaccines are reporting 90%+ efficacy rates. the CDC states that “vaccine efficacy/effectiveness (“VE”) is measured by calculating the risk of disease among vaccinated and unvaccinated persons and determining the percentage reduction in risk of disease among vaccinated persons relative to unvaccinated persons.

One big similarity in comparing the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines is that each use new messenger RNA technology. RNA therapies that use mRNAs have been in the works prior to the Covid-19 outbreak, for possible use in personalized cancer vaccines and as vaccines for infectious diseases such as Zika virus. However, as Mike Terry notes in his article, to-date, no therapeutic or vaccine using mRNA has been approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

to-date, no therapeutic or vaccine using mRNA has been approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Both of these vaccine candidates require two doses about 28 days apart. The Pfizer-BioNTech requires specialized refrigeration although the drug researcher and manufacturer Pfizer has designed its own packaging using dry ice that can be stored for weeks without the specialized freezers.

Pfizer and BioNTech have no development funding from the U.S. government, but do have a $1.95 billion agreement with the government to supply 100 million doses of the vaccine, with an option for another 500 million. The Moderna vaccine trials were developed with financial and logistical support from the U.S. National institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and Operation Warp Speed, and could receive up to $2.45 billion in federal government funding. And Moderna has a $1.5 billion deal to supply 100 million doses to the U.S. government.

The rapid progress from virus detection, sequencing information availability, and these vaccines being in their current state of testing, is a testament to the role of the burgeoning life sciences research and development industry in today’s connected global community.

The full article at BioSpace comparing the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines can be reviewed here:

Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna’s Vaccines Are Leading the COVID-19 Race. How Do They Compare?