Youth Achievement Center (YAC) Pre‑Development Project Manager

Consultant Opportunity:  

Youth Achievement Center (YAC) Pre‑Development Project Manager 

Community Passageways (CP) is pleased to invite qualified consultants to submit interest and qualifications to provide Pre‑Development Project Management services for the Youth Achievement Center (YAC). 

About the Youth Achievement Center 

The Youth Achievement Center (YAC) is a community‑informed real estate development project designed to offer transitional and affordable housing, program space, and supportive services for young adults. Grounded in restorative justice and shaped by youth voice, the YAC will serve as a safe, dignified space for healing, growth, and opportunity. 

This is an atypical project — one that combines transitional housing, affordable housing, and direct services under one roof. The consultant will need to navigate that complexity, including researching comparable projects, understanding their funding structures and risks, and helping CP chart a path that fits this unique model. 

About the Role 

This is not a conventional project management engagement. CP is acting as a development client for the first time, and a significant part of this consultant's value will be guiding CP through an unfamiliar process — explaining decisions, building internal capacity, and ensuring CP can exercise informed judgment at each stage. The ideal candidate is as comfortable teaching and translating as they are managing timelines and budgets. 

The consultant will represent CP's interests as client while coordinating closely with Africatown Community Land Trust (ACLT) as the development partner. This dual-entity structure requires someone skilled at navigating multi-party relationships, maintaining clear boundaries around decision authority, and ensuring CP's voice and interests are centered throughout. 

Current Project Status 

The YAC project is actively underway. At the time of this posting: 

• The Phase I parcel is in the process of transfer from Sound Transit through a surplus land process 

• CP is working in close collaboration with King County 

• CP has an executed Memorandum of Understanding with Africatown Community Land Trust (ACLT) as development partner 

• A building program and basic schematic design are complete 

• Pre‑development funding has been secured through the City of Seattle’s Equitable Development Initiative (EDI) 

The selected consultant will help advance the project through feasibility, entitlement, funding strategy, and completion of the pre‑development phase so the project is fully positioned for construction. 

Scope of Consulting Services 

The YAC Pre‑Development Project Manager will oversee planning, coordination, and project preparation from visioning through feasibility and completion of the pre‑development phase. This consultant will serve as a key liaison between CP, ACLT, and all external partners including architects, engineers, funders, public agencies, and community stakeholders. 

Key areas of responsibility include: 

• Feasibility analysis and pre‑construction coordination: Site assessments, land surveys, zoning analysis, and due diligence. This includes researching comparable projects that combine transitional housing, affordable housing, and direct services to understand risks, requirements, and funding models. 

• Partnership and contract management: Navigating the CP/ACLT partnership agreement and other legal contracts; ensuring appropriate sharing of information and decision authority; guiding CP in its role as first-time development client. 

• Funding strategy and grant application support: Developing and managing the project funding strategy, identifying and securing public grants, philanthropic gifts, and — where appropriate — LIHTC (Low-Income Housing Tax Credits) and debt financing. Supporting the preparation and submission of City, State, Federal, and private foundation applications. If loans are part of the plan, supporting loan closing. 

• Budget oversight and financial tracking: Monitoring project budgets and ensuring compliance with accounting and reporting requirements across multiple funding sources. 

• Business planning and financial modeling: Developing a business plan that projects future operational costs against rental revenue and programmatic grants. Collaborating on a pro forma that includes detailed sources and uses, operating budgets, and 15-year cash flow projections. 

• Design, programming, and consultant coordination: Managing the RFQ process to select architects and engineers if needed; overseeing building design; facilitating design charrettes to ensure the building reflects community needs; reviewing construction contracts. 

• Permitting, compliance, and entitlement oversight: Ensuring compliance with zoning ordinances, building codes, grant reporting requirements, and funding-specific requirements including prevailing wage tracking, Section 3 hiring, and LEED/Green building standards. Managing timely submission of Land Use permits. 

• Stakeholder engagement, reporting, and community presentations: Facilitating regular meetings with CP's YAC team, community partners, donors, and public agencies. Preparing materials for fundraising and community engagement. Representing CP at public hearings and community council meetings. 

Requirements

Consultant Qualifications 

Education & Experience 

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, or a related field (or equivalent professional experience) 

• 5+ years of relevant experience in affordable housing or nonprofit real estate development through the pre‑development phase 

• Prior experience supporting an organization through its first real estate development project strongly preferred 

• Experience with atypical or hybrid project types (combining housing, services, and/or community programming) a plus 

Technical Skills 

• Proficiency with project management tools such as MS Project and/or Asana 

• Ability to read and interpret architectural drawings, zoning codes, and building regulations 

• Experience with complex public funding sources and compliance requirements, including prevailing wage tracking, Section 3 hiring, and LEED/Green building standards 

• Familiarity with LIHTC (Low-Income Housing Tax Credits) and debt financing, including loan closing processes 

• Experience developing pro formas with long-range cash flow projections (15 years) and nonprofit operational financial modeling 

• Experience managing RFQ/RFP processes for design and engineering consultants 

Approach & Culture Fit 

• Strong project management and problem‑solving skills 

• A “scrappy,” entrepreneurial mindset—comfortable navigating ambiguity, limited budgets, and evolving conditions common to community‑based projects 

• Demonstrated ability to guide first-time or inexperienced development clients through complex processes with clarity and patience 

• Skilled facilitator, comfortable running community design sessions and representing an organization in public forums 

• Commitment to equity, restorative justice, and community‑