While private development are, by their very nature, designed to create a profit, public facilities are largely driven by the project mission and are not usually financially self-sustaining. Thus, the objectives of the Project Management Team are important in setting the agenda for the project approach. ERA's research of biological field stations identified the following facility characteristics regarding operations structures, seasonality, development patterns and partnerships. Officials familiar with a wide range of field stations indicate that independent facilities have greater difficulty meeting their budgets and supporting academic and research positions.
Smaller stations are likely to be seasonal.
That is, unless facility leases are appropriate to the market and leasees are satisfied with net revenues, it is likely that the facility may have difficulty with high tenant turnover. ERA interviewed local and regional real estate brokers to determine what the local market is for various types of facility uses. The majority of land uses within close proximity to Presque Isle include commercial rental, hotels, and an amusement park. There is a smattering of offices in commercial retail space, but no office buildings in that area. The majority of these are funded by colleges and universities.