Most business owners tend to be poor planners and have little reserves to go on.So a shift in the economy can really take them by surprise.

Just as a CPA or Financial Planner is hired for his expertise, a commercial real estate agent knows the nuts and bolts and all the nuances of commercial deals.   

While each component part is not overly hard to understand, there's a ton of steps, and each step has risk embedded in it AND you are dealing with people all along the way: brokers, land sellers, planners, politicians, bankers, construction folks, renters, property managers, and buyers.

It will likely be a good forum to express opinions to the city planners. 

All your financial questions should be addressed by a professional financial planner before you talk to a Mortgage Lender as they will use it to their advantage, not yours.

Can BP point me to a quality financial planner who has their client’s interest as priority?

No more new ones, actually, most cities want them out for various reasons, bad properties, higher land use, more taxes...they just aren't high on the economic development list or a favorite for city planners.

I was a Certified Financial Planner for over 15 years.

So we are planners for the long term. 

Would you still put it at risk.See you are a mortgage planner which to my definition is to take equity out of your home and invest it as in the stock market?