Charter School Real Estate Development

Real Estate

Our Services

Charter Schools Development Corporation (CSDC) Turnkey Development Program

Charter schools have one fundamental mission: to provide the best education possible for every student. CSDC’s Turnkey Development Program helps charter schools turn their “facility vision” into reality.

CSDC’s “lease-to-own” model allows charter school leaders to focus on the educational mission while we focus on the business of financing, designing and constructing a facility built to suit the unique needs of the school model, student population and budget. Our staff understands the complexities of real estate development and how to deliver a customized “turnkey” solution to each charter school client with a lease and purchase option. CSDC offers flexible terms to meet your school’s strategic vision:

  • Short or long term lease with options to extend

  • Fixed and below-market rent escalations

  • Fixed-price purchase option set at commencement of the lease and exercisable at any time

  • Fixed-price purchase option set at commencement of the lease and exercisable at any time

CSDC has developed over 8.4 million square feet of educational facilities for our inspiring charter school partners. As a non-profit developer, we strive to pass on cost savings to our charter schools, through lower rents, flexible lending terms and affordable purchase options.

We give our school partners a pathway to ownership, and the power to shape their educational environment, drive financial sustainability, and inspire the next generation of leaders.

As a non-profit developer, we strive to pass on cost savings to our schools, through lower rents, flexible lending terms and affordable purchase options.

Charter Schools Development Corporation (CSDC) Turnkey Development Program
Owner's Representative Services

Owner's Representative Services

CSDC's fee developer program provides an invaluable service to successful, expanding charter schools that recognize the benefits of outsourcing their facility needs to an experienced developer.

  • Initial site design

  • Financial modeling

  • Permitting and construction

  • Budget monitoring

  • Project completion-Certificate of Occupancy

  • Punch-list

Strategic Real Estate Development Support and Guidance

An integral part of our mission as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) is to provide counseling to both prospective and client schools, enabling charter schools to take maximum advantage of CSDC’s financial expertise and charter school services. 
CSDC’s charter school real estate development services address the following areas, and can be customized to each client: 
Project Feasibility & Affordability
Project Feasibility & Affordability
Charter Schools Site Selection
Site Selection
Charter Schools Acquisition
Acquisition
Financing Guidance for Charter Schools
Financing
CSDC Development Strategies
Development
Three Rivers Montessori

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Charter School Real Estate Development services?

Charter School Real Estate Development Services provide school leaders with insights in the following area/phases:

  • Project Feasibility & Affordability
    • What can the school reasonably afford now and with scaled growth. 
    • What is the competitive landscape in the area (e.g., district schools, other charter schools, etc.)?
  • Site Selection
    • Is there community support?
    • Will the desired facility support the school now and into the future?
    • Are there other constraints that should be examined?
  • Acquisition
    • Ground up construction?
    • Rehab of an existing space?
    • Timeline for renovation?
  • Financing Options
    • What can the school afford?
    • Budget stress testing-if there are fluctuations in enrollment will the school still be able to afford the facility?
  • Development
    • Planning, permitting, construction, punch list

Why do charter schools need real estate services?

Charter school leaders are focused on providing their communities with educational opportunities. As experts in the field of education, they know it makes the most sense to work with people that have expertise in certain areas. For example, math teachers are hired to teach math, english teachers, science teachers, etc. In the same sense, charter schools benefit from obtaining real estate services because there are nuances that might impact their decision to locate in a certain area, which could include zoning restrictions, municipal requirements, like traffic studies, site design, and building codes. Working with a partner like CSDC allows school leaders to focus on their priorities while having the confidence that they are working with experts knowledgeable about real estate relative to educational facilities.

What does CSDC’s Charter School Real Estate Development process look like?