Loading...
07-10-12 HRA Special Workshop Agenda Packet AGENDA Special Workshop Meeting of the Housing and Redevelopment Authority Golden Valley City Hall 7800 Golden Valley Road Council Conference Room July 10, 2012 6:30 pm or immediately following Council/Manager Meeting Pages 1. Roll Call 2. Possible HRA Focus Areas 2-5 3. Adjaurnment This docurnenfi is available in al#ernate formats upon a 72-hour request. Please call 763-593-80Q6 (TTY: 763-593-3968)to make a request. Examples of alternate formats ` may include large print, el�ctranic, Braille, audiacassette, ekc. �l��1 (�� Housing and Redevelopment Authori.ty 763-593-8002/763-593-8109(fax} Executive Summary Far Action Golden Valley Housing and Redevelopment Authority Special Workshop Meeting July 10, 2012 Agenda Item 2. Possible HRA Focus Areas Prepared By Jeanne Andre, Assistant Director, Housing and Redevelopment Authority Summary At a May workshop meeting the Commissioners asked staff to brainstorm on ways the HRA could focus its activities to better promote economic development. The goal of promoting this development would be to enhance the City's tax base, reduce blight and initiate projects that enhance livability for City residents. This past discussion identified both strategies for redeveloping and specific projects that could be promoted. Staff brainstorming has tried to identify ideas in both of these areas. The purpose of further discussion is for Council to identify strategies and possible projects that would promote economic development. Background In recent times staff has focused on area studies that have helped the Council and community to identify key areas of the City and how City planning and public improvements could help implement the community vision. While responding to specific projects that came forward, the City and its HRA have not been proactive in working to attract private developers to implement projects in keeping with this vision. The approach was to react to private propasals that came forward and encourage them ta be implemented in keeping with the City's vision. Recent marke# conditions have not been favorable to this approach. Even considering the recession, it appears that there are fewer developments in Golden Valley than in surrounding communities, and it appears that more and more cities are being proactive in working to attraet projects. These factors are combining to further handicap Golden Valley. Recent discussions have revolved around whether and how the HRA might take a more proactive approach and reverse this trend. A#the recent "New Normal" workshop sponsored by the Urban Land Institute, the participating developers suggested that they appreciate cities that have a visian and seek developers who wish to develop projects in keeping with that vision, They expressed a strong aversion to uncertainty and becoming involved in projects that do not have a strong community consensus. With that in mind, staff recommends brainstorming on projects and approaches that have a strong consensus among the HRA Commissianers and that have been exposed and garnered community support (or cauld garner such support in the future). While the HRA cannat prejudice the Council's quasi- judicial role in approving projects, it can select projects and inform the public about them, potentially gaining broader community support before the project goes into the formal review process. Attached are two brainstorming lists developed by staff, One relates to specific sites or projects and the second to strategies we could use to study and implement projects. In order to get a good discussion among the Commissioners and see if we can reach consensus on any project or approach, I recommend the following process to stimulate the NRA discussion at the July 10 workshop session. 1. Each Commissioner should select a site (or preference for no action) to recommend to the other Commissianers along with a rationale for selecting that site. We can go araund the table and hear the selections and then open for discussion. The goal of the discussion will be to select up to three sites for staff to further research and bring back with a planned approach for seeking development. If there is no consensus staff will continue to work in a reactive manner to proposals that come forward. 2. Following the discussion of sites, the HRA can review strategies, with each Commissioner suggesting one strategy that they would like to employ. Staff will consider the Commissioner's preferences when reviewing options for further study and action. Golden Valley has a small staff and limited ability to take on a number of major projects. Therefore the goal of this exercise is to establish a reasonable workload for projects that have broad support and therefore a better likelihood of success. Some of the listed projects are more viable in the short term than others. Staff excluded some ideas that seemed unlikely to proceed in the near-term, but even the listed projects have different rates of viability. This might be a consideration in the discussion. • Possible HRA Focus Projects (1 page) • Possible HRA Redevelopment Strategies (1 page) Possible HRA Focus Projects 1. Develop small area plan, identifying land uses, public infrastructure and financing tools to achieve plan • Select specific parcels (or group of parcels) and seek developers who will develop in accord with HRA vision. • Seek community involvement � Possible parcels include: Lupient land(northeast corner of Louisiana and Market StreetJ ➢ Relate uses to Boulevard Collision and Menards ➢ Identify traffic impact, pedestrian and stormwater improvements Former Olympic Printing Site (northwest corner of Xenia and Golden Hills DriveJ ➢ Integrate with Xenia Avenue improvements ➢ Seek input from neighborhood and adjacent parcels (Allianz, Colonnade, Golden Hills Business Center, MEPC West) Colonnade Vacant Parcel(southeast corner of Xenia and Golden Hills Drive) ➢ Integrate with Xenia Avenue improvements � seek input from neighborhood and adjacent parcels (Allianz, Colonnade, Golden Hills Business Center, MEPC West) Former Homesteader Site (northeast corner of Douglas and Hwy 55J ➢ Explore combining with BNC Bank parcel ➢ Identify uses in new zoning district that meet with HRA vision, collaborate with property owner on development options ➢ Coordinate with planning for pouglas Drive improvements Identify residual parcels acquired for the construction of Douglas Drive and consider infill housing projects that could incorporate these sites. 6100 Olson Highway ➢ Consider ways to assist this property to convert from industrial to corporate campus, in keeping with the Douglas Drive Corridor Study. Propvsed Senior Housing Site (northeast corner of Douglas Drive and Golden Valley Road) A Work with developer to see if senior housing is still an option for this site ➢ Develop HRA vision for that development and identify subsidies necessary to achieve that vision. 2. Review existing Redevelopment Area such as Golden Hills or pouglas Drive Corridor � Identify desired private development for areas not previously redeveloped—type of uses and density, amenities such as public gathering spaces • Identify related public improvements—road, pedestrian, sewer, storm sewer, streetscaping • Seek community input Possible HRA Redevelopment Strategies ❖ Consult with market experts to identify emerging market trends that might align with the City's development objectives. ❖ Study redevelopment tools and grant programs in depth and identify locations and projects to which the HRA could apply them. This approach would focus less on the HRA vision and more on tools currently available to accomplish redevelopment in the City. Knowing the tools, the HRA could then consider which geographic areas would have the greatest opportunity to develop with outside assistance and could target its visioning efforts to those areas. ❖ Study financing tools and discuss, to provide staff with stronger direction on when and why such tools should be utilized. ❖ Use a field trip as the focus to study specific geographic areas and types of development that are desired in the City. Some options for consideration: 1. Tour the current and past redevelopment areas in Galden Valley to be aware of what has been done in the past and brainstorm an possible development for remaining blighted areas. 2. Tour sites identified for possible redevelopment and rank them from highest to lowest in terms of need for redevelopment. 3. Tour redevelopment areas in ather cities for inspiration on types of development that could be attracted to Golden Valley. (Suggestions—St. Louis Park, Burnsville, Edina, Wayzata) 4. Pick a desired type of development (e.g. housing) and have staff research options that are desired in Golden Valley. Select sites to tour, possibly selecting projects done by developers who we would like to lure to Golden Valley.