While the idea of raising capital from the “crowd” is catching on around the country with private enterprises seeking growth capital, the Guerrilla Development offering is different from other offerings in that it is part of a broader trend to use today’s investment crowdfunding tools for economic and community development purposes—specifically, downtown revitalization.
They are using one of the newest legal strategies for ventures to “crowdfund” investment capital, Regulation A, through which they are offering $1.5 million of preferred equity in the Fair-Haired Dumbbell, an urban infill office building with ground floor retail in Portland, Oregon.
This approach marks a change from the way communities have typically sought funds for their improvement: through applying for state and federal redevelopment grants. This significant departure from the familiar approach presents a number of advantages for community-based ventures.
Cutting Edge Capital is working with other groups that are using Direct Public Offerings, or DPOs, to raise capital for downtown revitalization projects. As an example, one of the groups we are working with intends to raise $4.5 million for a real estate investment fund for the purpose of a major overhaul of downtown Fresno, California through the purchase and rehabilitation of a number of properties for retail and other uses.
Another group we’re working with, Our Katahdin, takes a broader approach to downtown revitalization, targeting the Kathadin region of Maine, which includes both small town and rural geographies. Seeing an opportunity to allow Maine residents to invest in the region’s development, this non-profit loan fund will cycle in capital from Maine residents through a DPO, before either loaning it out at a slightly higher interest rate to qualified ventures for their growth and development, or actually purchasing land for the non-profit to develop.
In the process, everyone will benefit: Maine entrepreneurs will benefit from the access to capital; Maine investors (of the lending variety) will benefit from a modest return on investment; the region and its communities will benefit from enhanced economic activity; and the non-profit loan fund will benefit from the revenues for making it all happen.
Image credit: Guerrilla Development
Note: Thanks to videographer Bruce Weaver of Brave New Earth for submitting this new item. Follow him on Twitter.