North Star Group - How we approach projects

North Star Group

How we approach projects

Site assessment, zoning analysis, highest-and-best-use determination. Funding options include conventional loans, tax credits, grants, and public-private partnerships.

Approval sequencing—zoning, site plan, environmental, building permits. Construction approaches that reduce cost and timeline.

Compass in earth - First Principles

1. First Principles

Reality — what is true

Glasses viewing landscape - Values

2. Second Principles

Values — ethical, transparent business

Glasses showing neighborhood - Vision

3. Vision

Future state — what can be

Aerial with magnifying bubble - Mission

4. Mission

Specific work — this project

Go board mid-game - Strategy

5. Strategy

The approach

Employment application - Tactics

6. Tactics

The options

Hammer striking nail - Operations

7. Operations

Execution

Select a project from the sidebar, or browse by category below.

We study the property until the development concept emerges from its inherent possibilities.

Challenge: Property in floodway seen as liability

What We Did: Discovered one of last undammed rivers of that length in US — unlocked expedition concept, marina, park, housing

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Challenge: Stalled $1.1B medical city project

What We Did: Found institutional credit path that sovereign credit approach had missed

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Challenge: Historic district needs stabilization anchors

What We Did: Education path — earn while learning, trade credentials, international work eligibility

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Challenge: Governor building Smart City, insufficient university seats in region

What We Did: Educational center development with grant funding strategy

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Challenge: Large housing development needs innovative financing

What We Did: MRB-based workforce housing structure with PHA partnership

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Client has clear vision. We provide deep-dive on zoning, construction, and economics.

Challenge: Developer had clear plan, needed technical execution

What We Did: Deep dive on zoning, construction methods, and project economics

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We assemble proven approaches into one implementable package.

Challenge: Affordable housing costs too high without sacrificing quality

What We Did: Synthesis of best practices — 24V lighting, SIPs, passive cooling, shared infrastructure

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Challenge: Churches have underutilized buildings

What We Did: Implementation framework making dual-use (worship + emergency shelter) accessible

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Challenge: EU Deforestation Regulation blocking smallholder farmers from market

What We Did: GPS mapping device (nearly free) + pesticide control pathway + blockchain transactions

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Tools we built that enable other work.

Challenge: Master plan documentation lacks standard framework

What We Did: Spatial plan documentation system for large-scale developments

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Challenge: Housing cost relative to income in Africa, shortage of skilled masons

What We Did: Patent-pending interlocking brick — shape IS the laying pattern, sheds water without mortar

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Challenge: GPS mapping apps require cell coverage

What We Did: Offline PWA runs purely off GPS chip — enables field work where connectivity is unreliable

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Challenge: AI conversations lose context between sessions

What We Did: Episodic memory system for persistent AI collaboration

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Challenge: Digital divide leaves communities without internet access

What We Did: Refugee camp model adapted for US — combines connectivity with communication services

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Challenge: Financial analysis either too high-level or too granular

What We Did: Fact-grounded analysis at reasonable scale with procurement pathways

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Technical + financial + implementation narrative integration for fundability.

Challenge: Stormwater compliance seen as cost burden

What We Did: Edible rain gardens — compliance + food production + jobs in single integrated proposal (90% fundable)

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Challenge: Traditional grant writing is narrative only

What We Did: Systems integration approach — technical + financial + implementation understanding

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