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08-25-1999 CC Workshop Agenda~999 NE I91e Street Suite 500 Aventura. FL 33180 City Commission Workshop Meeting August 25,1999 9:00 A.M. Executive Conference Room AGENDA 2. 3. 4. 5. 6 7. 8. Town Center Redevelopment (commissioner Perlow) Proposed Water Feature Feasibility Study Library Update Termite Report Lobbyist Ordinance Street Naming Policy Community Programs (commissioner Berger) Advisory Board Reports This meeting is open to the public. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, all persons who are disabled and who need special accommodations to participate in this meeting because of that disability should contact the Office of the City Clerk, 305466-8901, not later than two days prior to such proceeding. TO: FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: CITY OF AVENTUFJ~. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM Eric M. Soroka, City~anag~r Brenda Kelley, Com-~elopment(J/\ Direct~/ August 12, 1999 Town Center / Redevelopment As per your request, we have researched trends, redevelopment concepts and existing and proposed small-city (population less than 50,000), town center/redevelopment areas. The information contained in this memo discusses the important objectives, whether design, concept or market oriented that we have found, that appear to lead to a successful town center/redevelopment project. We have attached information that may be useful in the discussions on the Loehmann's Plaza/Thunder Alley master redevelopment plans. The national trend towards retrofitting centerless suburbs with main streets and town centers demonstrates the importance of a strong sense of place for a community. There are many examples of revitalization efforts by South Florida communities and around the country that the City of Aventura can draw upon for experience: · The City of Hollywood's downtown revitalization has been very successful. Its new La Piazza retail-residential plaza under construction on Young Circle is expected to open in fall/winter of this year. · Mizner Park in Boca Raton was originally planned as affordable housing on top of retail; however, the demand for the space was so great that property values increased substantially within a very short period of time. · Delray Beach began restoration of its downtown by filling existing retail spaces on the ground floor first and is now encouraging residential development on the upper floors. · City Place in West Palm Beach is designed to revitalize an undeveloped downtown area with residential, hotel, restaurant, theatre, concert hall, retail, a central gathering place and a link to an adjacent neighborhood. · Kendall has developed a master plan for its downtown revitalization in phases over the next five to thirty-five years. · Miami Lakes is a master planned community designed with a town center featuring courtyards, fountains, sidewalk cafes, apartments above shops, a theatre and a hotel. · Several smaller cities in the Seattle, Washington area are retrofitting themselves with a defined town center to promote a sense of community. · Reston, Virginia created a defined downtown with an officelhotelltheatrelretaillrestaurant complex, using the gathering or meeting place concept and a mix of uses based on community behavior patterns. · The Battery City Park development in New York City has integrated a public school in the first five floors of a retail, residential and office complex. The current trend appears to be a desire to recapture the comfort of a compact main street, where people can walk, live, shop, be entertained and meet friends. Specialty retail, offices, residential and entertainment venues appear to be the mix that is most successful. The developer of the town center in Reston, Virginia cautioned that the mix of uses has to be carefully fashioned to fit the particular community. This may be achieved through careful marketing research. Communities are also looking for strategies to revitalize existing downtowns. The major issues that other cities have faced in addressing the redevelopment of small-city, town center areas that are also relevant to the City of Aventura are: 1. Attracting new development. 2. Attracting people downtown evenings/weekends. 3. Competition from discount stores and/or suburban malls. 4. VacantJunderused retail space. 5. Parking. 6. Image. 7. Crime (real or perceived). 8. Traffic circulation/congestion. In general, the principles for effective downtown development are: 1. Maintain high-density levels. 2. Maintain/develop true civic public places. 3. Do not "suburbanize" the downtown. 4. Develop and enforce strict design controls. 5. Do not underestimate the importance of street-level activity. 6. Plan for a multifunctional downtown. These principles are connected with a downtown's ability to create a strong sense of place. This sense of place is accomplished by establishing an alternative to the sameness of suburbia - a compact place with shorter buildings, a central gathering or meeting point, a wide variety of functions and activities to attract people day and night, parking and transit facilities and pedestrian friendly access to stores, offices, restaurants, galleries, entertainment and homes. Experience shows that the best developments are those that are designed with a variety of facades, so as not to look as though they were designed "in one day" and are instead a random growth of the main street. The City of Bethesda used three architectural firms to achieve this effect. Several other downtowns have specific development and design standards for their town center area that go beyond typical zoning and building code requirements. 2 Through our research, there are issues that, once properly addressed, appear to lead to successful redevelopment of small-city town center areas. We have itemized those issues that are applicable to the City of Aventura: 1. Main Street Approach. 2. New Office Development. 3. Waterfront Development. 4. Pedestrianization Improvements 5. Parking Facilities. 6. Downtown Housing. 7. Transit Improvements. 8. Traffic Circulation Changes. 9. Nightlife/Entertainment. 10. Pedestrian Mall. Public investment and incentives are important tools in implementing the downtown plan. Investors will look to the local government for any necessary infrastructure works such as road improvements and parking facilities. Delray Beach retrofitted two municipal parking lots and created two more lots behind existing buildings to encourage its main street redevelopment. The City of Hollywood has invested heavily in improved streetscaping and building improvements as well as offering reduced impact fees, assistance with permitting and flexible noise ordinance. Its Community Redevelopment Agency provides Iow interest loans, grants, free architectural assistance and marketing programs. The City of West Palm Beach bought the land for the CityPlace development by way of a Iow interest loan of approximately $20 million from Florida's Sunshine Loan program and leased it back to the developer for 75 years, with repayment tied to the debt service on the loan. The City is also contributing $53 million (24% of project costs) for parking decks, landscaping, fountains and artwork, lighting and public space improvements. The remainder of the costs, approximately $167 million, is privately financed by the developer. The gathering or meeting place is another important tool to develop and maintain the center's identity. The Bethesda, Maryland center uses a fountain and plaza to accomplish this goal. Madison, Connecticut uses a 1939 post office building. City Place in West Palm Beach uses a 71-year-old church renovated as a concert hall. It is interesting to note particular items that communities have used to contribute to successful town center redevelopment kept appearing in our research. Those items are: 1. A fountain with surrounding open space and meeting areas. 2. Use of different fa(;ade treatments so that each tenant has its own distinct identity. 3. Interesting pedestrian areas with lots of shade trees and benches. 4. Traffic circulation designed for easy access and availability of parking. The town center should be more than a 9-5 destination with the variety of uses supporting a live-work-play concept. In general, downtowns that are not successful do not provide one or more of the essential elements for successful downtown development or the mix of uses did not fit the community. The City of Baltimore is experiencing a critical shortage of parking in its central business area. The proposed services agreement and articles of interest are attached for your information, as follows: Tab 1. Tab 2. Tab 3. Tab 4. Tab 5. Tab 6. Tab 7. Tab 8. Basic Scope of Services proposal by Wallace, Roberts, and Todd for Loehmann's Plaza/Thunder Alley District Redevelopment "Can Small-City Downtowns Remain Viable", APA Journal, Summer 1999 "Hitting the Streets", Urban Land, July 1999 "Mixing It Up", Urban land, April 1999 "Looking for Hometown America", Urban Land, February 1997 "The Vision of a New Downtown ... Uptown", Palm Beach Illustrated, 1997 "Planning for Downtown Housing", American Planning Association PAS Memo, January 1997 "New Businesses Opening at Loehmann's Fashion Plaza" Aventura News, July 28 -August 3, 1999 A preliminary conceptual plan is attached for discussion purposes. A mixed-use town center appears to be ideal for the Loehmann's Plaza/Thunder Alley area. It is centrally located in the City, could be developed with pedestrian-enhanced open space, a gathering place and a variety of uses with parking and transit facilities which are all key to downtown identity and viability. A recent article in the "Aventura News", attached as Tab 8., reported that a new art outlet, a women's discount fashion store and executive offices for a real estate group will be opening in the Loehmann's Plaza this summer. The owner of the plaza may be working towards revitalization plans of its own. At this time we propose that the City Commission move forward on the attached proposal to study the Loehmann's Plaza/Thunder Alley area and develop a conceptual master plan and marketing study for the overall Town Center districts. With this study, the City will have developed an overall concept for the area and will be better prepared to address new development applications that are submitted. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have. /memolsoroka 080599 town center 4 BASIC SCOPE OF SERV*_CES Loehmann's Plaza / Thunder Alley District Redevelopment INTENT The purpose of the CONSULTANT Scope of Services is to provide the CITY with a conceptual master plan and economic feas~flity analyses for pursuing redevelopment of the "Loehmann's Plaza / Thunder Alley" District Area, as identified in the CITY'S comprehensive plato The study will seek to address the issue of redevelopment feasibility due to market and development economic factors. TASK 1. DATA ARRAY The CITY will supply all of the following information in its possession to the CONSULTANT and CITY shall assist in securing such data, as applicable: · Base maps showing property lines, building outlines and rights of way within the proposed redevelopment area · Comprehensive Plan and associated maps and analyses · Aerial photos · Maps, studies and data indicating conditions and deficiencies in infrastructure (water, sewer, stormwater) systems and in traffic circulation and parking. TASK 2. PROJECT INITIATION / STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS Following an initial CONSULTANT/CITY kickoffmeeting to review materials collected by CITY and review study procedure, CONSULTANT shall over a 1-2 day period conduct a sequence of brief interviews with key stakeholders. Stakeholders may include key staff; major business and property owners, institutions, resident groups, development interests or others with an interest in the proposed redevelopment. CITY shall identify such stakeholders, schedule interviews and make available a suitable meeting space. TASK 3. PHYSICAL CONDITIONS OVERVIEW A baseline assessment of market potentials for the redevelopment area will be prepared in several steps to assess the dynamics of supply and demand within the area and potential capture rates for housing, retail, entertainment and office. Mixed-use "urban village" program options will he determined. Specific tasks are delineated as follows: TASK 4. ECONOMIC CONDITIONS & TRENDS SUBCONSULTANTS will define the area from which redevelopment in the Loehmann's Plaza/Thunder Alley District will derive market support. SUBCONSULTANT will then review and analyze secondary source data relating employment, population, household and household income trends within the area and prepare projections of future growth. Based on this analysis, estimates of the future dem~and for possible retail, office and residential development within the district will he formulated. In addition to determining the potential denmnd for redevelopment of retail, office and residential uses in the Loehmann's Plaza/Thunder Alley district, SUBCONSULTANTS will evaluate the competitive environment in which such activity may occur. Toward this end, SUBCONSULTANTS will survey the existing and proposed competitive projects within the area to determine their salient characteristics and market performance in terms of occupancy/abst~,ption and rent/price. SUBCONSULTANTS will also study selected projects outside the defined market area that m~ay he instructive of forms of development possible within the District that have not historically occurred and are not proposed. Once both the supply and demand characteristics of the market have been determined, SUBCONSULTANTS will formulate a redevelopment program for the Loehmann's Plaza/Thunder Alley district responsive to the market potentials identified. The redevelopment program will provide recommendations regarding the mix of uses appropriate. It will also descnq~e the salient characteristics of the proposed uses; i.e. type, size and price of residential units, market orientation/concept of retail uses including general tenant mix, typical floor size of office use, etc. TASK 5: WORKSHOP ONE: PROJECT PARAMETERS The CONSULTANT will present the findings from the physical and market analyses and guide the process of defining project parameters. A review meeting will be held with City staff. TASK 6: ALTERNATIVE CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT AND SELECTION The CONSULTANT will articulate concepts which will pose alternative urban forms and functional patterns appropriate for the redevelopment area addressing the following: land use patterns; urban design concepts related to town center district; housing, office and retail uses and character; commtmity facilities and linkages; and circulation issues. TASK 7: WORKSHOP TWO: CONCEPT SELECTION The alternative concepts for urban form will he presented in a workshop for the purpose of defining preferred concepts and to guide final plan refinements. TASK 6: FINAL REPORT CONSULTANT will prepare a final written and graphic master plan document and provide a photo- ready original and up to ten copies of the report. MEETINGS Up to four (4) meetings / presentations are included in the Basic Scope of Services, as follows: · Project initiation meeting with staff · Workshop One: Project Parameters · Workshop Two: Concept Selection · Final presentation EXCLUSIONS AND LIMITATIONS CONSULTANT services will not include legal or regulatory analysis or development suitabilities or construction or engineering feasibility. CONSULTANT shall not be obligated to revise the analyses or report documentation to reflect events or conditions, which occur subsequent to the date of analysis or documentation. FEE: Fifty one thousand four hundred and sixty three ($51,463). A healthy do~4ntown is an essential ele- ment oP the prosperity of-most non- suburban small cities (25,000 to S0,000 population). Unfortunately, the professional and scholarly litera- ture has £ocused primari¥ on down- town development in large cities. Based on a national survey of S7 small Amer- ican cities and case studies of Auburn, NewYork; Bangor, Maine; Carson City, Nevada; Texarkana, Texas/Arkansas; and Wausau, Wisconsin, this articte ex- plores the key problems confronting small-city downtowns and the revital- ization strategies employed to t~ to overcome them. Significant differences between downtown development in smalt and large cities are presented throughout the artide~ as well as the importance ora sense of place. Roberi~on is professor of community studies at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. He has published widely on downtown development in periodicals such as Town Plonning Review, Urban L~ nd , and Journal of the AmerJ~ , Planning Association. He has also assisted numer- ous small cities with their downtown development efforts Journal of the American Planning Association, Voh 65, No, 3, Summer 1999. ~American Planning Association, Chicago, IL. 270 APA JOURNAL · SUMMER 1999 Can Small-City Downtowns Remain Viable? A National Study of Development Issues and Strate '.gtes Kent A. Robertson Downtowns play a critical role in the health of most freestanding small cities in the United States. The downtown constitutes a sizable share ora city's tax base-often more than any other district in the city-as well as the site for major public investments over the years. Given that most downtowns-a~Fe situated where the city originated and contain many of the oldest and most recognizable buildings, they also embody the heritage ora community. For generations the downtown has served as the traditional gathering place for parades, festivals, celebrations, and other community events. And perhaps most importantly, the very identity of a small city is intertwined with the image projected by irs downtown, to an even greater extent than holds true for a large city. Taken together, these factors clearly demonstrate that the downtown represents the heart and sou[ of most small cities. Despite this importance, most of the professional and scholarly litera- ture on downtown development has neglected small cities. Frieden and Saga- lyn's (1989) widely cited book Downtown, Inc. concentrates on large-scale projects in Seattle, Boston, St. Paul, and San Diego, while Loukaitou-Sideris and Banerjee (1998) profile Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego in their book on downtown design. Almost all the examples provided in Whyte (1988), Abbott (1993), and Robertson (1995) are from large cities, and Brooks and Young (1993) use New Orleans as their case study. The Doww town Development Handbook (McBee, 1992), considered by many to be the bible of downtown development, is heavily dependent on projects in large cities to illustrate key points. Articles addressihg a particular downtown de- velopment strategy such as retailing (Robertson, 1997; Sawicki, 1989), sta- diums (NoI1 & Zimbalist, 1997; Rosentraub, Swindell, Pwzbylski, & Mullins, 1994), pedestrianization (Byers, 1998; Robertson, 1993), and open space CAN SMALL-CITY DOWNTOWNS REMAIN VIABLE? (Loukaitou-Sideris, 1993; Mozingo, 1989) ail emphasize large cities as well. The professional magazine Urban Land has published numerous articles on downtown de- velopment in recent years, most of which feature a single large city (e.g., Holt, 1998; Howland, 1998; Lockwood, 1996). Large-city downtowns have attracted most of the at- tention, but "for every Boston and Pittsburgh there are hundreds of smaller cities and towns pursuing [down- town] regeneration" (Breen & Rigby, 1994, p. 2). The ob- jective of this article is to address this gap by exploring the assets, problems, and development strategies in small-city downtowns and comparing these to down- towns of large cities. For the purposes of this article, a smail city is defined as a freestanding municipality-not a suburb ora larger city-with a population of 25,000 to 50,000. The findings of the artide are based on a nationai survey of 57 cities and in-depth site visits to Auburn, New York; Bangor, Maine; Carson City, Nevada; Texar- kana, Texas/Arkansas; and Wausau, Wisconsin. Literature Review and Methodology The scant literature on smail-city downtowns does include a few noteworthy items. Francaviglia's Main Street Revisited (1996) provides an excellent overview of the origin and evolution of downtown street patterns and architecture and how these relate to today's image of "main street." While much of his discussion is relevant to cities of 25,000 to $0,000 population, the primary em- phasis is on even smaller towns. Kenyon's (1989) study of 21 small cities in Georgia ranging in population from 3,000 to 43,000 demonstrates how the social and com- munity significance of downtowns has exceeded the more traditional commercial function. Finally, the Na- tionai Main Street Center has produced two useful vol- umes (1988; Dane, 1997). The earlier work reports on a national survey of downtown development in which nearly halfthe cities surveyed had less than $0,000 pop- ulation. The latter volume contains four-page profiles of 44 successful downtown development initiatives across the country; 41 of these profiles feature cities with less than $0,000 population, including 12 in the 23,000 to S 0,000 range. The remainder of the professional litera- ture on smail-city downtowns tends to be nonanaiytical and descriptive, and presents development efforts in one downtown (e.g., Means, 1997; Meek, 1995; Ryder & Gray, 1988; Seachord, 1997; Suchman, 1998). The small amount of analytical research on small- city downtowns, tog~her with the widespread employ- ment of downtown development initiatives throughout the United States, motivated this author to initiate a two-part research study. The first phase, conducted in the summer of 1995, consisted of a survey sent to plan- ning departments in 108 cities with 1992 populations between 25,000 and $0,000. All cities were freestanding ones that possessed a traditional downtown, and they were distributed across 46 states. Fifty-seven cities in 34 states completed the survey, for a response rate of 33% (see Table i). The surveys contained questions concern- ing the downtown's greatest strengths and problems, the success of the strategies used, and the overall state of the downtown compared to 1988. In the second phase, $ downtowns from the 57 cities that completed the survey were selected for in-depth site visits. The cities chosen were geographically distributed throughout the country and were representative of the total sample in terms of strengths, problems, and strate- gies. Each city was visited for 3 to 4 days during 1997. The city forwarded information such as comprehensive plans, downtown reports and maps, and newspaper ar- ticles prior to the scheduledvisit. The site visit permitted the author to observe the downtown firsthand; to inter- view a range of public officials and downtown leaders to gain a variety of perspectives on its past, present, and fu- ture; and to conduct land use inventories for comparison purposes. Case Studies Auburn, New York This city of 30,000 people is located 30 miles west of Syracuse in the Finger Lakes region of central New York. Genesee Street serves as the primary axis for this linear downtown. The narrow Owasco River separates the East Hill commercial district from the remainder of down- town. A large suburban-style supermarket is a dominant land use on Genesee Street. Older residentiai neighbor- hoods surround the downtown. Within 30 miles of Auburn are a large outlet mall on Interstate 90 and sev- eral large regional malls in Syracuse. Bangor, Maine Bangor (population 32,000) sits at the confluence of the Penobscot and Kenduskeag Rivers in south central Maine. The narrow Kenduskeag flows through the heart of this nodal downtown and constitutes one of the key nodes. The other principal node is West Market Square (see Figure 1), a centraiiy located open space with excel- lent enclosure. Main Street is the primary commercial thoroughfare, although other streets contain secondary commercial activity. The downtown is encircled by pic- turesque hills. Major retail competition has been gener- ated by the Bangor Mall (opened in 1978) and sur- rounding area located three miles from downtown. APAJOURNAL, SUMMER 1999 271 KENTA. ROBERTSON TABLE 1. Survey city populations, 1992 and 1996 (case studies indicated in bold). City 1992 Pop. 1996 Pop. Auburn, AL 35,245 37,664 Jonesboro, AR 48,221 52,656 Chico, CA 43,814 45,965 San Luis Obispo, CA 41,748 42,433 Grand Junction, CO 34,113 34,540 Middletown, CF 42,440 43,243 Torrington, CT 34,185 34,529 Dover, DE 28,946 30,414 Fort Myers, FL 46,299 45,917 Ocala, FL 43,005 44,975 Panama City, FL 35,248 35,986 Rome, GA 29,906 28,800 Idaho Falls, ID 47,138 48,079 Danville, IL 33,524 32,163 De Kalb, IL 34,990 35,554 Galesburg, IL 33,584 33,162 Clinton, IA 29,197 28,323 Fort Dodge, IA 25,689 24,755 Hutchinson, KS 38,998 39,015 Bowling Green, KY 42,195 44,208 Bangor, ME 32,955 31,649 Lewiston, ME 38,649 36,830 Fredrick, MD 43,020 46,227 Hagerstown, MD 35,424 46,227 Fitchburg, MA 40,446 39,843 Pittsfield, MA 47,562 46,315 Bay City, MI 38,384 36,548 Jackson, MI 37,069 35,899 Port Huron, MI 33,663 32,873 City 1992 Pop. 1996 Pop. Moorhead, MN 32,888 33,343 Saint Cloud, MN 49,614 50,801 Winona MN 25,207 24,788 Biloxi, MS 47,694 48,414 Joplin, MO 41,424 43,698 Missou[a, MT 45,659 51,204 Carson City, NV 42,799 47,237 New Brunswick, NJ 41,484 41,534 Auburn, NY 30,943 29,774 Jamestown, NY 34,328 33,184 Burlington, NC 40,022 40,402 Goldsboro, NC 41,362 40,801 Findlay, OH 36,316 36,900 Lima, OH 44,865 42,913 Corvallis, OR 45,161 47,518 Med£ord, OR 49,095 55,067 McKeesport, PA 25,586 23,343 Wilkes-Barre, PA 46,740 44,407 Kingsport, TN 41,062 41,335 Sherman, TX 31,843 33,155 Texarkana, TX* 32,301 32,462 Bremerton, WA 40,520 41,580 Lo ngview, WA 32,591 33,767 Richland, WA 34,422 37,445 Parkersburg, WV 33,734 32,766 Beloit, WI 35,781 35,836 Wausau, WI 37,331 36,809 Casper, WY 47,689 48,800 Source: United States Census Bureau, 1997. *Texarkana, TX, downtown is shared with Texarkana, AR, which had a population oF22,730 in 1992 and 22,918 in 1996. 272 APAJOURNAL · SUMMER I999 CAN SMALL-CITY DOWNTOX~(rNS REMAIN VIABLE? FIGURE 1. Bangor's West Market Square is an outstanding example ora centrally located open space that is well-enclosed, pedestrian enhanced, and a key to the downtown's identity. Carson City, Nevada Nevada's state capital (population 47,000) is located 20 miles from Lake Tahoe and 30 miles from Reno. The downtown is a linear grid along heavily-trafficked Car- son Street (a state highway). State government domi- nates land use, accounting for frontage on many blocks along Carson Street and numerous ancillary blocks. Sew eral large, popular casinos are also evident. Adjacent to the downtown is an historic neighborhood. A multitude of suburban shopping centers has left the downtown with minimal retail activity. Texarkana, Texas/Arkansas The state line which separates these two cities liter- ally severs the downtown in half. The Texas city contains 32,000 people while3,000 reside on the Arkansas side. Broad Street and State Line Avenue are the principal arteries of this nodal downtown. The downtown pos- sesses a strong government presence that includes two city halls, a large Bi-State Justice Center, and an historic landmark post office; the latter two structures both straddle the border. The Central Mall area, located at the city's edge by the Interstate 30 interchange, attracts mo, st of the region's retail dollars. Wausan, Wisconsin Wausau (population 37,000) is situated in central Wisconsin along the Wisconsin River that flows a few blocks from the heart of downtown. The pedestrianized 3rd Street serves as the central spine for this downtown organized on a linear grid. The dominant land use is the Wausau Center, an eight-block regional mall located at the southern terminus of 3rd Street. Wausau Center is the largest shopping complex in the region. An attrac- tive historic neighborhood lies immediately north of downtown. APAJOUKNAL, SUMMER 1999 273 KENT A. ROBERTSON Downtown Problems Small-city downtowns across the United States have been beset by problems over the past 4 decades. Several interconnected forces have contributed to this decline. The construction of highways and increasing use of the automobile made the centrality of functions offered by the downtown less important. This led to the decentral- ization of many functions that had once been the exclu- sive domain of downtown, including retailing, profes- sional offices (e.g., medical, legal, financial), movie theaters, hotels, and at times even government activities in facilities such as libraries, post offices, and city halls. An increasing number of people could now satisfy their needs without venturing downtown. Some cities began a pattern of disinvestment in downtown in favor ofcom- me. rcial development on the fast-growing periphery. As business and other activities left downtown, it became a less desirable place. A vicious cycle ensued wherein re- maining businesses were forced to close or relocate as the number of downtown visitors declined. The image of downtown as an obsolete place with vacant store- fronts, poorly maintained buildings and sidewalks, and empty streets began to prevail in the minds of many individuals. This set of forces helps to explain the most serious problems confronting contemporary small-city down- towns. Survey respondents were asked to rate the sever- ity of 13 problems drawn from the literature (see Table 2). Difficulty in attracting new development was the most serious problem. Several factors contribute to this. First, most commercial developers, accustomed to sub- urban sites, find downtowns to be unfamiliar territory in terms of site assembly, building design, financing, and parking (Frieden & Sagalyn, 1989). Second, a lack of con- fidence in downtown, resulting from the forces pre- sented above, tends to scare away prospective develop- ment. Finally, the size of most small cities is inadequate to meet the market area requirements of development projects; these projects have been developed more fre- quently in larger-city downtowns with larger downtown workforces, greater market areas, and more comple- mentary downtown attractions. Very few new commer- cial developments were observed in the case study down- towns, although both Auburn and Bangor did contain a new large-scale residential development. The problem receiving the second highest score in- volves difficulty in attracting people downtown on week- ends and evenings. Unlike larger downtowns that often possess an active nightlife, small-city downtowns usu- ally do not include t"~he types of attractions that generate activity beyond traditional weekday business hours. Consequently, downtown is inactive much of the time, TABLE 2. Small-city downtown problems. Downtown Problem Mean Rating 1. Attracting new development 3.74 2. Attracting people downtown evenings/ weekends 3.68 3. Competition from discount stores and/or suburban malls 3.61 4. Vacant/underused retail space 3.S4 S. Parking 3.53 6. Shortage of suitable housing 3.42 7. Image 3.26 8. Vacant/underused office space 3.19 9. Preservation of older buildings 3.09 10. Unattractive building facades 3.00 11. Crime (real or perceived) 2.93 12. Tra~c circulation/congestion 2.90 13. Organization/cooperation of downtown interests 2.77 Rating Scale on Survey n=S7 cities 5 - A major problem, very high priority 4 - A clear problem, medium priority 3 ~ A moderate problem, but not a major priority item 2 - A minor problem I - Not a problem in this downtown which further feeds its negative image. Carson City was the major exception to this rule because of several large casinos attracting people downtown 24 hours a day. Per- forming arts theaters in Texarkana, Bangor, and Wau- san, a movie theater in Wansau, and museums in several of the cities did attract people downtown after hours, but there were few spin-offestablishments (restaurants, taverns, nightclubs, coffeehouses) to create a critical mass of activity in any of these downtowns, including Carson City. Not surprisingly, competition from discount stores and suburban malls outside of downtown was a highly rated problem. Retailing, once a hallmark ofdowntov/ns everywhere, has heavily eroded with the emergence of outlying big-box discounters (Wal-Mart, Kmart, Target, etc.) and regional shopping malls. These can be found on the periphery of the city (e.g., Bangor, Texarkana, Carson City) or in the suburbs of nearby larger cities (Auburn, Carson City). It was typical that the benchmark event in the decline ora small-city downtown was the opening of a regional mall. The mall not only attracted customers who had frequently patronized downtown but also busi- nesses that were previously located downtown. This leads to another major problem: an abundance of vacant or underused retail space. Vacancy rates for street-level space on major commercial streets ranged from 14 to 274- APAJOURNAL, SUMMER 1999 CAN SMALL CITY DOWNTOWNS REMAIN VIABLE? 32% in the case studies. Except for Wausau, department stores have long since deserted all the downtowns. The most severe manifestation ofretaiI vacancies is the prevalence ora "white elephant," a large, strategically located, vacant building which exerts a potent impact on a downtown. The symbolic effect of this large eyesore on a small-city downtown can be overwhelming, as it de- stroys any semblance of vital street life in the immediate area. Due to the smaller scale of the downtown, the im- pact is much greater than a similar vacancy in a larger city. Each of the five downtowns studied contained at least one white elephant. For example, Texarkana pos- sessed three white elephants: the aptly named Grim Hotel that occupies a pivotal downtown block, a second abandoned hotel, and a railroad station. Carson City struggles with two vacant casinos, Auburn with a closed art de~o style theater, and Bangor with a long vacant de- partment store on Main Street. Two problems often cited as major detriments to downtown development in larger cities-traffic circula- tion and crime-ranked near the bottom of this survey. The volume of traffic in smaller cities tends to be sub- stantially less than in their bigger counterparts because major traffic generators (i.e., tall office buildings, hotels, convention centers, stadiums, shopping) are much smaller-or nonexistent-in small-city downtowns. An explanation for the low ranking of crime is the relative homogeneity perceived by people for small-city down- towns compared to larger cities. Milder (1987) found that the higher the likelihood that one's own "type of people" are prevalent, the more safe one will feel down- town. Downtowns of larger cities may also suffer from guilt by association due to the incidence of serious crimes-and their coverage in the media which occur elsewhere in the city. Revitalization Strategies Small cities have implemented a multitude of strate- gies in an attempt to revitalize their downtowns. While many of these strategies mirror those used in large cities, their implementation, use, and success often differ. The national survey of 57 cities asked respondents to evalu- ate the success of 16 downtown redevelopment strate- gies. The following discussion sorts the strategies into four broad categories and draws from the survey results presented in Tables 3-6 and the five case studies. Reinforce Downtown's Sense of Place Characteristics rel__ated to a strong sense of place, such as waterfronts and older architecture, were rated highly among downtown's greatest assets (see Table 3). Downtown's traditional role as a regional center for eco- nomic, government, cultural, and community-related activities supplies the foundation upon which the cur- rent sense of place can be established. The downtown possesses the building blocks to furnish a distinctive and unique setting that offers a refreshing alternative to the anonymity of place-the "nowhere syndrome" described by Kunstler (1993)--characteristic of much of America's built environment. The national trend towards retro- fitting cenrerless suburbs with main streets and town centers demonstrates the importance of a discernible place 0ouzaitis, 1998; Lockwood, 1997). It logically fol- lows, therefore, that cities would take advantage of the heritage, architecture, tradition, and natural setting in- trinsic to downtown to reestablish and enhance the dis- tinctiveness of downtown. Four strategies closely related to a sense of place ranked high in the survey both in terms of utility and level of effectiveness: historic preservation, Main Street approach, pedestrianization improvements, and water- front development. Historic preservation. Virtually ail small-city down- towns possess a stock of older commercial buildings not to be found elsewhere in the city or surrounding region. Renovation of these structures exerts a tremendously positive impact on downtown's sense of place. It is not surprising, therefore, that historic preservation was used in all but seven of the downtowns surveyed, making it TABLE 3. Small-city downtown essets. Number of Cities Listing as One of Top Downtown Strength/Asset Three Assets (n 57) Preservation/Architecture/Heritage 24 Waterfront/Riverfront 13 Da~ime Workforce 1 2 Retail/Service Mix 1 1 Government Center 1 0 Strong Downtown Association 7 Central Location 7 Strong Retail 6 Availability of Land/Buildings 6 Parking 6 University 5 Parks/Open Spaces 4 Civic/Convention Center 4 Main Street Approach 4 Transportation 4 Community Spirit/Commitment 4 Note: Thirty eight other downtown strengths/assets were listed 1 to 3 times on this open-ended survey question. APA JOURNAL · SUMM ER 1999 275 KENTA. ROBERTSON the most popular strategy (see Table 4). In terms o£suc- tess, it ranked 7th out of 16 strategies. To help facilitate preservation activity, Auburn, Bangor, and Carson City provided financial incentives through low-interest, re- volving loan (,ands. In Auburn and Carson City, design guidelines have been established with which recipients of facade loans must comply; the guidelines are voluntary for others. Bangor passed a facade ordinance in the 1980s that applies to all downtown properties. The lack of any type of&sign guidelines or preservation ethic in Texarkana has contributed to a downtown with few pri- vately renovated buildings and a large number of older commercial buildings hidden behind unattractive alu- minum facades. Main Streetapproach. The Main Street approach, es- tablished by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and coordinated by its National Main Street Center, con- stitutes a popular downtown redevelopment strategy for small towns and cities. To be effective, this approach requires a community to commit to a balanced applica- tion of four principles: organization of downtown inter- ests, design that enhances visual qualities and the built environment, promotion and marketing, and economic restructuring and diversification (Dane, 1997). This ap- proach was used in 44 of the 57 cities surveyed, although a much smaller number were officially affiliated with the National Main Street Center. Moreover, the Main Street approach was the most successful strategy in the survey (see Table $). Except for Wausau, the surveys for each TABLE 4. Small-city downtown development strategy utilization. Development Strategy Cities Using Strategy (n=S7) Percentage 1. Historic Preservation S0 2. Nightlife/Entertainment 49 3. Main Street Approach 44 New Off3ce Development 44 I 5. Pedestrianization Improvements 42 Tourism 42 7. Downtown Housing 39 8. Tramc Circulation Changes 37 9. Transit Improvements 32 10. Parking Facilities 20 11. Waterfront Development 18 12. Pedestrian Malls 17 13. Centralized Retail Management 13 14. Convention Cen~er 10 1S. Indoor Shopping Center 9 16. Spo~ts Stadium/Arena 6 87.7 86.0 78.6 78.6 72.2 72.2 68.4 66.1 58.2 37.0 31.6 29.8 22.8 17.9 15.8 11.5 TABLE 5. Small-city downtown development strategy success ratings. Development Strategy Success Rating 1. Main Street Approach 2. New Ofl3ce Development 3. Waterfront Development 4. Convention Center 8. Pedestrlanization Improvements 6. Sports Stadium/Arena 7. Historic Preservation 8. Parking Facilities Tourism 10. Centralized Retail Management 11. Downtown Housing 12. Transit improvements 13. Indoor Shopping Center 14. Tramc Circulation Changes 1 $. Nightlife/Entertainment 16. Pedestrian Mall 3.57 3.52 3.47 3.40 3.36 3.33 3.32 3.20 3.20 3.15 3.03 2.91 2.89 2.81 2.80 2.S3 Success Rating Scale on Survey n=57 cities 5 - Very successful, highly acclaimed impact 4 - Successful, clear positive impact 3 - Modestly successful, impact less than hoped for 2 - Success is debatable, criticized by some 1 - Not successful, heavily criticized case study indicated the use of this approach. While the principles of the Main Street approach were clearly in evidence to varying degrees in Auburn, Bangor, and Tex- arkana, only Carson City has had an actual Main Street program in existence. Carson City Mainstreet, incorpo- rated in 1989 as a private nonprofit organization, helped to organize, promote, and draw attention to downtown; it ultimately merged into the Chamber of Commerce in 1995 where its role has been diminished. Pedestrianization improvements. A sense of place is best experienced on foot. Consequently, cities have en- gaged in efforts to make downtown more pedestrian friendly. Pedestrianization improvements rated high in both use and success. The most common technique for achieving this goal is to implement streetscape improve- ments (e.g., flowers, trees, benches, human-scaled lights, attractive pavement, banners) to soften the downtown environment and encourage people to linger. This was evident in ail five downtowns, most notably Wausau. Third Street, Wausau's major commercial street, was at- tractively landscaped and generously proportioned for pedestrian movement, and included little extra touches such as hanging flower baskets and colorful city banners (see Figure 2). Other less commonly applied techniques included a pedestrian bridge over the Kenduskeag River 276 APAJOUPONAL.SUMMER 1999 CAN SMALL-CITY DOWNTO\X/2qS ILEMAiN ViABLE? an open space on a small island; nearby buildings, both old and new, supply a nice feeling of enclosure. Atten- tion has turned more recently to the larger Penobscot River where a former industrial railroad corridor has been cleared for new development. A microbrewery, o£- rice building, and community park have already been es- tablished, and future development plans are in the works (J. Lord, personal communication, July 22, 1997). To date, Wausau and Auburn have made less effective use of their downtown rivers. Futureplans. When asked which downtown strate- gies would be used during the next 5 years, those associ- ated with a sense of place were cited most often. As can be seen in Table 6, historic preservation and waterfront development ranked first and third, respectively, with pedestrianization improvements and Main Street ap- proach also receiving a respectable number of votes. This provides further evidence that creating a strong sense of place is considered a key to the future of small-city downtowns. Large Activity Generators Downtosvn development initiatives in large cities are frequently spearheaded by large-scale projects, usually with heavy public expenditures, intended to generate high volumes of visitors. Such projects include conven- tion centers, sports stadiums/arenas, indoor shopping FIGURE 2. This block on 3rd Street in Wausau contains numerous amenities (benches, hanging flowers, brick paving, streetlights, outdoor caf& seating) which help make it very pedestrian friendly. in Bangor and a nicely designed pedestrian alley in Car- son City that parallels the heavily trafficked and pedes- trian-unfriendly Carson Street. Waterfront development. The presence ora waterway heightens one's sense of place (Breen & Rigby, 1994). A high percentage of small-city downtowns originally were established due to a waterway, and even though its eco- nomic function most likely has long diminished, down- towns have seized the opportunity to take advantage of this natural amenity that is rarely found in suburban or highway commercial areas. Despite being used in only 32% of survey cities, waterfront developments were rated very successful. Bang_or has been the most ambitious in terms of waterfront development. The narrow Kendus- keag River has been developed to provide continuous public access via a linear park, a pedestrian bridge, and TABLE 6. Small-city downtown fiJture development strategy plans. Development Strategy Cities Planning to Implement in Next 5 Years* (n-57) 1. Historic Preservation 24 2. Downtown Housing 23 3. Waterfront Development 19 Nightlife/Entertainment 19 5. New Office Development 17 6. Pedestrianization Improvements 13 7. Tourism 1 1 Traffic Circulation Changes 11 9. Main Street Approach 10 Parking Facilities 10 Convention Center 10 1 2. Centralized Retail Management 6 1 3. Transit Improvements 5 14. Indoor Shopping Center 2 Sports Stadium/Arena 2 16. Pedestrian Mall 1 *Survey administered in 1995. APA JOURNAL · SUMMER 1999 277 KENT A. ROBERTSON mails, and skyscraper office buildings. For example, Brown and Laumer (1995) demonstrated how a stadium and convention center served as the centerpiece for the revitalization of downtown Cleveland and Dallas, while Miller (1998) presented the central role played by a new stadium/arena in the redevelopment of downtown Indi- anapolis, Louisville, and Washington, DC. Some small cities, cognizant of these success stories, have attempted to build smaller-scale versions of these activity genera- tors. Nonetheless, the cost, size, and questionable ap- propriateness of these projects in smaller downtowns have resulted in relatively low utilization rates. Table 4 illustrates that stadiums (11.5%), indoor shopping cen- ters (15.8%), and convention centers (17.9%) were the three least used strategies in the 57 survey cities. Despite their infrequent use, the handful of cities which have em- ployed convention centers and stadiums reported a high level of success (see Table 5). Unlike the other large activity generators, new office development ranked at or near the top of the survey in both utilization and success. One explanation for this is that many small-city downtown economies have shifted from a retail base to a service base, thereby requiring more office space. The need and demand are much more evident than, for example, for a sports stadium. Fur- thermore, the size of new office space makes it easier to implement as infill development compared to the much larger space demands (multiple blocks) of the other large activity generators. Finally, while some public invest- ment is involved with office development, it is dwarfed by the huge public expenditures required for stadiums, convention centers, and indoor shopping centers. The five case studies reflected these survey results to some extent. None of the downtowns possessed a sports facility, nor were any under consideration. No conven- tion centers were present either, although a referendum to approve public funding for a facility on the Wausau downtown riverfront was rejected by voters in 1997. Both Bangor and Wausau contained relatively new Grade A office buildings with banks being the host ten- ants which were constructed in the 1980s, while reha- bilitated older, large office buildings were found in Au- burn and Texarkana; of note, no examples of new private office buildings from the 1990s were uncovered. The Wausau Center demonstrates how a large activ- ity generator can work to stimulate downtown activity. This 467,000-square-foot indoor shopping mall was erected in 1983 and occupies eight downtown blocks. In- side are 3 department stores (Sears, Younkers, and Pen- neys), more than~_60 specialty shops (primarily national/ regional chains), and a food court with 7 fast food out- lets. The Wausau Center is the primary regional mall for a market area of 300,000 people (Wausau Center Annual Report, 1996). An exemplary feature of this facility is its clear interface with the 3rd Street pedestrian mall out- side. The front entrance of Wausau Center opens directly onto the pedestrian mall, thereby enabling a high level of spillover. The downtown is dearly visible from inside the mall. Many 3rd Street merchants benefit directly from Wausau Center visitors (M. A. Craig, personal commu- nication, August 20, 1997;J. Janikowski, personal com- munication, August 19, 1997). The integrative design of this indoor mai1 prevents the fortress effect syndrome (blank walls, poorly linked to the rest of downtown) characteristic of so many large activity generators (Lorch & Smith, 1993; Whyte, 1988). Supplemental Downtown Functions Few places can rival downtown's intrinsic asset of possessing a wide range of functions within a compact area. Therefore, many small cities are working towards adding new functions (or expanding underdeveloped ones) to the conventional retail, service, and government mix. Many small-city downtowns find their streets void of human activity after 5 p.m. and on weekends. By at- tracting people to live downtown or to visit for enter- tainment and tourist activities, the potential for in- creasing the volume, distribution, and diversity of downtown visitors is greatly enhanced, especially at times other than 9 to 5 on weekdays. Attracting more en- tertainment and nightlife was employed in 49 of the 87 survey cities, making it the second most widely used downtown development strategy. Moreover, downtown housing (39 cities) and tourism (42 cities) were each ap- plied in more than 70% of the surveys (see Table 4). The success of these three strategies, however, is in doubt given that all placed in the bottom halfofthe 16 strate- gies evaluated (see Table 5). Downtown housing. Cities large and small have wit- nessed an increase in the number ofpeople living down- town during the 1990s. Increasing the downtown resi- dential base adds to the market for many down~own shops, services, and restaurants, and serves to increase activity levels during evenings and weekends. Downtown housing can be marketed to young professionals who work downtown, especially singles or childless couples, empty nesters, seniors, and/or those in need of afford- able housing (Knack, 1998). Adding housing to the downtown ranked second in the list of future strategies (see Table 6). Three of the case study cities have added downtown housing options during the 1990s, which in- clude conversion of 2nd and 3rd stories of retail build- ings into apartments (Bangor, Wansau), senior housing (Auburn, Bangor), conversion ora hotel into market rate housing (Wausau), and student housing (Auburn). In 278 APA JOURNAL · SUMMER 1999 CAN SMALL CITY DOWNTO~/NS REMAIN VIABLE? addition, adjacent to each downtown except Texarkana are several older, stable, middle-class, single-family neighborhoods where some downtown workers reside. Tourism. Many small cities have targeted tourists to broaden the mix of downtown users who will take ad- vantage of the assets and attractions found downtown (see Table 3). One potential drawback to this strategy, as experienced in Bozeman, Montana, is that local residents may increasingly feel detached from downtown as mer- chants and events focus on attracting tourists (Snepenger, Reiman,Johnson, & Snepenger, 1998); this level of community detachment was not yet evident in any of the five case studies. Tourism is, however, a weI1- established attraction in downtown Carson City due to the presence of the state capitol, the Nevada State Mu- seum (the former U.S. Mint), and the casinos. To aug- ment these attractions, the Kit Carson Trail has been cre- ated to guide tourists past downtown buildings and historic houses in the adjacent neighborhood. Estimated visitors to the State Muesum and Kit Carson Trail were 80,000 and 15,000, respectively, in 1996 (M. Walker, per- sonal communication, June 3, 1997). Texarkana (state- straddling historic Post Office) and Auburn (William Seward House, Harriet Tubman Park) each possess tourist attractions on the fringe of downtown but face challenges in luring visitors into the core area. Local mu- seums (such as county historical societies) are located in several of these downtowns but these lack the drawing power of a larger facility such as Carson City's Nevada State Museum. Entertainment/nightlife. Entertainment and night- life was not a strong suit of any of these downtowns. Even though Carson City has several popular casinos, Wausau has a movie theater, and Texarkana and Wausau have handsomely restored performing arts theaters, none have generated the ancillary establishments such as taverns, evening restaurants, and nightclubs needed to create an active nightlife. Transportation Improvements Most cities understand that issues related to acces- sibility and parking play a major role in determining the viability of the downtown. Therefore, it was somewhat surprising that transportation-related strategies such as parking facilities, traffic circulation changes, transit im- provements, and pedestrian malls did not rank very high compared to other revitalization strategies. As can be ob- served in Tables 4-6, these four strategies hovered be- tween the middle and__bottom of downtown strategies in terms o£use, success, and plans for future use. It strongly appears as though transportation is viewed as a comple- mentary strategy that augments the more high-profile strategies associated with preservation, new develop- ment, or a new downtown function. Transportation dearly served a complementary role in the five case studies. Bangor and Auburn constructed municipal parking facilities during the 1980s that con- tain many unused spaces during weekdays. A private facility in Texarkana closed altogether due to lack of de- mand. It is common in small-city downtowns for park- ing problems to be based more on perception than real- ity. Wausau was looking to include a municipal parking facility as a part of its convention center package, which was defeated by public referendum in 1997. Due to its casinos and state government offices, Carson City does have a parking problem; the issue is contentious, as some historic buildings may be lost or moved to furnish addi- tional parking (Du Fresne, 1997). Wausau and Auburn have city bus systems that serve their downtowns. How- ever, there was little correlation between transit and downtown development efforts in either city. Of note, Texarkana is in the process of securing federal funding to establish a municipal bus system which would use the abandoned downtown railroad station as its hub (S. Har- ris, personal communication, June 25, 1997). In terms of traffic circulation, city officials from Texarkana (TX) stated that the conversion of many streets to one-way thoroughfares in the 1970s has made it much easier to negotiate downtown streets. The major problem con- fronting Carson City is the very heavy traffic volume on Carson Street (see Figure 3). A downtown bypass for State Highway 395 (Carson Street) will reduce the daily downtown traffic volume from 35,000 to a projected 25,000 vehicles during the first decade of the 21st cen- tury (Carson City, 1992). Pedestrian malls are fast becoming dinosaurs in the vocabulary of downtown development. Popular tools in the 1960s and 1970s, few new pedestrian malls have been built in the last 20 years, and many have been converted back to streets with vehicular traffic (Houstoun, 1990; Robertson, 1993). These malls ranked 16th out of 16 strategies in both current success and plans for future use during the next 5 years. The 3rd Street Mall in Wausau (see Figure 4) is the exception to this national trend. Implemented along with the Wausau Center in 1982, this pedestrian way succeeds because it is well-in- tegrated with the indoor shopping center. Customers easily move back and forth between the indoor and out- door environments, to the benefit of downtown Wausan. Auburn contains two separate pedestrian malls, highly unusual in the United States. Both the Exchange Street Mall and the State Street Mail are one block long and terminate into Genesee Street, the primary downtown thoroughfare. The former is acknowledged as a sterile design disaster, while the latter, nicely landscaped, lined APAJOURNAL- SUMMER 1999 279 KENTA. ROBERTSON FIGURE 3. Carson Street carries 35,000 vehicles through downtown Carson City each day~ rendering it most unfriendly to pedestrians. The city erected wrought-iron fences along the street for safety and aesthetics. by historic buildings, and possessing a few thriving en- terprises, has potential for contributing to downtown Auburn's future. Concluding Remarks In many ways, the principles for effective downtown development are similar in both large and small cities. Seven guidelines for successful downtown revitalization which appeared in the Journal of tbe American Planning Association (Roberrson, 1995, p. 436) arguably are impor- tant to cities of'any size: · Maintain high density levels · Emphasize hjgtoric preservation · Maintain/develop true civic public places · Do not "suburbanize" the downtown · Develop and enforce strict design controls · Do not underestimate the importance of street- level activity · Plan for a multifunctional downtown The majority of these guidelines are closely associ- ated with a downtown's ability to project a strong sense of place, the most frequently cited constellation of rede- velopment strategies (e.g., historic preservation, Main Street approach, pedestrianization, tourism) from the survey of small-city downtowns. While a heightened sense of place is a critical com- ponent of do~vntowns of all sizes, it takes on different nuances in small-city downtowns for several reasons. First, a sense of place is usually given higher priority in a small city because there is much less emphasis on the large-scale signature projects that tend to dominate large-city downtowns; a large project, depending on the design, can do more damage than good for a down- 280 APA JOURNAL · SUMMER I999 CAN SMALL-CITY DOWNTO~VNS REMAIN VIABLE? FIGURE 4. The 3rd Street pedestrian mall has remained a healthy component of downtown Wausau--unlike many in the nation--primarily because it is nicely integrated with an indoor shopping center (entrance located where photographer is standing). town's sense of place (Loukaitou-Sideris & Banerjee, 1998). The focus on creating an attractive, human-scale, pedestrian friendly downtown that is distinchve and rep- resents the heritage of the city/region is of the utmost importance to a small city. The fact that smaLl-city down- towns occupy a more compact space with shorter build- ings helps to create a downtown that is more human scaled, an asset to a strong sense of place. Second, a sense of place manifests itself differently in large cities due to their sheer size. This size dictates that the downtown be divided into districts, each with its own function, character, and sense of place (e.g., river- front, entertainment district, financial district, ware- house district, civic ce. Enter). In Minneapolis, for instance, the planning department has divided the downtown into six clearly delineated districts (Diaz, 1996). Large downtowns are best characterized as possessing multiple distinct places, whereas a small-city downtown more commonly sthves to establish one, more unified, sense of place. Third, the timing of downtown decline also relates to differences in sense of place between large and small cities. In large cities, the exodus of downtown activities often was triggered by the opening of the first suburban malls in the late 1950s and 1960s (Gillette, 1985). Cities then applied urban renewal funds, abundant during this time period, to clear away many downtown buildings and make room for new development projects (Abbott, 1993). Suburban malls were built first on the outskirts of larger cities due to the greater market base. They came to smaller cities in the 1970s and 1980s after the large-city markets had been saturated. Urban renewal funds had ali but evaporated by this time, so substantially less clear- ance occurred. Consequently, the majority of small cities APAJOURNAL. SUMMER 1999 281 KENTA. ROBERTSON did not tear down their Iongstanding building stock, en- abling them to use these as a foundation for the reestab- lishment of their heritage and sense of place. Auburn is a notable exception to this rule. It used urban renewal funds and state highway funds to destroy several hun- dred downtown buildings in the late 1960s and early 1970s, leax4ng an abundance of surface parking lots and suburban land uses to the north of Genesee Street (City of Auburn, 199 I). Finally, smaller cities have also retained more of their older building stock because they have not experienced the intense development pressures found in large cities. The demand for land for new development generally leads to the demolition of older buildings. With much smaller demand for new development over the years, far fewer buildings have been victims of the wrecking ball in s.mall cities (Kenyon, 1989). Consequently, small-city downtowns now have the advantage of being able to use this abundance of historic buildings as a key element for heightening a sense of place within the region. To conclude, the answer to the question posed in the article's title is a resounding "Yes." Of the 57 cities in- cluded in the national survey, 39 (68.4%) indicated that their downtown was more vital in 1995 than in 1985, while only 10 (17.6%) reported less vitality. Integrating the survey results-especially the problems identified by the 10 downtowns with declining vitality-with the case studies reveals several key policy implications: · Building a strongpublic/?rivate partnership is critical. Successful downtown development combines a city government dedicated to downtown improve- ments with an active downtown association. In the survey, 8 of the 10 downtowns with declining vitality levels reported that organization/coopera- tion of downtown interests was an issue. More- over, lack of organization scored a much higher mean for these 10 downtowns, which ranked organization as a far more serious problem than the total sample (mean 3.50 compared to 2.77 in Table 2). Both Auburn and Bangor possessed excellent public/private collaboration through strong reciprocal reiationships between their respective community development departments and downtown organizations. · Multifunctional downtowns are the healthiest. The essence of a vital downtown is one that contains high levels of human activity. Downtowns that include the widest variety of functions and activi- ties will attra__ct the greatest volume and range of users at different times of the day and week. For example, 9 of the 10 survey cities with declining vitality indicated that attracting people downtown on evenings/weekends was a major problem, thereby suggesting that housing, entertainment, cultural attractions, and/or shopping opportuni- ties most likely were lacking. · Successful downtowns build on their assets. Small-city downtowns possess many intrinsic assets (see Table 3) which set them apart from other places. A sensible downtown development plan uses these existing strengths as a foundation and strategizes on how best to enhance and expand these assets. A visioning process is often used to identify the strengths and the range of opportunities that could be implemented to make the downtown even stronger. · The establishment ora distinctive sense ofplace is essential. Downtowns projecting a negative sense of place face mounting difficulties. All 10 cities with declining downtowns noted that their image was a serious issue (mean of 4.50 compared to 3.26 for the total sample in Table 2), while 7 reported a problem with unattractive facades or preservation of older buildings. Downtown's greatest competi- tive asset is the ability to provide an alternative to the genetic suburban environment, a distinctive and identifiable sense of place that reflects the community's heritage and is attractive, pedestrian friendly, and unique. Small cities nationwide are increasingly coming to the realization that the establishment of a distinctive downtown with multiple functions, a strong pubhc/pri- vate partnership, and a discernable sense of place can make them most competitive as we approach the new millennium. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am deeply indebted to a key contact person in each city who sent materials in advance of the visit, helped to arrange inter- views, and spent a considerable amount of time with mvdur- lng the visit. These key contacts were Susan Marteney, Auburn Downtown Parmership;John Lord, Bangor Planning Division; Robert Joiner, Carson City Department of Community Devel- opment; Richard Weber, Building Opportunities for a New Downtown (Texarkana); and Joseph Pribanich, Wausau Plan- ning Department. In addition, the following individuals gra- ciously agreed to be interviewed during the 1997 site visits. 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Journal of the American Planning Association, 55, 347-361. Seachord, D. (1997). Bringing investment back down- town: A case study of Puyallop, Washington. Small Town, 28(25, 22-29. Snepenger, D.J., Reiman, S.,Johnson, J., & Snepenger, M. (1998). Is downtown mainly for tourists?Journal of TraveIRe- search, 36, 5 12. Suchman, D. (1998). Rebuilding downtown Grand Forks. Urban Land~ 57(2), 80 83, 94. United States Census Bureau. (1997). 1990to 1996citiesand places population estimates. Available www.census.gov/popula- tion/www/estimates/cityplace.h t ml Wausau Center. (1996). Annual report. Wausau, WI: Author. Whyte, W. H. (1988). City: Rediscovering the center. New York: Anchor. APA JOURNAL · SUMMER 1999 283 Utilities - Urban Land - Current Issue http://www.uli.org/Pub/Pages/zutilities/Z UrL4 CuFe.htm tfittin8 the Streets by Terry J. Lassar Multiblock developments are being assembled to create full-scale, mixed-use main street retail districts. Retailers are taking to the streets. National chains, which traditionally sought space in regional malls, are setting up shop in a place they deserted long ago--main street. National fashion chains, such as the Gap and Banana Republic, led the charge back to downtown. Some retailers such as Urban Outfitters, Talbots, and Starbucks prefer urban and main street locations. More than 60 percent of Talbots stores are in off-mall venues and nearly 70 percent of Starbucks coffeehouses are in urban locations. Retailers say they like the distinct identity they get with an individualized main street storefront or building. They're also attracted by the lower rents in many off-mall locations, not to mention the absence of extra charges for maintenance, security, and other shared services. In addition, the lackluster performance in all but the strongest regional centers has prompted many of them to seek alternative selling venues. "A main reason people are tired of suburban malls is the numbing sameness," says Carl Steidtmann, director and chief retail economist for PricewaterhouseCoopers based in New York City. People welcome the diversity of main streets, where they go not only to shop, but to bump into neighbors and meet friends for lunch. For this reason, online retailing--one of the fastest-growing alternative retail venues--complements, rather than competes with, street retail for it does not provide the connections with community and opportunities for social interaction that draw people to main streets. Back to the Cities Movement Some experts claim that retailers are driving the urban retail trend. Others say retailers are following it and are bringing their merchandise closer to their customers. Many cities are experiencing a revival of intown housing, fueled by empty-nester baby boomers and single households. "We're seeing older households moving to the city to be closer to work as well as to cultural and entertainment activities," says Steidtmann. A survey last fall of 21 cities nationwide conducted jointly by the Brookings Institution Center for Urban and Metropolitan Policy and the Fannie Mae Foundation found that nearly all of them expected significant increases in their downtown residential populations by 2010. (See October 1998 Urban Land, page 41 .) Former nine-to-five downtowns such as Chattanooga, Denver, and San Diego have become models of the 24-hour downtown. And many cities are seeing Class C office buildings being converted to loft living units and grocery stores being built in town, "something no one would have forecast even five years I of 7 8/4/99 1:52 PM Jtilities - Urban Land - Current Issue http://www,uli.org/Pub/Pages/z_utilities/Z UrL4 CuFe.htm ago," adds Christopher Leinberger, managing director of Robert Charles Lesser & Co., an international real estate consulting firm based in Los Angeles. "Because the over-50 householders moving back to cities tend to be affluent," says Steidtmann, "much of the inner-city redevelopment will be upscale." Attracted by the purchasing power of these baby-boomers, higher-end retailers are following them downtown. Also reviving the interest in urban living and main street shopping is a growing dissatisfaction with long commutes and the anonymity of suburban sprawl landscapes. Anesthetized by monotonous strip centers and look-a-like, cul-de-sac neighborhoods, Americans are longing for community and for places in which they can mingle easily with other people. In a 1998 Los Angeles Times survey of homeowners in southern California's Orange County, three out of four respondents reported that a walking community where people stroll to restaurants, shops, parks, and public destinations was a top priority. Retailers, such as Starbucks, are taking notice. Starbucks, which likes to describe itself as "the creator of America's new front porch," where people come to connect with neighbors and discuss the morning headlines over a tall skim latte, also recognizes the role of the shopping street in shaping a community's civic life. "We specifically target main streets and urban locations because they're usually pedestrian-oriented places, where the shopping street is the core of the community," says Arthur Rubinfeld, Starbucks vice president of store development in Seattle. One developer riding the main street wave is Federal Realty, a Rockville, Maryland-based real estate investment trust (REIT) that has become a significant downtown landlord. The company formed the first-of-its-kind Main Street Inc. subsidiary in 1994 and has been acquiring select buildings on numerous shopping streets in urban and suburban downtowns. "Main street retail, which represents 75 percent of our current projects, is our "drive-train," explains Federars president and CEO Steven Guttman. The company, which targets densely populated, affluent neighborhoods, purchased plum properties in strategic urban markets such as Westport, Connecticut; Bethesda, Maryland; Portland, Oregon; and San Diego, California. Federars strategy--to create a critical mass by acquiring several buildings on a shopping street, then redeveloping and merchandising them--although profitable, was conferring greater benefits to neighboring property owners. Oftentimes, Federal's initial investment, which invigorated the street, attracted better tenants, and pushed up property values, ultimately made it much costlier for Federal to acquire additional properties. "We found that our developments were effectively closing us out of the market in terms of our ability to buy property, add value, and reap the benefits of the process," notes Howard Biel, Federal's senior vice president for development. "So we decided that more was better," says Biel. Federal -; of 7 8/4/99 1:52 PM Jtilities - Urban Land - Current Issue http://www.uli.org/Pub/Pages/z utilities/Z UrL4 CuFe.htm revamped its strategy and began assembling much larger multiblock developments to create full-scale, mixed-use main street districts through redevelopment or ground-up development. "Federal's approach is unique," observes Howard Lester, chairman and CEO of Williams-Sonoma, based in San Francisco, and is meeting an important need in the retail industry. "Downtown buildings," he continues, "usually are owned by many different entities, and main streets typically are developed by retailers, not developers. So we never knew who would move in next to us or how quickly the street would develop. We don't have these uncertainties in Federal developments." A third of Williams-Sonoma stores are on main streets. Lester also points out the importance of timing. "A great advantage of working with Federal is that you know they're creating enough critical mass so you needn't worry about coming in too early. Without Federal, the street would develop much more slowly." A Heart for Bethesda Federal's first main street district development--Bethesda Row--is located in downtown Bethesda, Maryland, outside Washington, D.C. The site, bounded by Bethesda and Woodmont avenues, Elm Street, and Arlington Road, is two blocks from the Bethesda Metro stop on the red line, the system's busiest. The phased redevelopment encompasses five contiguous city blocks and will contain some 512,500 square feet of retail and office space at buildout. Phase I, completed in 1997, consists of a 37,000-square-foot Barnes & Noble bookstore and 11,000 square feet of specialty shops on Woodmont Avenue and the north side of Bethesda Avenue. Phase II, completed last year, involved the renovation of 33,000 square feet of storefronts and streetscape improvements on the south side of Bethesda Avenue. Phase III, featuring 45,000 square feet of office space on two floors above main street shops on Elm Street, will open this fall. Phase IV, which breaks ground this fall, includes a subterranean arts cinema with ground-floor retail and offices on the upper three floors. The phased redevelopment program enabled Federal to generate revenue from the existing commercial and retail tenants. A major attraction of the property was that it could be easily assembled. Unlike most urban streets with multiple property owners, the 12-acre site was controlled mostly by one individual. The area's enviable demographics were a developers' dream come true. Residents in a three-mile ring around central Bethesda have an average household income that exceeds $110,000, and nearly 70 percent have a bachelor's or higher degree. Another strong lure was the 950-space public parking garage embedded in the center of the development. Built in the early 1990s, the garage made the development economically feasible, according to Federal. Montgomery County, which is known for its proactive land use controls to stem sprawl and concentrate growth in urban corridors, built some half dozen public garages in downtown Bethesda to facilitate the city's metamorphosis from a sleepy bedroom suburb to a lively, mixed-use urban center. The parking garages were essential to 3 of 7 8/4/99 1:52 PM Jtilities- Urban Land- Current Issue http://www.uli.org/Pub/Pages/z utilities/Z UrL4 CuFe.htm developing a strong pedestrian-oriented retail core, where drivers could deposit their cars, then take to the sidewalks for shopping and dining. Federal's proposal to develop a lively neighborhood shopping district furthered the county's long-range aspirations for the site. For more than two decades, county planners had been steering high-rise office development to the vicinity next to the Metro station, thus preserving many of the area's smaller-scale buildings for service retailers. The Bethesda sector plans called for transforming Bethesda Avenue from a standard, suburban thoroughfare for automobiles into a bustling main street with attractive, street-hugging development, wide sidewalks, outdoor cafbs, and neighborhood-serving stores. The Bethesda Row redevelopment also was large enough in scale to reshape a significant part of the city and provide a new town square for Bethesda residents. "Bethesda Row, with its popular outdoor cafes and attractive pedestrian environment, has put people on the sidewalks day and night and created a heart for the downtown," says Gall Nachman, spokesperson for the Montgomery County Executive's office. "The development's mix of specialty shops and successful restaurants forms a critical mass that has strengthened the area's retail market and drawn other high-quality tenants," Nachman adds. "Bethesda has become the uptown downtown." To make Bethesda Row feel like an authentic neighborhood, Federal Realty created a network of public gathering places--third places---outside the home and workplaco where persons of all ages come to meet and greet, stroll and shop, dally and dine. In contrast to many urban entertainment district developments that feature large multiplex cinemas and themed or lifestyle restaurants, like Planet Hollywood and the Hard Rock Cafe, "the main focal points of our districts," says Guttman, "are the streets themselves, where the primary entertainment is people watching." The developers knew that the best magnate for retailers is to have people milling about. A main community-gathering spot is the corner fountain and plaza outside the Barnes & Noble store. Located across the street from popular Capital Crescent Trail, which runs from Georgetown to Silver Spring, Maryland, the plaza is a welcome rest spot for hikers and bikers and has become a favorite destination for Bethesda residents. The streets, or more specifically, the public walking areas between the streets and shops, also were designed as people-gathering spaces. Architect Richard Heapes of Cooper Carry & Associates in Alexandria, Virginia--whose mixed-use design for Boca Raton's Mizner Park shopping center made him something of a main street guru--worked with Federal to create an outdoor cafb zone along Bethesda and Woodmont avenues. Instead of the usual practice of placing outdoor dining areas next to their respective restaurants--thus forcing pedestrians to walk close to the curb--Heapes pulled the sidewalks in next to the restaurants and stores and pushed the cafbs to the curb. Such 1 of 7 8/4/99 1:52 PM Utilities - Urban Land - Current Issue http://www.uli.org/Pub/Pages/zutilities/Z UrL4 CuFe.htm an arrangement puts pedestrians right where tenants want them~irectly in front of their shops and restaurants. It also makes it more interesting for pedestrians, who can peer in the store windows or look in the opposite direction at people dining in the outdoor caf6s. How do you create a main street environment that feels neighborly? "Although we bring in strong nationals," says Guttman, "we don't want to overpower the existing urban fabric and destroy the special neighborhood flavor that local retailers and restaurants bring to a place. Too many streets have gone national and you end up with a regional mall without walls." Federars key strategy, both in terms of tenant selection and main street design, is diversity. "It's essential that we offer a variety of reasons for people to spend time at our main street developments," explains Nathan Fishkin, who directs Federal's street retail merchandising program. At Bethesda Row, where local and regional specialty tenants outnumber nationals, shoppers can accomplish most of their errands in one shopping trip. The main street district offers an assortment of neighborhood services--grocery store, dry cleaners, hair cuttery, bagel and coffee shops, bakery, bookstores--plus a selection of women's fashion boutiques and specialty arts shops. To extend the life of the street, Federal brought in a 24-hour Kinko's and strategically located the large-format store on the upper level, thus saving room on the street for shops that offer more visual interest. Two years ago, Veena Singh moved her store Sansar, which features home accessories and American contemporary crafts, from upper northwest Washington to Bethesda Avenue. Being on a street with neighborhood services that assure multiple visits has expanded her customer base. In her previous location, she was mainly a destination retailer. Now, she caters to both destination and neighborhood customers. Her sales per square foot have increased, which she attributes largely to her highly visible location on one of the liveliest streets in the neighborhood. Singh welcomed the freedom she was given to design her own storefront. In contrast to many shopping centers, where uniform signage, matching canopies, and homogenous facades are de rigueur, Federal Realty encouraged each store to express its own personality and tenants to pursue bold storefront designs. Singh committed much of her design budget to the exterior of her store, which features a Mondrian-like grid of glass panels with a free-form pattern etched on several panels. As Singh sells glass sculptures by the same artist who designed the outside panels, the storefront has become an advertisement for the art she features in her store. Some of the national tenants at Bethesda Row, which had had street stores in other urban locations, such as Aveda and CP Shades, were accustomed to designing smart storefronts to catch the attention of pedestrians. Aveda's entryway, for example, which resembles a prow of a wooden ship, functions 5 of 7 8/4/99 1:52 PM Utilities - Urban Land - Current Issue hitp://www.uli.org/Pub/Pages/z utilities/Z UrL4 CuFe.htm as a billboard for the store. On the other hand, tenants that were used to operating in automobile-oriented strip centers where they had relied heavily on signs to draw customers have been less inclined to design innovative storefronts. For this reason, Federars Nathan Fishkin advises developers of main street projects to invest considerable time from the start in working with tenants on d:~sign. Before Federal Realty acquired the site, Bethesda Avenue comprised mainly one- and two-story commercial buildings, dating from the 1950s and 1960s. The developers wanted Bethesda Row to look eclectic, as if it had grown randomly over time, instead of looking like a planned redevelopment project designed by one hand. To achieve this effect, they employed three different local architecture teams to collaborate with their main architecture firm, Cooper Carry & Associates, on the base buildings for the south side of the avenue. "We used a variety of architectural styles and building materials to create this idiosyncratic sense that the street grew organically," says Heapes. "We tried to make these main street districts look spontaneous, as if they had been here forever and were not designed," he observes. "When we finish, we want to be able to sneak out of town without leaving a trace." Main street environments that feature community gathering places and a diversity of shops and architectural styles and that do not look overly designed help create a sense of place. However, now that main streets have gone mainstream, there is concern that they will develop a cookie-cutter sameness. Shopping center developers are famous for their formulaic approaches to tenant mix, parking ratios, and storefront design. But "main street retail is not a science," emphasizes Federars Guttman. "That's one reason it's so hard to do." One-of-a-kind development, which is more complicated and takes longer than more conventional retail centers, is expensive. As a result, many main street projects involve hefty contributions from the public sector, either in acquiring the land, building structured parking, or funding infrastructure improvements. In this regard, Bethesda Row, which had no public subsidy, is unusual. However, Montgomery County already had built the municipal garage in the center of the development, which ultimately translated into higher land costs for Federal when it purchased the property. Public/Private Partnering Federal's more recent development strategy has been to form public/private partnerships with host cities that want to attract mixed-use main street developments. The company is working with public jurisdictions in Virginia, California, Texas, and Georgia, which will pay for costly infrastructure improvements to facilitate large redevelopments. In San Antonio, for example, the city is exploring ways to finance construction of a parking garage and help pay for streetscape improvements to Houston Street, where Federal acquired a dozen historic buildings. Houston Street had once been the city's commercial and retail hub before the nearby River Walk was developed, speeding the demise of many downtown businesses. Federal is working with the city to 6 of 7 8/4/99 1:52 PM Utilities - Urban Land - Culrent Issue http://www.uli.org/Pub/Pages/zutilities/Z_UrL4 CuFe,htm link Houston Street with the River Walk and redevelop the area into a shopping and dining district, complemented by upscale residential and hotel components. The company also is partnering with residential developers to create mixed-use main streets around the country. Last year, it formed a strategic alliance with Post Properties, an Atlanta-based REIT that develops luxury apartments. "Residential benefits main streets," points out Ron Kaplan, Federal's senior vice president and chief investment officer, "for it brings the market directly on top of our offering. Because of the tremendous synergy between main street retail and urban-style residential neighborhoods, most of our recent larger developments include a residential component." Federal and Post are part of a team selected to redevelop a 47-acre tract adjacent to Atlanta's Lindbergh MARTA rapid transit station into a transit village with office, lodging, retail, and residential components. Federal also involved Post, along with for-sale residential developer KSI Services Inc. of Vienna, to develop a new mixed-use main street Pentagon Row next to the Fashion Centre mall at Pentagon City in Arlington, Virginia. In an industry where the rule of thumb is to renovate every ten years or so, main street developments do not require frequent costly facelifts. Some of the country's best main streets--for example, Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri; and Westwood Village, in Los Angeles--look much the same as when they were first built. Seventy years later, the Spanish Mediterranean-style Highland Park Village, a mile north of downtown Dallas, is still the center of the Highland Park residential district. These historic main streets successfully weathered economic ups and downs with impressive retail lineups that continue to draw shoppers from around the region. Likewise, Federal Realty is convinced that the many challenges and extra costs of creating its one-of-a kind developments will pay off in the form of long-term value. "Unlike other retail development," says Kaplan, "main streets are not as subject to the vagaries of fashion trends. We also expect that during slow times, our neighborhood main street districts, with their lower occupancy costs and higher sales volumes, will hold their value better than shopping centers and will create additional value for the communities they serve." Terry J. Lassar, a Portland, Oregon-based communications consultant, writes about development, architecture, and planning issues. July, 1999 ©1999 ULI-the Urban Land Institute 7 of 7 8/4/99 1:52 PM M ix ing It Up http:#www ,uli.org/member/Urban Land/1999/04/egan .c fin Mixing It Up Nancy Egan In the glory days of the late 1980s, mixed-use projects featuring office space were believed to have the power to revitalize failing urban cores and create activity at the suburban edge. Today, plans that were shelved when the recession hit are being revised to create more complex facilities based on more than the availability of financing and blind faith in AAA-rated tenants. Cities are seeking innovative solutions to a long list of needs for everything from urban housing to a distinctive identity. Developers, architects, and a variety of public agencies and private companies are delivering projects that give new meaning to the term "mixed-use." Civic Ambitions Jim Kollaer, head of the Greater Houston Partnership, a business advocacy organization, shares the civic ambitions of many community and business leaders around the country. "Multiuse developments are like diamonds for most cities. They enable single projects to convey the image of complete neighborhoods as adjacent properties share the sparkle. Politicians may long for megaprojects, but most cities happily settle for smaller ones like the renewed Rice Hotel site in Houston, where the rooms have been turned into residential lofts and new restaurants and jazz clubs enliven the ground floor." Houston is developing a significant amount of housing in and around the central business district (CBD)+more than 4,000 units are now under construction. The viability of the housing is enhanced by the resurgence in nightlife at attractions like Bayou Place, a new entertainment development. More housing and hotel facilities are being considered for a ballpark that also is under construction, and there is talk of grocery stores. Add to that a 40-story, mixed-use building being preleased by Century Development, and even a proposed rail corridor seems possible. Mixed-use development in Houston finally is creating an urban landscape that offers the density and 24-hour lifestyle befitting a competitor in the global economy. In New York City, the fight to stay competitive underlies the search to find the right combination of uses at the right scale with the right economics. After years of public debate, a new mixed-use center finally is underway at Columbus Circle, a dormant corner of Central Park. Being touted as the "Rockefeller Center of the 21 st Century," Columbus Centre combines luxury residential I of 6 8/9/99 10:21 AM Mixing It Up http://www.uli.org/member/UrbanLand/1999/04/egan.clh~ condominiums, a five-star hotel, specialty retail stores, restaurants, a cinema, and a 1,000-seat concert hall for Jazz at Lincoln Center. The headquarters space for Time Warner, the media giant, includes state-of-the-art broadcasting facilities for CNN and NY1, reinforcing New Yorkas stature as the media and entertainment capital of the world. The city is counting on Columbus Centre~s development and design team, which brings together mixed-use pioneers like Kenneth Himmel of the Palladium Company and Stephen Ross of the Related Companies as well as Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) to breathe new life into the area. While cities like Houston and New York work to integrate mixed-use projects into the existing urban fabric, West Palm Beach, Florida, has embarked on CityPlace, a complex that is "city building in its broadest sense," says architect Howard Elkus, whose Boston-based firm is designing the project. Elkus adds, "The project is being built on nearly 73 acres on the edge of the CBD that have been a wasteland for two decades. CityPlace will become the new front door to West Palm Beach, extending the traditional look of the city with a vibrant new four-block neighborhood." The development team+Himmel and Company, Inc., the OaConnor Group, and the Related Companies, all of New York, and the Related Group of Florida+has a strong supporter in the mayor of West Palm Beach, Nancy Graham. She says, "CityPlace is a progressive and visionary project that puts West Palm Beach on the map." Designed in harmony with the cityg~s master plan, CityPlace includes retail stores, restaurants, a cinema, a hotel, office space, housing, a convention center, and cultural components, including a church renovated for use as a theater. Beyond their urban core, cities are rediscovering long-ignored natural assets, and waterfronts on lakes, rivers, and oceans are benefiting from renewed concern. New York Cityebased Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn (EE&K) is working with a number of cities and their development partners to reconnect urban centers to their waterfronts. Projects that feature a strong mixed-use component include the Queensway Bay development in Long Beach, California; Pennfis Landing in Philadelphia; and CityPlace in Toronto, Ontario, each of which engages the water in a different fashion. Rainbow Harbor, the esplanade at Queensway Bay, accommodates a variety of recreational and retail uses, including the new Aquarium of the Pacific. In Philadelphia, designers are proposing a retail entertainment center with a nautical theme on the Delaware River. In Toronto, the firm is giving the CN Tower, a symbol of modern Canada, a new neighbor. CityPlace Crystal Palace, the 400,000-square-foot retail entertainment center 2 of 6 8/9/99 10:21 AM ,lixing It Up http://www.uli.org/member/Urban Land/1999/04/egan.cfm surrounding the base of the tower, is part of a mixed-use project that will unite downtown Toronto to its waterfront. The complex will transform long-vacant railroad land into CityPlace Park, featuring an entertainment center, a business complex, and a Iow-rise community of urban townhouses and loft dwellings all linked by a ribbon of green space~. International Variations Bold urban visions are not just a North American phenomenon. U.S. firms are working around the globe to create high-profile mixed-use projects, although given the recent economic setbacks in Asia and Brazil, all of them may not be built. A few examples follow. Umberto Primo+a project in Sao Paulo, Brazil, designed by Baltimore-based RTKL that includes a 22-story office tower, retail space, and entertainment venues as well as a 350-bed hospital+demonstrates the marriage of institutional needs and commercial programs. The project is, in part, a redevelopment of an existing hospital; the challenge is to build new additions without compromising the current structures. San Francisco0based Kaplan McLaughlin Diaz (KMD) won an international competition to design the new, 1 million-square-foot Nayda Park in Nayda, Japan. The $350 million project incorporates a 14-story public tower housing a design mart, a 700-seat theater, a 300-seat multipurpose hall, and a youth center. The adjoining 23-story commercial tower contains a retail center and restaurants. The Korean Army Pension Fund selected New York City0based HLW to design a 32-story mixed-use complex that includes offices, a retail center, a trading floor, and a Korean-style wedding facility featuring two wedding halls and a banquet room. Among the features not likely to be found in the United States: an in-house sewage treatment plant, major water storage for firefighting, and a rooftop helicopter pad. Changing Demographics Grand plans that encompass several city blocks or multiple high-rise towers are only part of the mixed-used picture. Dozens of examples exist of small-scale projects that meet specific demands in a specific market. Mark Hornberger, president of Hornberger + Worstell, a San Francisco0based architectural practice, defines these projects as "synergistic, multiple uses on a small footprint where the economics related to the allowable density on site make sense for the developer." Housing is one area in which demand clearly is driving integrated commercial development. Demographics.-' a primary factor encouraging this trend+reveals the growth of nontraditional households and a need for nontraditional, affordable, and special-needs housing. ~ of 6 8/9/99 10:21 AM 4ixing It Up http://www.uli.org/member/Urban Land/1999/04/egan.cfin In Miami, Julio Grabiel, a partner at Spillis, Candela & Partner, an architectural firm, is at work on a new residential mixed-use prototype. "The LaSalle Apartment/Hotel concept is a response to the needs of the many part-time Latin American residents in the city. Miami is the gateway to Latin America. Its accessibility and large, Spanish-speaking local population make it a top destination for families from Central and South America. They stay for extended periods, they do business, and they bring their families. They want more than a hotel but don~t need an empty condo to worry about when they are not in town." The LaSalle Apartment/Hotel will offer residential units, executive offices, a youth center, a spa, retail stores, and restaurants+everything an out-of-town visitor will need for a few weeks or months. At New Yorkfis Battery Park City, the demand for larger apartments to accommodate professional families has created an unusual mix of uses in TriBeCa Bridge Tower. There are no studios, only 21 one-bedroom and 128 two- and three-bedroom units. The interesting twist here is a byproduct of residential demand+ Public School/Intermediate School 89. The school, which occupies the first five floors of the complex with space for 850 students, opened last fall in direct response to parents~ requests. To achieve different program goals, even the design team was mixed: New York CityObased Pasanella + Klein Stolzman + Berg designed the school; Costas Kondylis and John R. Menz & Richard Cook, both New York City architectural firms, designed the apartments, health club, professional offices, and retail shops. Even vacation homes are now part of mixed-use complexes. Whether they are buying timeshares or condominiums, purchasers want the amenities of a resort; in response, developers and operators are linking facilities to create a new vacation prototype. In the ski town of Beaver Creek, Colorado, Hornberger + Worstell has designed a 330,000-square-foot project that includes a 300-room Hyatt Regency resort hotel at the base of chairlift number one; subterranean parking; a service core; a 2,000-square-foot health spa; ten luxury condominiums; and a 20,000-square-foot retail link to the adjacent Village Hall Convention Center. Entertaining Developments Perhaps the single biggest change in the mixed-use configuration is the inclusion of entertainment venues as a development component. Ming Wu, a design principal at Ehrenkrantz, Eckstut & Kuhn Architects, is working on several entertainment-driven mixed-use complexes: "We are really working without a precedent. The previous typologies of the suburban shopping mall and theme ~4 of 6 8/9/99 10:21 AM Mixing It Up http://www.uli.org/member/Urban Land/1999/04/egan.cfln entertainment center were hermetic, while the iprogram of the moment~ calls for viable linkages to other components and movement through the site. We must create a new typology." The firmfis work on Hollywood & Highland for TrizecHahn, the Toronto-based developer, is a prime example of this trend. The 1.2 million-square-foot structure in the heart of Hollywood will feature stores, restaurants, nightclubs, and movie theater access via sweeping walkways and new streetscapes; a central court will serve as a stage for live per[ormances. A new theater for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences being designed by the New York Citybbased Rockwell Group also is part of the complex, as is a hotel that is being renovated by Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo (WATG). Further down the coast in San Diego, another entertainment component+Padres Stadium, the new Antoine Predock/Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum (HOK) Sport6designed ballpark+is the draw at a new mixed-use development. Both the Jerde Partnership~s retail center and Flornberger + Worstellas hotel and residential tower connect to the stadium by bridges; meeting rooms and event spaces are shared by the hotel and the ballpark. Cultural Institutions Cultural components also have found a place in mixed-use projects, particularly those with strong hospitality anchors. The added draw of museums and cultural institutions increases the number of visitors, especially weekenders, who fill the rooms abandoned by weekday business travelers. The new $175 million, 38-story tower planned by Millennium Partners for Battery Park City in New York includes a permanent, rent-free home for the Skyscraper Museum, a nonprofit institution devoted to the study of high-rise buildings, along with a 250-room Ritz Carlton and 150 condominiums. Architects Gary Edward Handel & Associates and the Polshek Partnership are responsible for the design. The new focus on integrating mixed-use projects with the existing urban landscape has put a premium on revitalizing historic properties. From post offices and train stations to simple rows of landmark facades, designers are discovering innovative ways to incorporate valuable vintage buildings into larger projects. The renaissance of New York,s Grand Central Station, under the hand of local designers Beyer. Binder Belle Architects & Planners, has encouraged the expansion of complementary uses. Street retail has been upgraded to include stores like J. Peterman and Banana Republic, and inside the station. Michael Jordan,s eponymous new 5 of 6 8/9/99 10:21 AM Mixing It Up http://www.uli.org/member/Urban Lm~d/1999/04/egan.cfm restaurant, Michael Jordanas Steakhouse, has opened. At Science City at Union Station in Kansas City, EE&K has re-created the old train station as a retail theater district with a new science museum designed by Douglas Gallagher as an anchor. The U.S. Postal Service also sees the value in its historic properties and is looking for opportunities to redevelop them; from New York to Seattle, projects are underway with both public and private partners. While many of the new projects still include an office component, the latest version of mixed-use projects is far less insular than the last. People are seeking environments that respond to the multifaceted lives they lead. Work is not tied to one place, nontraditional families want nonstandard living accommodations, and entertainment is an integral part of the busy lifestyles that have come to define today,s consumers. Developers and designer have duly taken note. Nancy Egan heads Nancy Egan Consulting, a New York City6based consulting practice providing services to real estate, design, and construction companies. Apdl, 1999 © 1999 ULl+the Urban Land Institute, all rights reserved 5 of 6 8/9/99 10:21 AM ~.ethinking Florida's Growth Management System http://www.uli.org/member/Urban Land/1997/02/warrick.cfm Looking For Hometown America Brooke-Win ;ick and Toni Alexander Today's homebuyers are not content to settle for what developers often have handed them+sterile-looking, homogeneous suburbs. They want attractive, friendly neighborhoods with tree-lined streets, a big mix of housing styles, and walking and biking trails. The rules are changing everywhere. Two recent joint surveys conducted by American LIVES, Inc., and InterCommunications Inc. noted the following changes in consumer preferences in community features and design. · The change from mass market standards to niche market differentiation, both by life stage and by lifestyle. One problem with the thinking of conventional builders and developers is that it does not distinguish lifestyle from life stage: the stages of maturation in family life that call for different kinds of housing+from first-time buyers, to move-up buyers who want to display status, to empty-nester, move-down buyers. By lifestyle, most sociologists refer to the various ways of life that consumers follow. The best predictors to actual lifestyles are the values and world views held by different market segments. By understanding consumers' values and the meaning that consumers attach to home and community, developers can better segment the market. As American society has aged, the most active part of the market has moved from a relatively undifferentiated, entry-level mass market, to more mature buyers who are buying a second or third home. For those buyers, communities are differentiated into small niche markets, each catering to a specific lifestyle within a life stage. Though baby boomers are the single largest segment of the population, they are not all alike. Many upper-middle-class groups live different lifestyles worlds apart; what one group wants is scarcely important to another. Community developers and home builders need to be aware of these differences. At its best, each master-planned community should appeal to a collection of market niches by life stage. This helps to maximize the number of markets and range of buyers and spreads the risk for developers and builders. This does not mean, however, that developers should appeal to all conceivable market niches. A community can be differentiated by its dominant lifestyle+a neotraditional 1 of 9 8/9/99 10:20 AM Rethinking Florida's Growth Management System http://www.uli.org/member/Urban_LandY1997/02/warrick.cfm "new urbanism" community, or a golf- and tennis-oriented recreational community, or a master-planned contemporary community. The change from unplanned suburbs to master-planned communities. One survey showed that people are willing to pay a $13,500 premium for a house in a master-planned community compared with a $10,000 premium for the same house in an established suburban neighborhood. What do these potential buyers desire and expect in a master-planned community? They expect an emphasis on the natural environment (open space, wilderness areas, nature center, historic sites), walks and parks (small parks, walking and biking paths, gardens with native plants and walking paths), cul-de-sac neighborhoods (circles and courts instead of through -streets; quiet, Iow-traffic areas), community facilities and shopping (amphitheater, concierge, retail stores, shopping center, institutions of worship, library), and a strong community entrance (distinct, open, and clearly marked). The change from hard infrastructure to soft programming. Lifestyle elements are supported by hard and soft amenities alike. Soft programming features in communities can increase the value to buyers; at the same time, they can be easily changed or eliminated. Some of the soft programming elements that were identified in one survey include opportunities for parents to interact around child-centered activities, organized programs for young children; a teen center with organized programs; opportunities to participate in community clubs and interest groups; and a community organizer to get clubs and community events started. To many families, these features are likely to outweigh amenities like golf or tennis. More important, because they are not fixed, hard infrastructure, these activities can respond to the changing lifestyles of buyers over the life of the project. Soft programming also is considerably less expensive and less risky in the face of a changing marketplace. SUMMARY OF FEATURES (Percentage Saying Feature Is Very or Extremely Important) Low traffic area ...... 93% Cul-de-sac streets, circles, and courts... 77% Natural, open space ...... 77% Walking and biking paths ..... 74% Established schools ......69% ! of 9 8/9/99 10:20 AM Rethinking Florida's Growth Management System http://www.uli.org/member/Urban_Land/1997/02/warrick.cfm ;of9 Architectural styles and lot sizes controls.,. 69% Sidewalks along one side of all streets... 66% Security guards patrolling by car at night... 65% Easy to meet people within the community,,, 60% Easy access to freeway .,, ~ 60% Gardens with native plants and walking path. 56% Cluster of convenience-oriented retail store.. 55% Wilderness area ......52% Outdoor swimming pool ..... 52% Community/recreation center ..... 52% Easy to walk to parks, stores, etc .... 52% Shopping center adjacent to the community. 51% Interesting little parks ..... 50% Exercise/fitness center ..... 50% Town center with shops, coffee bars, meeting place·. 48% Community or neighborhood recreational activities ~. 47% Library to check out books or sit and read,,, 47% Churches or other worship places .... 46% Preservation of historic sites ..... 46% Parent interaction around child-centered activities ·. 46% Living in an area where I will meet lots of people., 44% Open, yet clearly marked entrance .... 41% Organized program for young children... 41% Tennis courts .......39% Golf course within the community .... 39% Organized sports programs (e.g., swimming, tennis) .37% Teen center with organized programs.., 36% Participate in community clubs, interest groups,, 36% 8/9/99 10:20 AM Rethinking Florida's Growth Management System http://www.uli.org/member/Urban_Land/1997/02/warrick.cfm Distinctive community entrance .... 35% Golf clubhouse with lockers, pro-shop and storage., 33% Amphitheater for public events and shows.,. 26% Community that has a nature interpretive center..25% Organizer to get clubs and community events started .23% Community concierge ..... 18% · The change from golf courses to open space. While a substantial 39.5 pement of one survey's respondents indicated that a golf course within the community is, "very or extremely important," 60.5 percent did not. They rated amenities and features such as open space, wilderness areas, and gardens much higher than golf courses. These findings suggest that buyers in the 1990s are looking for communities that use open space as an important feature in their master-planned communities. The good news for the developer is that the cost of preserving open space is less than the cost of fixing up a golf course and the market preferring it is much larger than the market preferring golf. What is more, today's buyers are willing to pay a premium for this amenity. · The change from single-purpose infrastructure to mulfifuncfion uses. When features and amenities can serve more than one purpose, they will likely accommodate more needs of a diverse population, adding to the probability that they will create value for more customers. This results in a more competitive product. Biking and walking trails, parks, and outdoor amphitheaters, for example, are multifunction amenities. · The change from suburban anonymity and individualism to a yearning for community. People are disillusioned with the lack of community. Merely being able to buy the "right" house in the "right" neighborhood does not seem to be enough for a majority of the 1990s homebuyers+ not if it means suburban anonymity. The desire of residents to feel rooted in the community they live in is growing, but it is not being satisfied by the new housing and communities that builders and developers are providing. Better master planning is needed to meet a strong, already-existing market demand for real community. · The change from contemporary styling to neotraditional styling. Over the last several years, a growing number of architects and planners have returned to many of the amhitectural roots of small town America by proposing designs for neotraditional 1 of 9 8/9/99 10:20 AM -',ethinking Florida's Growth Management System htlp://www.uli.org/member/Urban Land/1997/02/warrick.cfln styling in houses and neighborhoods. This design goes well beyond mere decoration and Victorian houses with gables, gingerbread ornamentation, and picket fences. Some of these communities have town centers with cafes and walking spaces that encourage people to gather. They are less automobile-oriented, and they may have apartments over stores. Neighborhoods near the center of town have narrow streets, small lots, and many large trees. Traditionally styled houses hide garages behind them that are reached by driveways from the front or off an alley. Large front porches encourage socializing with neighbors. Reactions to new urbanism in one survey showed that 20.8 percent favored it; respondents liked the whole concept, including the higher densities. Forty-eight percent liked the image but wanted larger lots; they liked the town center idea but could not buy into the new urbanism idea because they found too many things wrong with it, all associated with density and automobility. Thirty percent rejected the new urbanism; they like the suburbs the way they are and objected to the higher densities, though some are attracted to neotraditional styling. The change from strip-commercial suburban sprawl to compact, highly defined town center. Homebuyers do not want uncontrolled suburban growth spreading across the landscape; they want urban growth to create nicely bounded small-town cells that have nuclei that are town centers. Eighty-six percent of the survey sample wanted a "town center that has a village green surrounded by shops, civic buildings, churches, etc. The town center is the focal point for residential neighborhoods clustered around it." The change from status display to authenticity in community and streetscapes. Homebuyers are leaning toward less showy housing elevations, in favor of more differentiation in elevation among houses. This enables the community to feel more natural. Homebuyers also are questioning the value of big, status-oriented entry monuments that serve no purpose other than show. The change from unprotected open suburbs to the safety and security of bounded or even walled and gated communities. Homebuyers' security fears have been steadily rising over the last decade. This is not an issue that developers can afford to get wrong. Feeling safe usually starts with the sense that the residential community has a clear boundary. Boundaries can be created with fences, but landscaping can be just as important. Gated communities may not solve the problem because most people realize their weaknesses: more than one car can enter if the gate is not manned; the time between the breakdown of carded gates and their repair can be long enough for many intruders to get 5 of 9 8/9/99 10:20 AM ethinking Florida's Growth Management System http://www.uli.org/member/Urban_Land/1997/O2/warrick.cfm through; and access codes to automatic gates can be easily discovered by the wrong people. Installing electronic security systems as a standard feature in all homes of a subdivision, rather than offering them only as an option, not only reduces crime but also gets the word out on the street that the community is protected. To buyers, it says that security in the community is not negotiable. When builders make deals with installers of security systems to deliver so many units per year, they can bring down the cost to under $200 for an electronic system connected to ,all doors and windows, a heat sensor to identify movement, and remote monitoring capabilities. By contrast, the perceived value of such a system to homebuyers is $700 to $900. Other types of protection can include designing some houses for retired seniors. Older retired residents are home most days and can act as an important early warning system about anything that looks suspicious. A first-rate, community-based security force can often be set up for the cost of donuts and coffee. Special home discount programs also have been created to attract homebuyers who are policemen, detectives, and other security professionals. The Future, Ten Years Out Though predictions are fallible, some fearless forecasts can be made by taking into account trends that are already in motion today as well as some current behaviors that cannot continue long into the future. · Developers may buy up old inner-ring suburbs where the housing stock and infrastructure have long since decayed and depreciated in order to re-develop the closer-in areas into tightly bounded, attractive communities. Several factors+such as consumer demand for closer-in communities that are safe+favor this approach. An inflll property that has enough units to make the economics work will have the added attraction of infrastructure that is already in place. Several neotraditional infill properties are expecting their absorption rate and profitability to far exceed similar-sized developments along the traditional suburban growth path, · The cost of commuting+gas prices, time, and congestion+may get so high that development will become dense along high-speed transit corridors or theat the expansion of satellite cities around the urban core will intensify. The United States needs to take a close look at the real costs of cheap energy to its cities. It needs to do more of what the Europeans have done for decades: make it more expensive to drive and restrict automobility. Americaas love affair with the automobile may have 6 of 9 8/9/99 10:20 AM ~ethinking Florida's Growth Management System http://www.uli.org/member/Urban Land/1997/02/warrick.cfm to give way to better public transit that meets the needs of more commuters. One consequence of this shift could be that development patterns will be oriented around high-speed transit corridors. Another interesting possibility is that satellite cities will emerge in areas that are served by these high-speed transit corridors. · What is now a niche market for neotraditional communities may gain more strength and become a major part of the landscape. An important new trend has been emerging: city planners are encouraging-the development of neotraditional communities and discouraging traditional suburban developments by making the approval process easier for the former and more difficult for the latter. Shoppers and homebuyers strongly favor neotraditional styles but have doubts about the high-density features of currently proposed neotraditional town designs because high density implies noise problems, lack of visual privacy, and streets that are unsafe for children. While all of these issues can be overcome by design, to date they have not yet been resolved. · The majority of Americans may set up offices for businesses at home and/or for telecommuting The home office becomes universal as an extra room in the house. Builders and developers are routinely including home offices as part of their development strategies. To some, this simply means putting in a dedicated power source and extra telephone lines. But increasingly, it means that rooms dedicated to the home office have a separate entry, are sound-buffered from the rest of the house, or are situated near the front door so when clients visit, the part of the house that is "lived in" is not visible. Some builders are actually offering furniture and built-in office units designed expressly for the needs of the home office worker and are offering to put the costs in the mortgage. Home office workers may create a demand for copying and other business services within the community. · Communities designed for the special needs of seniors are becoming more differentiated and a major part of the urban and social landscape. The senior market is becoming more differentiated because seniors have more disposable income, and hence, more choice. Many seniors want a lifestyle that is made up of people like themselves and that does not include children. But a much larger age- and income-qualified group of seniors will reject active adult communities as "siren city "' a place where the old go to die. These seniors want to live in areas where there is as much diversity in age as there is in lifestyle. They want to move down to a smaller home because the kids are gone, but they still want all of the urban or suburban amenities and services they are accustomed to in their present 7 of 9 8/9/99 10:20 AM Rethinking Florida's Growth Management System http://www.uli.org/member/Urban Land/1997/02/warrick.cfin communities. Continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) are becoming highly differentiated, going well beyond the old idea of nursing homes. These communities are rapidly evolving and improving as they recognize the opportunity to go upsca~e (there are indeed seniors who are willing to pay a lot of money to live in a CCRC. They are also discovering that they are not in the shelter business as much as they are in the business of providing a safe and secure environment for people to socialize and make strong friendships with other community members. What CCRCs, like builders and developers, are now learning is that as much attention needs to be paid to the soft side of people's inner needs+their psychological and social world+as to the actual physical development, the "bricks and mortar." · Developers should become users of social research. The developer will need to look at community and design issues not only from a marketing standpoint, but also within a social context. Understanding changes in society having to do with values, crime, aging, and women's issues will result in the development of communities that meet the needs of a greater variety of homebuyers. Successful developers will anticipate the future, keep abreast of upcoming trends, and change how their communities are built accordingly. Having social researchers as consultants could prove very helpful. · Environmental issues will become increasingly important in development. Developers can lead the way in showing how a community can be designed for ecological sustain ability and still be an enjoyable place in which to live. A commitment to ecodesigns can contribute more to the developer's bottom line than most community features. Since communities will last for generations, developers can guarantee their personal place in local history by leaving a legacy of development that respects the environment. · A developers reputation adds to the credibility capital of a community. The developer's reputation is a major factor in the sales potential of a new community. Credibility capital is what business often calls "good will." There is every reason to believe that the importance of "credibility capital" will only grew in the future. Any developer who undertakes good community relations as a strategy should be expected to prevail in the long run. Consumers want to buy from a developer and a builder who care. Form strategic partnerships between developers and technology companies. Technology will play an increasing role in community design, as can be seen by Disney's Celebration community in Orlando, Florida (see page 32). It combines the latest in fiber optics, interactivity, and -8 of 9 8/9/99 10:20 AM ~.ethinking Florida's Growth Management System http://www.uli.org/member/UrbanLand/1997/O2/wa~Tick.cfin consumer electronics in the school and in the home to flexibly support innovative developments later on. As the world continues to shrink, there will be a continuing demand for technology that improves the way people live. The face of the American consumer is becoming steadily harder to recognize. Yet a common thread may link various lifestyles and life stages: many consumers are looking for a hometown+a place where neighbors nod in recognition, friends tote picnic lunches to concerts in the park, and families trek happily through nature trails. Today,s new communities can well respond by being less concerned about the tangible components like country clubs, exclusive golf courses, and flashy gated entryways, and more concerned about the ideological components like environmental respect, cultural history, friends, family, and most of all+a strong sense of community. Brooke Warrick is president of American LIVES, Inc., a market research Company located in San Francisco, California, that specializes in primary data collection and analysis in proprietary studies for clients. Toni Alexander is president of InterCommunicationslnc., a full-service marketing communications firm located in Newport Beach, California, with an emphasis on the development of marketing communication programs for the real estate, retail, resort, and recreation industries. Each year, American LIVES, Inc., and InterCommunicationslnc jointly sponsor research on new developments in communities for the building industry. One joint survey conducted in 1994 rated choices of community features of 2,300 people, half of whom had purchased a home in a planned community and half of whom were prospective buyers. Another survey conducted in 1995 compared reactions of 1,664 homebuyers and prospective buyers to design elements of neotraditional communities and standard suburbs. February, 1997 © 1997 ULI-the Urban Land Institute, all rights reserved. 9 of 9 8/9/99 10:20 AM 'he Vision of a New Downtown... Uptown http://www.pboLcom/pbillustrated/jan97/visions-downtown.html PBI examines what readers can expect from the new West Palm Beach Downtown/Uptown development, and how it will interrelate with the Clematis Street-based downtown revival. A PBI report by Daphne Nikolopoulos David C Pttladino. It started as the singular vision of one man. At 77, when most men are well into retirement, real-estate magnate Henry J. Rolfs began an ambitious project in 1986, in his son Hank's words, "to recreate the City of West Palm Beach and beautify the gateway to the island of Palm Beach. My father's dream was to rename Okeechobee Boulevard -- to make it 'Royal Palm Way,' all the way from the island to the Tamarind intersection." The welcoming gesture of a Marsha Montoya-sculpted statue of Rolfs, dedicated Dec. 3, greets an estimated 300,000 cars that weekly enter the Okeechobee corridor eastbound into West Palm Beach -- a symbol that establishes for many the beginning of the city's renaissance and the fulfillment of Rolfs' promise to create a "downtown" uptown. In a record nine months, according to Rolls' associate, David C. Paladino, the Downtown/Uptown Venture partnership assembled 340 parcels of land from 240 separate sellers. In contrast, Paladino claims, Disney took 18 months to purchase its Orlando property from 52 sellers. The Wall Street crash of October 1987 and late '80s real-estate depression sent the DowntownFUptown Venture partnership into a tailspin with bank foreclosures and eventual financial failure. Rolfs is estimated to have lost upwards of $50 million in costs relating to property acquisition, demolition of crime-ridden neighborhoods, resident relocations, re-routing of roads, financing charges and legal fees. He died at 85 on Mother's Day, 1994, his fortune lost. "If Rolfs hadn't assembled the property and improved the area, neither the Kravis Center nor the Palm Beach County School of the Arts would have located there," says James Brindell, an attorney at Gunster, Yoakley, Valdes-Fauli & Stewart, who handled many of the partnership's real estate transactions. The Downtown/Uptown partnership donated the five acres, valued at $10 million, upon which the Kravis Center sits. According to former West ~ of 6 8/6/99 11:23 AM The Vision of a New Downtown... Uptown http://www.pbol.com/pbillustrated/jan97/visions-downtown.html Palm Beach Police Chief Billy Riggs, crime in the city as a whole declined by 11 percent-13 percent for each of the two years following the demolition of the decrepit neighborhoods, crack houses and havens for derelicts. West Palm Beach: Rebirth of a City Ten years after the Downtown/Uptown project began, the City of West Palm Beach entertained development proposals from three coalitions in late 1996: Kravis Place, led by local businessmen E. Llwyd Ecclestone and Murray Goodman; Millennium, headed by nationally prominent developers Melvin Simon and Gerald Hines; and CityPlace, a consortium of several national and South Florida companies, of which Boston's Himmel and Company, New York's The O'Connor Group and Miami's The Related Group of Florida are the major linchpins. Palm Beach architect Raphael F. Saladrigas, who was a local consultant to West Palm Beach's master-plan developers, urban planners Duany Plater-Zyberg (DPZ), says, "I feel the CityPlace plan was selected because, of the three proposals, it came closest to the city's DPZ-created master plan." Saladrigas, a partner at Brower Architectural Associates, acknowledges that the CityPlace proposal is ambitious, "but it incorporates all of the elements and demonstrates a clear understanding of the carefully honed document by Miami-based DPZ, perhaps the most widely respected urban-planning firm in the country." Besides its attentiveness to the DPZ master plan, a large part of CityPlace Partners' success has been attributed to its local marketing efforts, which led to incorporation of the needs articulated by community and cultural leaders in the project's initial design. Investing in the future "My father thought Downtown/Uptown would benefit the most people in the shortest period of time," reflects Hank Rolfs, then a project coordinator for his father's firm and now a Vancouver, Wash., Internet-marketing executive. "It was designed to do just that.., and the impact is still being felt today. Since my father had plenty of money, making more wasn't a priority for him," Rolls says. Even though the elder Rolfs lost tens of million of dollars, his son contends, "If my father were alive today, he would say that the project has been successful. Downtown/Uptown is becoming everything he wanted it to become.., at least up to this point in time." David Paladino views the impending buildout of the 77-acre property as incidental to the gargantuan effort that went into assembling and preparing the site. "The hard work has been done -- putting this 'impossible' assemblage together, tearing the buildings down, relocating people, realigning the boulevard, creating the Kravis Center. Anyone can put up a shopping center," Rolfs' former partner says, "but the developers will be doing exactly what we envisioned -- creating jobs, restaurants, hotels, stores and homes. They're just fulfilling his vision: It was Henry Rolls' vision, and it will always be 'Downtown/Uptown.'" After nearly a decade of lying fallow, however, Downtown/Uptown's evolution into Henry Rolfs' dream will take more visionaries and a lot of hard work before the magnificent gateway to the Palm Beaches becomes a reality. Acting on the dream - 2 of 6 8/6/99 11:23 AM I'he Vision of a New Downtown... Uptown http://www.pbohcom/pbillustrated/jan97/visions-downtown.html dream of building"the hottest e/CF in millennium." the Turning the stalled Downtown/Uptown project into an oFvortunity to catapult West Palm Beach to urban stardom, many say, was by and large the work of one woman's vision: the city's mayor, Nancy Graham. While naysayers said it couldn't be done and city planners tried to be overly cautious, Graham dared to state in the next Graham's vision calls for establishing an identifiable gateway to West Palm Beach via Okeechobee Boulevard and developing a live/work/play core that integrates high-end retail, market-rate residential and office space, with an emphasis on culture and entertainment. A critical factor to the project's success, she is quick to point out, is its linkage -- both physically and conceptually -- to the existing downtown area. Parlaying Mayor Graham's ambitious vision into a regional drawing card that would broaden the tax base and put West Palm Beach on the map meant going out on a limb and appointing a developer with a full-scale plan rather than simply a neighborhood approach. "We did a study of a three, five and seven-mile radius, and we clearly would be building a neighborhood center, which is what our competitors were proposing to do," says real estate developer and CityPlace principal Ken Himmel. "Where I think they missed the window was with the existing infrastructure -- the physical roadways, cultural and performing arts and the growth of population in the region. This area has all the fundamental ingredients to draw from a broader audience. This project has the potential to draw from a 30-minute driving time." How do they intend to do that? By creating, along Rosemary Avenue, a bustling urban core of high-tech movie theatres, live cultural performances, theme restaurants and a fashionable execution of streetfront retailing -- all interacting with the proposed convention center south of Okeechobee and a residential enclave along Sapodilla Avenue. An ambitious plan for retail Their biggest challenge is self-imposed: drawing national retailers and restaurants the likes of Banana Republic and Starbucks Coffee, who have traditionally committed to malls. Real-estate magnate Melvin Simon, whose Millennium team also had submitted a proposal for Downtown/Uptown, has said competing with malls like The Gardens or Boca Raton's Town Center, both of which have signed the same retailers, is not a wise idea. [Simon's company owns the Palm Beach Mall.] But the CityPlace team -- Himrnel, retail developer Jeremiah O'Connor and Miami-based home builders Stephen Ross and Jorge Perez of The Related Group -- insists people are overmalled and retailers are hungry for something new. "You have to get people excited about leaving their home ..... We have a unique opportunity to give retailers what they want today -- streetfront retailing," Himmel says. ¢ of 6 8/6/99 11:23 AM 'he Vision of a New Downtown... Uptown http://www.pbol.com/pbillustrated/jan97/visions-downtown.htm! Downtown Development Authority (DDA) executive director Bill Fountain touts this as a concept whose time has come. "People are bored of the whole mall concept," he says. "They're looking for something with a little more character. Entertainment-based restaurants with everything from singing waiters to virtual reality. Street theater. That's all hot now. And it's very compatible with what we have on Clematis." What about Clematis? This brings up an interesting question: Will the Clematis corridor and CityPlace be compatible or competitive? The merchants and developers of Clematis don't seem overly concerned about the big retail and restaurants CityPlace is proposing. "They are two distinct products with distinct [customer profiles]," says developer Lawrence Coming of The Downtown Group. "The type of person who looks for drop ceilings is different than the type who looks for tin ceilings. Actually, CityPlace will thicken possibilities for people who are now clamoring for space downtown. We get 10 to 20 calls a space. The extra space will be necessary." "We don't necessarily want the duplication," says David Frisbie, principal of Renaissance Partners and one of Clematis Street's most forward developers. "If they attract national retailers and Clematis has the authenticity and one-of-a-kind retail, the two won't necessarily compete." Clematis will still be attractive to mom-and-pop retailers, specialty restaurants and small offices, developers argue. Joseph Visconti, president of Clematis Development Group and vice president of Sforza Enterprises, says, "On Clematis the rent averages $12 to $16 [per sq. fi.]. CityPlace will be all-new construction, meaning they will have a $25 to $35 rent base. Clematis will be the big beneficiary of that." If anything, Himmel says, CityPlace will generate more activity in the marketplace for everyone. "Only with this type of project can you lift the market up. Otherwise, by doing a smaller project that is more neighborhood-oriented, you go directly after Clematis. You cannibalize the market. "We're bringing in a level of tenants who would never go into Clematis. That translates into more people for Clematis and for Worth Avenue. There's room for everyone here." The lure of culture CityPlace is betting heavily on cultural and entertainment venues to draw the crowds. The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, the Palm Beach County School of the Arts, the Norton Museum and the Clematis Street corridor lend "a start that makes our business sing," as Himmel once put it during a presentation to the city. To that, they plan to add a little cultural interest of their own. They have proposed a children's museum, state-of-the-art cinemaflMAX complex, outdoor performance areas, live theatre and what they dub "the cultural hub of South Florida:" A 71-year-old Methodist church renovated to the tune of $2.6 million as a concert hall. In addition, CityPlace will emphasize culture by peppering its plazas with Art in Public Places exhibits and creating a handsomely landscaped link between the Kravis Center and a new opera center. Parking also will be important. The CityPlace plan calls for construction of nearly 2,000 parking spaces behind Church Plaza and next to the live theatre and cinema. The hotel will have its own self-contained parking, and each office building will include its own 600-car ~ of 6 8/6/99 11:23 AM i'he Vision of a New Downtown... Uptown http://www.pbol.com/pbillustzated/jan97/visions-downtown.htm I structure. In terms of security, Himmel says CityPlace will provide security personnel, both at the site and the parking structures, at its own expense to complement the efforts of the city. If it all comes to pass, CityPlace may well be bustling with nighttime activity, but what happens during the day? "Within a five-mile radius, there are 65,000 units of residence," Fountain points out. "A lot of those people will come to this area to shop. The office crowd and employees who will be working [at CityPlace] also will become customers. And the convention center will play a big part." The convention center, currently proposed for the south side of Okeechobee Boulevard, directly opposite from CityPlace, will draw thousands of conventioneers every month, all of whom will need diversions after hours. To ensure the corporate warriors don't stay within the confines of a self-contained convention complex, the CityPlace team plans to locate a 600-room hotel on the north side of Okeechobee and adjacent to all the activity. A place to call home CityPlace's final component is the development of 460 residential units in the Mizner style -- courtyards, barrel-tile roofs, keystone ornamentation and small wrought~iron balconies. There will be an estimated 132 courtyard apartments and 28 two-story townhouses for sale along the Sapodilla corridor. In addition, 34 townhouses and 66 courtyard flats will be available for rent. The rest will be rentals in medium- to high-rise buildings. Parking for the residential segment also will be constructed. "Do we feel West Palm Beach can take that kind of density?" CityPlace's Jorge Perez asks rhetorically. "We feel they'll be lining up for these." Graham seconds that sentiment. "The day after we awarded [the bid], we got calls from people who wanted to reserve apartments." Making the connection Without a physical link, Frisbie fears a them-versus-us scenario. "This is a huge oppommity for the city. With that sort of development, we can be a true destination. But if the two don't connect, they are simply an enclave on Okeechobee and we are a small town center. It would be extremely competitive and difficult for the two to be successful." Visconti agrees. "As long as they focus on creating a safe corridor between the two, there will be a free-flowing exchange of concepts and ideas. But if people feel uncomfortable with the transition, the two areas will be isolated." What's next? City and developer are currently negotiating the terms of the contract, a process which should be completed by February 1. Phase I will include all retail, residential, restaurant and entertainment components, the children's museum and the renovation of the Methodist church. The landscaping of Okeechobee Boulevard and the new Palm Beach Opera center should also be complete, effectively turning Okeechobee into the gateway that city fathers envisioned. Construction for Phase I will begin February 1998, with a targeted completion date of November, 1999. Phase II, to be completed by November 2001, includes the development of the convention center (to which CityPlace has not committed) and 600-room hotel and the development of the three high-rise office buildings along Okeechobee Boulevard and Quadrille. --5 of 6 8/6/99 11:23 AM Vision of a New Downtown... Uptown http://www.pbol.com/pbillustrated/jan97/visions-downtown.html While there is uncertainty about issues like the success of the retail and the effectiveness of the downtown link, most people are positive about the changes CityPlace will bring. "It's going to be a terrific asset," BRITT's Valentine says. "There will be a real entrance to West Palm Beach, and, when you get there, you'll find beautiful architecture and an abundance of cultural activity; it's something that's on the edge of the next millennium." Many say it couldn't have happened without the mayor's vision. "She had the insightfulness to recognize this as one of the greatest real-estate opportunities in the country today," Frisbie says. "She took what was a major negative and turned into a tremendous positive for the city and the taxpayers. As [Downtown/Uptown] sat there vacant, it was a tax drain. By tuming it into a major attraction, she generates more tax revenues and far more commerce in the long mn. Taxes can rise to the increased value of the real estate and the city's economic issues suddenly become a major windfall. I think there was very little risk in what she did here -- the exact inverse is true. It was a tremendous opportunity she seized." "There were some people in the past who didn't think big enough," Graham explains. "There was an attitude that it can't happen here, like we don't deserve to think big. Yes, we had to take a reasonable risk, but I think [CityPlace] will be successful and put us on the map. I know people sometimes think I'm overly optimistic, but I'm also very cautious and financially conservative. There comes a time when you have to take that big leap to get to the next level." This is a greatly condensed version of "Uptown/Downtown. "For more, check out the January, 1997 newsstand version of PBI. [ PBI [ Search Palm Beach Illustrated I Subscribe Now! ] [ About Palm Beach Media Group I Past Issues ] Contact us ] [ Table of Contents I Palm Beach On Line ] All images, articles and representations of this site are copyright © 1996 by Palm Beach Illustrated. All rights reserved. If you are having problems with this site, you may e-mail our webmaster.. ~ of 6 8/6/99 11:23 AM p A AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION JANUARY 1997 Planning for Downtown Housing By Martin Roupe In the early part of this century, downtown was the center of activity for urbanites. People worked, shopped, and often lived downtown. Downtown housing was an integral part of what made the city work. It housed the labor pool necessary to operate businesses and provided customers for downtown retailers. The balance of jobs and housing helped keep cities geographically compact. Areas outside the city were accessible only by rail, or not at all, making suburban life inconvenient for most. Downtown housing began to decline with the advent of Euclidean zoning in the 1930s, which required greater separation of incompatible land uses. This was followed by rampant post-World War II suburbanization, brought about by new highway construction and federal subsidies for homebuyers. During those decades, many more people could afford to move out of the city, and they did so in droves. Today planners recognize the benefits of reweaving the urban fabric to include downtown housing. Thus, housing has become a key element in many long-range plans for downtowns. Downtown housing adds life and energy to cities. People coming and going at all hours increases the perception of an area's overall safety. Downtown residents support retail businesses beyond the ordinary eight-hour work da),, prompting businesses to extend their hours to include evenings and weekends. Urban housing, coupled with a healthy business comnmnity, work together to raise an area's tax base and strengthen the whole city. Encouraging down~own housing sounds easier than it actually is for many cities. In a recent Econamic Development Commentary article, Rick Locssberg, coordinator for planning and development in Dallas County, Texas, wrote that "successfully developing in-town housing is one of the most difficult and complicated economic development efforts that a city can undertake." Developers tend to shy away from urban residential projects because of the high costs of developing downtown. Banks, too, are timid about getting involved, and are especially wary of untested,, markets. This issue of the PAS Memo explores ways that citi~ can encourage downtown residential development, and identifies the general characteristics present in successful projects. Uptown Village, a new residential development in the State- Th~ mas TIF district, i~ part of Dallas's strategy to revitalize its "intown "area. Street trees and distinctive paving materials have also boosted the neighborhood's as an exciting alternative to the suburbs. Students and artists are also likely candidates for downtown living. Downtown universities attract students to nearby neighborhoods. Old wasehouse spaces, with their large windows and high ceilkqgs, appeal to artists looking for studios. Components of Successful Projects Residents must enjoy urban living if they are expected to stay downtown long term. While many people like the idea of living d~owntown, some may be discouraged by the noise, smaller'living spaces, and limited (or no) parking. There are five primary factors that planners and developers must address when they attempt to make downtowns more livable. · t-- -- C t es shou d address these factors in their comprehensive Who Lives Downtown? J 1 h~l ] ~'~ ~'~ ~ ~-~l;~an or long-range economic development strate~. The Prospective ten~ for downtown ~a~tt~V [[ ~ntown housing projects surveyed for this article include ~tegones. The fi~t ~s 25-to 45-y~p~fiddless professionals, ~ J ~n5 of these features. work downtown and hve there as a ih~ter ofmn~<~ucnce.xZ~' (~,, { Nelghborhoo~Communt7 Character. Creating a sense of m% not want the responsxbd~ty ora house and yard or they ~3' co~muni~an urban neighborhood~within the downtown simph' prefer to li~e in an urban se4ing. The second ~rou[~ consists area is perhaps the most important element to be considered by of "e;~,ptv nesters' ~m~ried couples ~E&~D~e~q no~4O planners. When possible, cities should zone land to facilitate the children or xvhosc children are rrox4~O~.~bvvd~?~anzy ~k~atior, of an urban neighborhood. Multiple residential pro ects empn. nesters are former subur~an~es Who x~a'k~r;~,.~' hr,': "~kC'Z~3ve}oped near one another and buffkred from dense commer cial :.me~ help build urban neigld~othoods. This is accom- p{ished by idend~-ing and zoning suitable tracts for both residcnd:d and neighborhood commercial development away {rom main ~,mu~hfilrcs. Ahhou?~ some cities have been residents Imm traffic, bcauti~, thc area. and provide a sense of Developers are of~n opposed to building residential projects downtown because of the costs of land and multistory construction. Banks, too, remain skeptical of these projects until the market has been tested. situation x a~ies from city to city. Some cities have pl/mty of public ,md private surface lots and garages. Owners of parking facilities .nc often willing to formulnlc [case agrcemenrs with developer< These spaces usually a~c ~alcula~ed into rents or leased separately. Onsitc lots or underground garages are the preferred situations, developers should strive to provide parking as-close by as pox, ible. One possibili~ is for dcvdopcrs ~o build a collective garage in support of their vadous projects. Gener~ly, plans should discourage the construcdtm of new surface parking neighborhoods. (See "Flexible Parking Codes fi~r Older Downto~,ns.- PAS Memo, November I 0'!3). public transit, when available and conxcnicnt, as their primary suburb&< dexelopments, can be bulh at densities that will Warehouse. a vacant industrial buiMing th:n is currently being renovare~ nfo a 249 unit apartmcm complex in Clevchmd, will an idc~ > :~:.u:on, developers and ~i~> pLmncis must cousidcr Martin e.. .~-.. :, a re~earch associaw wtr/, t/u' Atm'ric,m Planning public transportation routes and accessibility when considering potential housing sites. Parks/Open Space. Urban parks and open spaces provide residents opportunities to escape the feel of the ciU' without having to leave their neighborhood. Developers should explore existing city parks when researching potential sites. Proximity to parks can increase the marketability ora project by making downtown living more attractive. Plazas and courLyards are other forms of open space that developers can incorporate into projects. These encourage acrMty and give neighborhoods a more lively character. Retail and Entertainment. Downtown residents expect convenient access to retail stores and entertainment facilities. For example, they might look for grocery stores, restaurants, and movie theaters when considering a move. Some people choose to live downtown because of these conveniences-- especially those who have limited time to shop. If access is inconvenient, residents may reconsider their decision to live downtown. Ideally, residential developments should be located within walking distance of restaurants and stores. If not, public transit should facilitate access. What Cities Can Do Tentative developers, high construction costs, a skeptical financial community, and a limited parking supply ~e some of the chal- lenges planners will face when tr)4ng to encourage downtown housing. Developers are often opposed to building residential projects downtown because oldie costs of land and muldstory construction. Banks, too, remain skeptical of these projects until the market has been tested, making initial projects difficult to i~nd. Cities can pledge their commitment to the devekipment of downtown housing by providing amenities, such as streetscape improvements, in a~eas slated for development. These efforts reassure the private sector and help to {brego skepticism. \Vh planners can not change the attitudes of devekipers and financiers. they can amend zoning ordinances and provide financial incentives that make these projects more appealing. The Zoning Ordinance. The zoning ordinance should permit residential uses throughout the majority of the downtown area, at least as a conditional use. Portland, Oregon, for exaxnple, allows housing as a permitted use in all commercial zones within the central city and as a conditional use in the remaining employment and industrial zones. Additionally, cities must zone an adequate amount of downto~vn land for residential use only. This land is most often zoned for medium to high density residential development to create an urban feel while also increasing the economic feasibility. To this end, Portland bas designated sites as "Required Residential Development Areas." Portland's zoning ordinance stipulates that new development or major remodeling projects must include at least 15 dwelling units per acre on these sites. This may occur through a residential-only project or within a mixed use project. Mixed use zones may also allow for residential development. Typically, mixed-use zones allow commercial or office uses on lower floors of buildings and residential uses on upper floors. Allowing residential uses on upper floors is an excellent way to fill impractical commercial space that would remain vacant if not converted into aparunents. Downtown housing is also a viable means of revitalizing lifeless industrial districts. Abandoned warehouses in ~nany older industrial cities have been rezoned and rehabilitated to accommodate housing. These buildings are typically converted into large loft apartments or condomthiums. More than 600 2 units !lave been added to Cleveland's Warehouse District i~ the last few years, and many more are currently in the planning stage. These new units have helped the area reach the critical neighborhood feel (Uib,~l~ La.~l, April 1996). Lofts arc ideal places ~;~r artists to li~e, create, and sell their art. The zoning ordinance must explicitly allow for simultaneo.s cornmer, ial and residential use. This strategy has effectively revitalized areas of Peekskitl. New York; Providence, Rhode Island: and Phoenix (see "kofty Plans for Artists," Planning, August 1996). Some cities exempt residential uses and the services that support them from height and density requirements. Other cities offer density bonuses. Density bonuses are commonly allowed when a percentage of units are set aside for affordable housing, but increasingly cities offer bonuses for any downto~vn residential use. These bonuses may permit enough additional units to make a questionable project economically feasible. Fina.ciallnce.tivvs. Conventional funding, such as con- struction loans through commercial banks and thrift institu- tions, is often difficult to find for downtown residential projects. However, it becomes easier after initial development projects prove market demand. Planning departments can save develop- ers' time and money by expediting permit processes for develop- ment in targeted areas. Several federal, state, and local programs The residential conve~:4o, of historic warehouses is trans~brming the Haymarket Di~rlqct in Lincol., Nebraska. inw a vtabk re, idenrml neighborhood. The Grainger building. a former fi-uit storage warehouse (.,how. here in the background), today houses 26 residenttal units. exist to subsidize downtown residential projects. These subsi- dies, called ~'gap financing." contribute to a project's overall feasibillry. The (~tlnmmniry I-)evdopnlcnt Block Grant (CDBG) program Irom the Department of btot~sing and Urban Development (ftLID) axxards grants to local governments for a wide range ofcommuni~ development initiatives. Priority is given to projects that provide low- and moderate-income housing. Projects receiving CDBG funds typically set aside a minimum of 20 percent of their units for below-market-rate rents. The Section 108 Loan Guarantee program provkles low interest loans for front-end financing of projects. The private sector finances these loans with HUD through a letter ofcredlt. The ciD, pledges its current and future CDBG funds as security for the loan guarantee. The historic rehabilitation tax credit program, adrninis tered by the National Park Service in the Department of the Interior, encourages thc conversion of vacant or underused historic buildings into housing units. This program, the largest federal program in existence in support of historic preservation, provides developers w.ho choose to rehabilitate qualified buildings with a 20 percent tax credit on related expenditures. Low-income housing tax credits are also available in some situations. State-authorized tax abatements--reductions or exemptions in a site's property tax--are used to entice development, especially of historic properties and blighted areas. State law mandates maximum abatement periods, but typically they range from five to 15 years. State law also governs the formation of tax increment financing (TIF) districts. These districts are generally reserved for the restoration of blighted areas, but legislative changes in many states have relaxed the rules surrounding their creation. Tax increment financing allows city redevelopment agencies to fund downtown revitalization by capturing the increased property taxes that result from revitalization. Dallas created its first TIF district in 1989 in the State-Thomas neighborhood and provided it with a $2.1 million seed loan. This seed loan has effectively encouraged residential growth within the district by fronting money for public improvements which, in turn. attracted development. Though the Tax Reform Act of 1986 placed even more restrictions on the use of Industrial Development Bonds, or private activity bonds, the), remain a viable option for financing multifamily rental housing projects. State or local governments issue these bonds, but the housing projects themselves act as bond collateral. Developers like that these bonds are exempt from federal taxes, and love when states exempt them also. Other public or quasi-public funding opportunities might be available through downto~vn development authorities and nonprofit development corporations. Case Studies Dallas. Since 1989, the city of Dallas has experienced extraordinary growth in what residents refer to as the "intown" area. Intown encompasses the CBD and extends ourward approximately one mile. Currently, there are around 10,000 intown housing units, and more are under construction. Thc establishment of the State-Thomas TIF district and the resulting $2.l million seed loan insrigated a residential boom. Two subsequent loans to the TIF district will help ensure its future growth as a self-sustaining neighborhood. The Deep Ellum neighborhood of Dallas is also experiencing a significant influx of new residents. Artists and other creative people have lived there for )'ears, but increased demand for apartments in the area may force them to move. Rents have reached $2,000 per month and there are very few vacancies. One project, Deep Ellum kofts, is using Section 108 loans and plans to lease 30 percent of its 140 units at aflbrdable rates. This 3 will help preserve some apartments for the original neighborhood residents. Dallas received $25,000,000 through the Section 108 loan program in 1994. These fimds have allowed the ci~' to move fiw, vard with the promotion of housing in the intown area. Mare' of Dallas' downtown projects invulve historic pres~irYarion and are taking advantage of associated t~x credits. The tax credits and Section ~08 loans seem to be providing Dallas with the necessa~' stimulus needed to get downtown projects unde~vay. Central City Plan Housing Report, City of Portland, Oregon, Bureau of Planning, July 1994. Johnston, Christopher, "The Revitalizing Warehouse District," Urban Land, April 1996. Krutko, Paul, ~Organizing for Downtown Housing in Cleve land," Economic Development Commentary, Summer 1996. Loessberg, Rick, "In-Town Housing," Economic Development Commentary, Winter 1995. McBee, Susanna, Downwwn Development Handbook, Community Builders Handbook Series, Washing- ton, D.C.: Urban Land Institute, 1992. Schamess, Gir, "Lofty Plans for Artists," Planning, August 1996. Martin Shnkert and Associates and Hanna: Keelan Associates, A Place Downtown: A Housi.g Plan for Downtow. Lincohl. Lincoln, Nebraska, 1990. Cleveland. Since 1992, 890 market rate rental units have been developed in downtown Cleveland. Developers have plans for 600 more units in the next few years, which suggests that the market has not neared saturation yet. In 1994, as part of a priority, to attract people back to the center of the city, Mayor Michael R. White established the Housing Construction Office within thc Department of Community Development. The office was charged with expanding housing opportunities throughout the city. A downtown housing manager, Paul Krutko, was hired to concentrate solely on the development of downtown housing projects. He acts as ombudsman for these projects, resolving any problems that arise during their development. Krutko says the single-minded focus of his position is important because of the complexity of financing large-scale downtown housing developments and the complexity of interacting with a variety of city departments. He recommends that other cities be careful when disclosing incentives because "many developers like to see what they can get from the city before attempting to obtain funding on their own. I insist that developers exhaust all possible funding options before turning to the city for help." Cleveland's Warehouse District is one area that is undergoing notable growth. A few projects in the district received the last of the Federal Urban Development Action Grants tire ciD' acquired in the late 1970s. The National Terminals \Uarehonse (mentloncd above) represents the complexity involved in financing the conversion of an historic building. At a total cost of approximately $27 million, the developers had to draw funds from a variety of resources. The building qualified for $4.4 million in historic tax credits and $8.5 million worth olequity was invested in the project. Beyond this, mortgage revenue bonds totalled $14 million, and the city of Cleveland and Cleveland Tomorroxv, a i~onprofit economic development corporation, each provided $1.5 million Lincobt, Nebraska. The city of Lincoln, Nebraska (pop. 191,972), has added 181 rental units to its downto;vn housing stock since 1989. Considering the relative size of Lincoln in comparison with Dallas and Cleveland, this number is impressive. The city hired a consultant in the late 1980s to prepare a plan for bringing a residential element back to their downtown. Lincoln's downtown housing plan, "A Place D'owntown," was completed in 1990- It identified the need for 193 to 290 additional living units by 1996. That goal will be met this year, when 40 new units become available. The 1990 plan focused on possible downtown housing sites and discussed various methods of financing. According to the plan, Lincoln needed to concentrate its efforts on developing both market rate and affbrdable units. In preparing the plan, a survey was conducted and focus groups were used to identify the major concerns of those who might live downtown. Information gathered through the survey and focus groups identified a target audience for downtown housing as well as some of the challenges involved in developing downtown housing. The survey and focus groups identified the lack of parking as a major barrier to downtown housing. Hence the plan proposed several strategies to alleviate the parking problem, including the construction of new public garages or priority use of existing public parking spaces for downtown residents. According to Julie Post, community development program specialist, "the downtown housing plan identified a market for downtown housing and was useful in convincing developers to take the (perceived) risk to develop housing. As projects came on line and were always fully occupied, perceptions changed. Now, housing is always considered when development and redevelopment projects are brought forth." Summary Downtown housing and retail businesses, through mutual support, can work together to improve the character of a city. These projects also help to curtail urban sprawl by bringing residents and businesses back into the city. With careful planning and attention to the details that help make it successful, downtown housing can play an important role in the vitality of a city. The PAS Memo is a monthly publication for subscribers to the Planning Advlsorg Service, Parkway PHP Celebrates Move Becky Mclver, Pm- gram Manager; Barry Glassman, M.D,; Dee Gebert, Charge Nurse . The staff of the Partial Hospitalization Program [PHP] at Parkway Regional Medical Center celebrated the program's move to 75 NW 168th Street, across from the hospital. PHP i? an outpatient psychiatric program and has been in existence since 1992. The pro- gram ~s designed to offer a therapeutic environment for individuals experiencing signif- icant interference in social, familial and 'vocational functioning. New Businesses Opemng at Loehmann's Fashion Island This summer, Loehmann's Fashion Islands announces the opening of a variety of new businesses. Just opened between Fish 54 and Prezzo's, is Fine Art Outlet, fea- turing hundreds of works, priced from $100 to $500, with values up to $6,000. This col- lection even includes originals and limited editions. Dress For Less, the popular women's dis- count fashion store is returning to Loehmann's Fashion Island and relocating to a new space adjacent to Loehmann's Department Store. They are presently under construction and will be ready for an Octo- ber I, 1999 opening. Fashions from Italy will be featured in the new store, Itel Fashions, opening open- ing in October will feature imported Italian designer fashions at discounted prices. A new concept for a shopping center, International Sales Group will be relocating their Executive Offices in September to a 6000 square foot space at Loehmann's Fash- ion Island. From this new location, they wilt manage and administrate the many condo- minium projects that they represent, includ- ing their temporary sales office for Hidden Bay, which is already opened and operating in a separate 2000 square foot space at the shopping center. What makes International Sales Group unique is that they will also be operating as a designer showroom where any condominium owner in the area can order upgraded fixtures, cabinets, etc. at dis- counted prices. These new stores join the fine collection of unique, specialty stores that are set in an attractive open-air environment known for its distinctive collection of fine merchants. Loehmann's Fashion Island offers every- thing from unique, specialty shops tO ele- gant boutiques; fine restaurants to channing outdoor cafes. Loehmann's Fashion Island is located at Biscayne Boulevard and NE 187th Street iff Aventura, FL. Hours of operation are 10am to 9pm Monday through Saturday and noon to 6pm on Sunday. There is ptenty of free parking and easy access from 1-95, Mianfi Gardens Drive, Biscayne Blvd., and the William Lehman Causeway. Floyd Establishes Scholarship Fund at Florida International Universit BY JONA11-lAN JENSEN Florida Marlins left fielder Cliff Floyd has established the Cliff Floyd Scholar- ship, designed to help deserving students from Opa-Locka attend Florida Interne- Grand Ol 'Dream Make A Dream Come Trm BY BARI AUERBACH Most ar~sts only dream of having their .,.vn gallery filled with masterpiece crc- ations on display for the whole community to appreciate. But on Friday, Aug, 6, Dream Maker Art Gallery will open in historic downtown Hollywood, marking one of the greatest achievements in the illustri- ous career of internationally known artist Michael Israel. Ideally located at 2015 Harrison Street, the new gallery is as unique as Israel's newest creations. "Th e gallery was completely renovated with cut coral rock, hand-created stone-wash textured walls, and Corin~ian columns reaching up to painted blue sky arched ceil- ings,'' he explained. "On o0r opening night, the public is invited to come out and enjoy live music, refreshments, a 'body painting' show and a chance to win a share of over $10,000 in special prizes. A raffle will also be held to benefit the junior dancers of Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida. It will also be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire some of my finest pieces at wholesale prices." Israel% works have been featured in "USA Today" and "Time Magazine". Hc was also chosen Over hundreds of artists to be ~c "Absolut Florida Artist" and designed Johnson & Wales Program Gradm Johnson & Wales University-Florida Campus recently held commencement cere- monies for the first graduating class of the Culinary Education and Training for At Risk Youth (CETARY) program in Pro Play- Marlins Director of Community Afl "Florida International University is a' diverse institution of higher learning mirrors the muiticultural make-up of the Florida Marlins. By attending FIU, these students are going to be able to continue !hampions. On ~~CtT~V ~/~ ~n & Wales Uni- teamed up with ~'.L.~ ¢0 $ ~layer Stadium to ally recognized Up to twenty-five s of sixteen and the nine-month fiefs full tuition, ~g tools. ed by the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Preveution and administered by Johnson & Wales (lniverqi I'! ! __ mr m dil TO: FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: CITY OF AVENTURA OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER MEMORANDUM City Commission X--~ August , 4999 Founders Park Water Feature Feasibility Study As per the City Commission's directions at the Budget Review Meeting of July 20, 1999, staff has researched the costs of a feasibility study for a water feature to be placed at Founders Park. The attached Work Authorization prepared by the City's engineers outlines such a study at a cost of $9,680. This matter will be placed on the August Workshop Meeting Agenda. cc: Robert M. Sherman, Director Community Services (w/ attachment) CC0784-99 Aug-04-99 OI:iOP P.lO ..... KEITH and SC._H. NA3S , WORK AUTHORIZATION NO, 154t4.61 The City of Aventura has requested Work Authorization No. 15414.61, as provided for in the agreement between the City of Aventura and Keith and Schnars, P.A. end approved by the City Commission on August 20, 1996. This Work Authorization No. 15414.61 provides for technical services in accordance with Articles 3 and 4 of the agreement as further detailed in the scope of services in Exhibit A. Payment for such services shall be in accordance with Article 5 of the agreement. Totat estimated labor expenses are $6,430.00 Total estimated reimbursables are $500.00 Subconsultant Services $2,750.00 The time period for this work authorization will be 60 days. /--- ATTEST CITY OF AVENTURA, FLORIDA through its City Manager BY BY City Clerk City Manager Teresa M. Soroka Edc M. Soroka __ dayof ,1999 APPROVED ASTO FORM BY Notice to Proceed __ Yes No City Attorney --Weiss Serota& Helfman, P.A. Project initiation Date RECOMMENDED through its Director of Community Services BY Director of Community Services Robert M. Sherman · 1999 d of 6500 North Andrews Avenue · F't. Lauderda{e, Florida ~/309-2i 3-' (954) 776-16t6 · (800) 488-1255 · Fax (954) 771-7690 Exhibit A WORK AUTHORIZATION NO. t5414.61 Founders Park Water Feature Feasibility Study Scope of Consulting Services between The City of Aventura, Florida and Keith and Schnars, P.A. August 4, 1999 _~ Aug-04-99 01: 10P P. 12 Exhibit A WORK AUTHORIZATION NO. 15414,61 Founders Park Water Feature Feasibility Study SCOPE OF CONSULTING SERVICES CONSULTANT proposes to provide professional services associated with preparation oi; a feasibility study for the City of Aventura to construct a water feature in Founders Park. The CONSULTANT shall prepare a study report that explores the feasibility and cost of installing a water feature in Founders Park for the City of Aventura. 1.0 Analysis of Existing Conditions and Recommendations 1.01 Location The CONSULTANT shall consider and analyze possible locations in the park for the water feature and make a recommendation. '1.02 Drainage The CONSULTANT shall assess the impact of installing a water feature in the park to the existing drainage system. The CONSULTANT shall address the possible relocation of drainage structures and the approximate construc- tion cost. The CONSULTANT shall investigate the permit requirements associated with such construction. 1.03 Water nd S r The CONSULTANT shall consider a circulating system and a non-circulating system to analyze the existing water service and determine if it is adequate Aug-04-99 01: lOP P. 13 2.0 3.0 to operate the new water feature. The CONSULTANT shall investigate water and sewer permit requirements to install and operate such feature. 1.04 E_~ctrical Power The CONSULTANT shall evaluate the existing electrical power available and determine if it is adequate to operate the equipment for the new water feature. '1.05 Parkln~ The CONSULTANT shall analyze the impact on the existing parking accommodations caused by adding a new water feature to the park. The CONSULTANT shall make recommendations if additional parking is needed to satisfy additional demand. Construction Impact CONSULTANT shall analyze the construction impact to the normal daily operations of the park. The CONSULTANT shall make recommendations for temporarily closing of the area directly affected by construction. New Water Feature Alternatives and Recommendations 2.01 Water Feature - Clrculatin~ vs. Non-Circulatina System The CONSULTANT shall analyze the impact on the existing and portable water supply caused by adding a new water system to the park. The CONSULTANT shall make recommendations for new filtration systems. 2.02 Surfaclno The CONSULTANT shall make recommendations for the surfacing of the new water feature. 2.03 Eauiument The CONSULTANT shall make recommendations for the materials and equipment necessary for a new water feature. 2.04 Personnel The CONSULTANT shall make recommendations for the personnel necessary to run and maintain a new water feature. 2.05 2.06 ADA Reauirements The CONSULTANT shall make recommendations to ct'reply with the correct ADA requirements for a new water feature. Health DePartment Re(luirements The CONSULTANT shall make a list of the pertinent Health Department requirements for a new water feature. PROJ~ECT INUMBER t5414 WORK AUIHORIZAT~ON NUMBER 15414.61 ]'ASK NAME: FOUNDERS PARK WATER Fb'(TURE FEASISILIT? STUDY TASK HOURS .1 _l_C~a~phi~D~signer 12 Landscape ;vcflitecl (RI.A) ~14 Landscape Designer 15 P~anner (AICP] 18 Proiecl 1~3na~ I HOURLY PROPOSAL 535 $420.00 $~5.00 $;'5.00 $76.0O $55.00 $65.00 $60.00 $65.00 $1 ,{MO O0 S4,250,00 I Prol. Land Su~eyor (P.L.S & Mapper) Senior Projecl Manager 22 Senior Member 2~44_ Pro~__ect Manager II . Projec~ I~_nagm Ill Technician I Tra~sportabon Planner 13~_ Senior Fietd Re,~esentab,'e 42 Survey Pad'/ Spec. 5u~'ey Party $55.00 $65.00 $75.00 $85.00 Q~ote TOTAL DOLLARS PROJECT MANAGER: Jose I. Velez DEPT. CODE: 05 [ REIMBU R~ABLE EXPE MSE$: EST. COST SU~CONSU LTANT A SU~CONSULTANT B SUBCONSULTANT C SUBCONSULTANT D PERMIT FEES TRAVEL EQUIPMENTJSUPPLIES PRINTS & GPJ~*H ICS RELATED PRINT NO. $ A. TOTAL REIMBURSABLE EXF DIRECT EXPENSES: SUBCONSULTAN! A SUBCON~ULTANT B SUBCONSULTANT C SUBCONSULTANT D BLUEPRINT/REPROS PERMIT FEES MEALS EQLIIPMENT/SUPPLIES ?50.00 Rec. Des. & Coest EL TOTAL DIRECT EXPENSES C TOTALDiRECT LA~OR TOTAL BUDGET (A+S+C) PREPARED BY: PRG APPROVED BY: PRG (Dept. Direct) S2,?5O. CX) S6,430.00 T&M $9,680.00 CITY OF AVENTURA BUDGET REVIEW COMMISSION MEETING JULY 20, 1999 9:00 A.M. Aventura Government Center 2999 NE 191~t Street Suite 500 Aventura, Florida 33180 CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL: The meeting was called to order at 9:00 a.m. by Mayor Arthur I. Snyder. Present were Commissioners Arthur Berger, Jay R. Beskin, Ken Cohen, Harry Holzberg, Jeffrey M. Perlow, Vice Mayor Patricia Rogers-Libert, Mayor Snyder, City Manager Eric M Soroka, City Clerk Teresa M Soroka and City Attorney David M Woipin, Esq As a quorum was determined to be present, the meeting commenced. OVERVIEW AND REVIEW OF PROPOSED BUDGET: Mr. Soroka gave a slide presentation showing an overview of the financial performance of the City over the last three years. He then reviewed the proposed 1999/00 budget document, as follows: GENERAL FUND, including Revenues, General Government Departments (City Commission, City Manager, Finance Support Services, Legal, City Clerk), Public Safety Department, Community Development Department, Community Services Department, Non- Departmental and Capital Outlay. A motion for approval of the General Fund Budget was offered by Vice Mayor Rogers-Libert, seconded by Commissioner Berger and unanimously passed. After discussion as to Commission travel expenses, Mayor Snyder appointed a Committee consisting of Mayor Snyder, Commissioner Perlow and Commissioner Beskin to prepare a policy for Commission travel, for consideration by the Commission. A motion to approve Commissioner Pedow, unanimously passed. the City Commission budget was offered by seconded by Commissioner Beskin and A motion to approve the City Manager budget was offered by Commissioner Cohen, seconded by Mayor Snyder and unanimously passed. A motion to approve the Finance Support Services budget was offered by Commissioner Beskin, seconded by Vice Mayor Rogers-Libert and unanimously passed. A motion to approve the Legal Department budget was offered by Vice Mayor Rogers-Libert, seconded by Commissioner Holzberg and unanimously passed. A motion to approve the City Clerk budget was offered by Commissioner Beskin, seconded by Vice Mayor Rogers-Libert and unanimously passed. A motion to approve the Public Safety budget was offered by Vice Mayor Rogers-Libert, seconded by Commissioner Cohen and unanimously passed. A motion to approve the Community Development budget was offered by Vice Mayor Rogers-Libert, seconded by Commissioner Beskin and unanimously passed. A motion to approve the Community Services Department budget was offered by Vice Mayor Rogers-Libert and seconded by Commissioner Beskin. An amendment was offered by Mayor Snyder, and Vice Mayor Rogers-Libert seconded, to include $25,000 for participation in the Legends Tennis Tournament. An amendment was offered by Vice Mayor Rogers-Libert and seconded by Commissioner Perlow to provide the $25,000 for a signature event. The amendment failed 2-5, with Vice Mayor Rogers-Libert and Commissioner Perlow voting yes. The motion for approval of the Community Services Department budget passed unanimously. A motion to approve the Non-Departmental Transfers budget was offered by Vice Mayor Rogers-Libert, seconded by Commissioner Beskin and unanimously passed. A motion to approve the remainder of the Non-Departmental budget was offered by Vice Mayor Rogers-Libert, seconded by Commissioner Cohen and unanimously passed. Staff was directed to research costs of a feasibility study for water feature to be placed in Founders Park. A motion to approve the Capital Outlay budget was offered by Vice Mayor Rogers-Libert and seconded by Commissioner Cohen. A motion to expedite the shade structure, tot swings, and storage structures was offered by Commissioner Pedow and seconded by Vice Mayor Rogers- Libert. The motion unanimously passed. The motion for approval of the Capital Outlay budget passed unanimously. Mr. Soroka read the following resolution by title: A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF AVENTURA, FLORIDA, ESTABLISHING A PROPOSED MILLAGE RATE FOR THE 1999100 FISCAL YEAR; PROVIDING FOR THE DATE, TIME AND PLACE OF THE PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER THE PROPOSED MILLAGE RATE AND TENTATIVE BUGET; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. A motion for approval of the Resolution, which establishes a millage rate for the 1999/00 fiscal year of 2.227 per $1,000 of taxable assessed value, was offered by Commissioner Beskin, seconded by Commissioner Cohen, unanimously passed and Resolution No. 99-37 was adopted. C. POLICE EDUCATION FUND: A motion for approval was offered by Vice Mayor Rogers-Libert, seconded by Commissioner Beskin and unanimously passed (5-0), with Commissioners Cohen and Perlow out of the room. D. STREET MAINTENANCE FUND: A motion for approval was offered by Vice Mayor Rogers-Libert, seconded by Commissioner Berger and unanimously passed, (5-0), with Commissioners Cohen and Perlow out of the room. E. POLICE CAPITAL OUTLAY IMPACT FEE FUND: approval was offered by Vice Mayor Rogers-Libert, Commissioner Berger, and unanimously passed, Commissioners Cohen and Perlow out of the room. A motion for seconded by (5-0), with F. PARK DEVELOPMENT FUND: A motion for approval was offered by Vice Mayor Rogers-Libert, seconded by Commissioner Berger and unanimously passed, (5-0), W~th Commissioners Cohen and Perlow out of the room. G. DEBT SERVICE FUND: A motion for approval was offered by Commissioner Beskin, seconded by Commissioner Berger and unanimously passed, (5-0), with Commissioners Cohen and Perlow out of the room. H. CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION FUND: A motion for approval was offered by Vice Mayor Rogers-Libert, seconded by Commissioner Beskin and unanimously passed, (5-0), with Commissioners Cohen and Pedow out of the room. STORMWATER UTILITY FUND: A motion for approval was offered by Vice Mayor Rogers-Libert, seconded by Commissioner Berger, and unanimously passed, (5-0), with Commissioners Cu;~en and Perlow out of the room. J. POLICE OFF-DUTY SERVICES FUND: A motion for approval was offered by Vice Mayor Rogers-Libert, seconded by Commissioner Beskin and unanimously passed, (5-0), with Commissioners Cohen and PeHow out of the room. Mr. Soroka announced that the budget public hearings are scheduled for September 9, 1999 and September 23, 1999 at 6 p.m. at the Biscayne Medical Arts Building. ADJOURNMENT: After motion made, seconded and unanimously passed, the meeting adjourned at 11:15 a.m. Teresa M. Soroka, CMC/AAE, City Clerk Approved by the Commission on Anyone wishing to appeal any decision made by the City Commission with respect to any matter considered at a meeting or hearing wilt need a record of the proceedings and, for such purpose, may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings if made, which record includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based 4 CITY OF AVENTURA OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER MEMORANDUM TO: FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: City Commission Eric M. Soroka, ~*,~ Ma/,~g~ August 23, 1999 Library Update BACKGROUND Over the past several months, since I last reported to the City Commission, I have met with the Assistant to the County Manager and the Library Director to discuss the transfer of the County library. As you are aware, the County staff is not supportive of the transfer. Initially, based on Commissioner Gwen Margolis' assistance, the County proposed a possible lease arrangement with the City that would still maintain the library in the County's system. However, several events have occurred since that meeting which has made the County reconsider the lease arrangement. The significant events that have an impact on our negotiations are as follows: The City of Sunny Isles Beach has agreed to construct a 10,000 square foot library in their new government center if the County will operate the facility. The Village of Key Biscayne is in the process of entering into an Agreement with the County to pay the cost of the County extending the operating hours at their branch library. In light of these events and the County Manager's concern about splitting up the Regional Library System, at our last meeting, the County outlined a plan of action to improve services at the Northeast Subregional Library and address the City's previous concerns. The proposal is as follows: The County would extend operating hours on Sunday during the school year if the City reimbursed them for the operating costs. The Library administrative and branch staff wih meet with the City Manager to review and make adjustments to the branch's materials budget, programming and services. Particular attention will be paid to the establishment of a business information center and the addition of 20 computer workstations. This process will occur on an annual basis. The Library will work with the City to establish a citizens advisory group appointed by the City Commission to work with the City Manager and branch staff in improving and maintaining quality services. Based on a consultant's review of the Northeast Library branch, about $1,250,000 is needed in renovations to the facility. The County is not in a financial position at this time to fund the improvements. However, if the City is interested in performing the renovations, the City and County would enter into an interlocal agreement whereby the City would pay the construction costs. Library staff would work with the City to identify and apply for potential supplemental funding services for renovation, such as state construction grants and appropriations. The Library Department would propose to the County Commission that the facility be re-designated the Aventura Branch Library. The above proposal represents the most significant progress in our ongoing negotiations with the County regarding the Library. ALTERNATIVES Last year, a Tri-City Municipal Library Feasibility Study was presented to the City Commission. Since that time, Sunny Isles Beach has not decided to participate in a municipal library. In 1999, the County net library millage collections from Aventura residents will be $1,072,000 and about $80,000 from Golden Beach. The 1997 Study indicated it would cost $946,717 to operate the Library at a quality level. Proposed debt service costs to fund the acquisition of the Library and renovation were estimated at $383,000. A proposal to privatize the library operations in the case of the City acquiring and operating the Library, indicated that it would cost $800,000 to $835,000 annually to operate the facility. These costs do not include renovation or debt service costs. As an alternative, the City and Golden Beach could acquire the County library and operate the municipal library based on the following budget and costs: Hi.qh Low Annual Operating Costs Annual Debt Service Costs $ 947,000 $ 835,000 $ 383,000 $ 383,000 Total Expenditures Less Revenues Generated From Library Tax $1,330,000 $1,218,000 ($1,152,000) ($1,152,000) $ 178,000 $ 66,000 Difference The unfunded difference could be subsidized by the General Fund or a minor tax increase for Library services only. It should be pointed out that acquiring the current library from the County will not be an easy process. On the other hand, if the City decided to remain in the County Library system and fund only the capital renovations, the General Fund could subsidize the cost of $1,250,000 over a period of time. RECOMMENDATION Until the City finalizes plans relating to the Cultural Center and the proposed Town Center, both which represent alternative library sites, I would not recommend that we acquire the Library at this time. However, I would recommend that we press the County to implement the improvements they have outlined and pursue extending the operating hours. The renovations should be delayed or phased in to coincide with the City's stance on acquiring the facility. EMS/aca CCO 1070-99 CITY OF AVENTURA OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER MEMORANDUM TO: FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: Ci~ Commission Eric M. Somka, Ci~ August6,1999 Formosa Termites The City Attorney has advised that due to State law that preempts the City from taking action, the best the City can do is a public information campaign. If the City Commission desires, we can include an article in the next newsletter. I will place this matter on the August Workshop Meeting Agenda. EMS/aca Attachment cc: Brenda Kelley, Director Community Development (w/ attachment) cc0786-99 WEISS SEROTA HELFMA.N PASTORIZA & GIJEDES, P.A. 2665 South Bayshore Drive Suite 420 ~M'inmi, Florida 33133 Telephone (305) 854-0800 Telecopier (305) 854-2323 CONFIDENTIAL Fax: 305-466-8919 TO: CC: Mr. Eric M. Soroka, City Manager City of Aventura Teresa M. Soroka, CMC City Clerk City of Aventura COMMENTS: Re: Termites Based on tl~ state law, I believe tlmt the best the City can do is a public information campaigm The hffonmdoa contained in this h'aam~sion is attorney privileged and ceafidecaial. If. is imerd~i only for the notified that any dL~¢llli~afiort, di~tritmtion or copy of this communicafitm, ia strictly proh,ibi~e41. If you l~ave received FILE NO.: 328001 DATE: August 5, 1999 NUMBER OF PAGES INCLUDING COVER SHEET: 3 PLEASE NOTIFY US IMMEDIATELY IF NOT RECEIVED PROPERLY From the desk Carlnne M. llarblc Secretary to David M. Wolpin ~ Pr~ i ~. t99.L ( PEST¢ONTROL ~ ,,=~hCanl's Residence Address (not Post O~'fice ,1~2.227 Gusre~'~ea end warranties.-- :ann'S Signature Date B (To t)e completed by Ihs p~) and ha~ ~lermi~d ~ h~ or ~ ~ement r~i~ for ~r ~r~ ~ ~e ~*~n .,.cssa~ Io Wo~ that ~'s ~. ] am. [ ] am not, ~d ~r~ and Ame~n Beam of ~dical S~ia~ in one ~at~nai med~l~ Ch. a~2 (1) The term 'guarantee' or "warranty" may be used in a contract for treatment of wood-destroying organisms only in the Ioliowing circumstances: (a) II Ihs licensee promises to restore any property damaged by wood-destroying organisms during a specified period after the treatment, Iha term 'fulr or 'unlimited' must be used together with the term 'guar- antee' or "warren~r' wherever that term occurs tiber than in a disclaimer under subsecfloo (2). (b) If ~ licensee premiSS o~ly to provide addi- tional treatment if ~nfestafion occurs during e specified pedod after ~matmenL the term 'limitecr must be used with the tem~ 'guarantee' or "warranty' wherever that term occurs other than in a disclaimer under subeecfien (2). (c) ti the licensee does eel premise to restore the property or provide additional treatment, the term 'guarantee' or 'warranty' may not be used except in a disCaimer under sub,section (2). (2) Any statement disclaiming an expressed or Impaled guarantee or warranty must appear in cunspic. uous type on the face of the contrast. 4~2.25t Use o~ fogging mechlne~.,--Only a cedi- fled operator who is ce~ified in the category of general househaid pest control, or an authorized employee of ~ The distance surrounding the panda'S primary res-' ~,~e rot whiCh the perso~ requires prior eaificati~n el' ·, applrcalio~ of the peslicide(s) or ciasa of pesticides The dJsta~ specified shall be limited to those '~e~*s adjacent and cont~s to ot ~ ~a~s s~ff~d in ~ag~h 3 ~e. event. I~ ~a~ ~y n~ e~eed a ~mile o~ the ~u~er~ o~ ~e prope~ where the res~ ~ m~t ~ ex~ t~ ~nlmum ~s- r~e P~i~s) ~ cl~ of ~alu,e o~ Cedifylng Physician Date name o~ Certifying Physician) This ac1 shait not be construed to create any )~f:0nal requ/remenL~ related to inclusion or continu- es the registry for those pamesa on the resets/or ~shave al~lled to be o~ the registry as Of July 1, False intormatlon knowing~ provkJe~ shal/be s ;n s. 775,082 er s, ?75.08,3. and teton'nation in household pest control. 482.2401 DLspo~/l'Joa and use of revenues from (1) All moneys coflented or received by the depart- ment under this chapter sha~l be deposited in the Pest li(m (3). shall be used by the dspa~lmenf in can~log gut the pmvisio~s of this chapter and in Ihs educstic~ of the pest centre4 indusl~', (2} A/I expell~itures authorized by this chapter shalJ be paid upo~ presentation of vouchers approved by the deperlmenL (3) All revenues from administrative fines shall be egpaes. The department shaU appoint a committee composed of pest control industry mem~ which shall assist the department in esteblishim:j research pri- ories, in developmg reque~s for proposa~ for bids, and In selecting research contractors trom qua~fled 482.241 Liberal Inte~etafiee.~The provisions et and its haa~h, welfare, and safe~y, 4a2.242 Preempflo~.-- ti) This chapter is intended ~.~ comprehensive and 1129 Ch, 482 PEST CONTROL provisions of this chapter preempt to the state all regu- lation ef the activities and operations Of past control services, including the pestlctdes used pursuant to labeling and registration approved under chapter 487, No local government or political subdivision of the state may enact or enforce an ordinance that regulates pest control, except that the preemption in this section does not prohibit a local government or polit~caJ subdivision from enacting en ordinance regarding any ot the fe~low- lng: (a) Local occupational licenses adopted pursuant Id chapter 205. (b) Land development regulations adopted pursu- ant to chaplet 163 which include regulation of any aspect of development, including a subd[vis;on, build- trig construction, s~gn regulation or any other regulation concerning the development ct land, or landscaping or tree protection ordinances which do not include pesti- cide application reslrictions (c) Protection of wellhead proteclioc areas and high recharge areas. (d) Hazardous materials repoding as set forth in part II of chapter 252, storage, and containment includ- ing as relating to stormwater management. (e) Hazardous material unlawful discharge and dis- posal. (t) H~.ardous materials remediation (2) For the purposes of this section: (a) "Hazardous ma~erials" shall be as defined in s 403.74 and chapter 252, (b) "Wellhead protection area,* means an area des- calcul&ted fixed radii, simplified variable shapes lyrical methods, hydrogeological mapping, (d) =Zone of contribution" means thc area 1130 SUNDAY, AUC;UST 22, 1999 NEWS ILLUSTRATED SUN-SENTINEL, SOUTH FLORIDA · sun sentinel.com/theedg~ Termites on the move The Formosan subterranean termite came to Hallandale in the late 70s and has since spread to Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties. Over the next two decades they are expected to continue spreading house:to-house. Forecast for South Florida By 2030 Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties may be in a simiMr crisis as seen in New Orleans. Formosan termites are responsible for an The first afinual loss of $300 milJion in New Orleans, including infestation da m a ?,e_ and control costs. A city comparison shows in Palm Flortd~cfimate is better for termite growth, yet Beach o~ of housing is less attractive than the older County w,i~ji st ruciu res found in New Orleans. was found -----'- in 1996. Percent of infestation at this time The first nest · 90 percent of the in South homes either have Florida was termites or have found in been treated for Hallandale in termites. 1980. The ~ Area has high termites potential for were aboard infestation. This an infested area will be fairly boat from saturated by 2030. Taiwan. Significant infestations By location and year . '$~ 996 999 ~~ ".~ 1991 d 995 · ; 1986-1990 Food and water Formosan termites are aggressive in finding food and water. They will penetrate lead, asphalt, plaster, mortar, creosote, rubber and plastic to find food (cellulose material) and will search an entire home for water. Ifa satellite nest, such as this, is cut off from the colony, a secondary female from this nest will begin to lay eggs. Check the attic for tunnels orthe presence of nesting material. Mudlike tunnels may be seen around door frames, window sills or even picture frames. It is usually difficult to detect infestations because termites eat the interior of wood. Check leaks in the roof fiat-top roofs. termites. termites ~)lon ,t~rmites. area will De fairly saturated by 2030. Soldiers defend the A(tual size colony from invaders, of tormites Soldiers consist of 20 ~ percent of a Formosan colony, compared to only one to two percent in native species. A defensive sticky chemical is released from this area of the head, hindering movement of invaders. Large mandibles are used to attack invaders, In extreme cases, it may be possible to see changes in the appearance of paint or wallpaper. Watch for tunnels on live trees. Unlike native termites, Formosan will feed on 47 species of live trees. Water from an air conditioner that collects arou nd the foundation can be a problem. near plumbing termites. Workers are responsible for th~ damage seen in structures. They ~uild tunnels and nests and feed a quarter of the p6pulation. The nest A Formosan colony has several million termites, ten times the size of native species. Termite highways Mudlike tunnels, about 1/4 inch wide, are used to access water and food. A nest can be located anywhere in the soil above the water table, which is about five to six feet deep. pipes that go through the foundation or cracks in the foundation. Identifying the insect If the insects are swarming, collect samples. These features help identify it as an ant~or te[mite swarmer. Thee nest ..................... A Formosan colony has several million termites, ten times the size of native species. Termite highways Mudlike tunnels, about 1/4 inch wide, are used to access water and food. The nest and tunnels a e made up of chewed wood, ~liva and excrement. A colony may have several nests. The primary nest is usually in the soil near food and water. A cotony's tunnels may extend across a full acre, crossing several property lines. a moist environment to survive. Tunnels protect them from the d~ing effect of air, which is about five to six feet deep. Best defenses Soil treatment creates a barrier The soit under a building treated with chemicals. Unfortunately, the chemicals break down over time leaving areas unprotected It is best to treat soil before a structure is built. Bait treatment kills the colony Prastic contaih( ~ fi~ted with wood are placed in the soil When the wood is infested, ~t is substituted with a bait, hexaflumu ron. The bait is ta ken to the nest, I(illing the colony. Above ground nests are treated with packe(, of bait. Ant Identifying the insect If the insects are swarming, collect samples. These features help identify it as an ant or tem te swarmer. Their antennae A termite's is beaded and front and hind wings are the I ; same ~ ~ Their waist is thick and consistent. Contact a pest control company to identify the species. Collect a soldier and a winged reproductive or its wings for identification. · Store the termites in a container of rubbing alcohol.: · Wings from a swarmer can be stored in an envelope.: · Note the time of the day they were collected. · Note the location where termites were found. ORDINANCE NO. AN ORDINANCE OF THE C/TY OF AVENTURA, FLORIDA, AMENDING THE CITY CODE OF ORDINANCES BY CREATING SECTION 2-380 "RESTRICTION ON ACTIVITIES BY C/TY LOBBYIST" OF ARTICLE VI "LOBBYING ACTIVITIES" OF CHAPTER 2 'ADM/NISTRATION;" PROHIBITING ANY PERSON RETAINED BY THE CITY TO SERVE AS A LOBBYIST FROM LOBBYING THE CITY DURING THE TERM OF SERVICE AND FOR A PERIOD OF ONE YEAR AFTER COMPLETION OF SERVICE; PROVIDING PENALTY; PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION IN CODE; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR EFFECTIVE DATE. IT IS HEREBY ORDAINED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF AVENTURA, FLORIDA, AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. RESTRICTION ADOPTED. Section 2-380 "Restriction On Activities by City Lobbyist" of Article VI "Lobbying Activities" of Chapter 2 "Administration" of the City Code is hereby created to read as follows: ARTICLE VI. LOBBYING ACTIVITIES. Section 2-380. Restriction On Activities by City Lobbyist. No person who is retained to serve as a lobbyist for the City, pursuant to a contract between such person and the City, shall, during the term of the contract and for a one year period after the termination thereof, lobby the City Commission or any City board, upon any matter, on behalf of any other person or emity, unless first authorized by resolution of the City Commission. This ordinance shall only restrict and prohibit lobbying activities engaged in after the effective date hereof. The term "lobby" includes any attempt to influence governmental decision-making of the City Commission or any City boards. TO: FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: CITY OF AVENTURA OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER MEMORANDUM City Commissio~.~Ma~~t~\ Eric M. Soroka, May 27, 1999 Renaming N.E. 209th Stre-"e~o Dr. Bradley I. Silverman Way June 1, 1999 City Commission Meeting Agenda Item r~ The City has received a request from several doctors affiliated with Aventura Medical Center to rename N.E. 209th Street, from Biscayne Boulevard to West Dixie Highway, to Dr. Bradley I. Silverman Way. The street is the main avenue from the Medical Center to the new Cancer Research Center, which Dr. Silverman was instrumental in bringing to that location. The County was advised that City approval is required on local roads for street name changes. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. EMS/aca Attachment CC0756-99 CITY OF AVENTURA OFFICE OFTHECITYMANAGER MEMORANDUM TO: FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: Janet Laine, Chairperson - Recreation Advisory Board Bob Diamond, Chairl~o.~. Beautification Advisory Board Eric M. Soroka, Cit ~::~g~ August 16, 1999 -- '~ City Advisory Board Reports The City Commission has invited the Chairpersons of the City's Advisory Board to each Workshop Meeting in order to update the City Commission on the Board's activities. The next Workshop Meeting will be held on August 25, 1999 at 9:00 a.m. The Board reports will be heard at 11:00 a.m. Please RSVP to my office at (305) 466-8910 if you can attend. EMS/aca CMO1068-99