Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutDowntown Development Authority - Minutes - 06/05/2008DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY Regular Directors' Meeting MINUTES of June 5, 2008 REGULAR MEETING The Board of Directors of the Downtown Development Authority met in Regular Session at 7:30 a.m. on June 5, 2008 at Home State Bank located at 303 East Mountain Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80524. PRESENT George Brelig; McCabe Callahan; Kim Jordan; Ryan Keiffer, Kelly Ohlson; Kathay Rennels; William Sears; Patty Spencer; Jack Wolfe STAFF Chip Steiner, DDA Executive Director; Matt Robenalt, DDA Project Manager; Joanna Stone, DDA Staff; Carol Bennis, Beet Street, Executive Director; Kathy Cardona, DDA Staff; Jean Lamm, Beet Street; Lucia Liley, Legal Counsel GUESTS INCLUDED Darin Atteberry, City Manager; Mike Jensen, FCRE; Blue Hovatter, Jim Martell, Chris Osborn & Lisa Poppaw, Beet Street Board; Chuck Seest, City Finance Director; Emmanuel Diblier & Brad Smith, EDAW; Mike Rodriguez, David Greusel, Daniel Wood, Tom Williams, Jason Perryman & Sandy Eeds, HOK Venue; Jean Lamm, Beet Street; Brian Schlicting & Devon Smith, McCauley Constructors; Dan Bernth, Doberstein Lemburg; David Fry, Yudien, Fry & Assoc.; Ray Engen, Beaudin Ganze Engineers; Bill Sheets, CSU; Dave Phillips & Jay Stoner, Stoner & Co.; Sandy Helzer & Brad March, Elks; Ben Manvel, City Council; Robin Crews, WJHN; Susan Sieger, Crossroads Consulting; Bruce Hendee, BHA Design; Rich Shannon; Jim Clark, CVB; Kathleen Bracke, City Transportation; David Short, DBA; John Sayer, HDR; Libbie & Walter Hickman; Doug Murray, CSU; Sadie Howe & Dawn Oglesby, Oglesby Sherman Design CALL TO ORDER Mr. Wolfe called the meeting to order at 7:30 a.m. Roll call was taken. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Mr. Keiffer moved to approve the minutes of May 8, 2008 as amended. Seconded by Ms. Jordan, and passed unanimously. BIG IDEAS No big ideas were presented. BEET STREET Carol Bennis summarized Beet Street activity. • There will be no Chautauqua trip this summer. • Beet Street Board will hold an advance planning retreat on July 14'". • Tickets are still available for the Wynton Marsalis concert. • Work continues on the Peace Corps reunion, with keynote speakers firmed up for Friday and Sunday. 22,000 postcards were sent out to returned Peace Corps volunteers. • A workshop is planned for next month on audience development and cultural participation. • The new intern Alicia Mercier is helping with marketing. • Applications for office manager are being reviewed. DDA Minutes June 5, 2008 Page 2 SOLAR VILLAGE EXTENSION REQUEST The DDA has been asked to extend its commitment to the Solar Village project for another 12 months. Moved by Ms. Jordan, seconded by Mr. Sears: To extend the project commitment for Solar Village by one year. The motion passed unanimously. ONE LIBRARY PARK One Library Park is a 14-unit residential development that includes underground parking, located a the corner of Olive and Mathews Streets. The completed project will have an estimated value of $9.4 million and will generate approximately $48,840 in annual tax increment. The developers hope to achieve gold LEED certification. The DDA has been asked to invest $1,216,552. Staff felt that not all the listed expenses qualify for DDA investment. Dave Phillips and Jay Stoner presented the project to the Board. Mr. Stoner described the project as consistent with surrounding architecture. It is not a loft project, but more Boston brownstone with 7 units on the ground floor and a street -friendly presence, built around a central courtyard. In response to a question, Mr. Phillips noted that the flatwork of the building is on a City right of way. The intent is to make is as energy efficient as possible with re -use of some materials from the existing structure, a photovoltaic system and water saving appliances. Twenty-five underground parking spaces, storage spaces and handicapped parking are planned. The Board expressed approval of the project and discussed qualified expenditures and if it was possible to support some of the green building components. Moved by Mr. Brelig, seconded by Mr. Keiffer: To support One Library Park up to $700,545 with the proviso that if at least a silver LEED certification is not achieved, the amount of the commitment will be reduced by up to $50,000. The motion passed unanimously. (Kim Jordan left the meeting) 215 NORTH COLLEGE AVENUE This project is next to the Torgerson building. The existing single -story structure will be tom down and a new three-story building will replace it. The ground floor will be retail/restaurant with a 4-space parking garage at the rear. The upper two floors will be offices and letters of intent have been signed for both. Staff supports the project for the following reasons: the design is contemporary but fits well with the neighborhood; the project could attain silver LEED certification; it would keep jobs in downtown; and, the project is located north of LaPorte Avenue, an area of downtown where more redevelopment is needed. Staff recommended a DDA investment of $413,600 with an additional commitment to pay for the LEED certifying process up to $50,000 if it results in silver or gold level certification. Board discussion focused on some of the design elements and approval of the location of the project. Moved by Mr. Keiffer, seconded by Mr. Sears: To approve up to $463,600 for the project of 215 North College Avenue with a reduction of up to $50,000 if a minimum of silver LEED certification is not achieved. The motion passed unanimously. 210 EAST OAK STREET Board member Patty Spencer recused herself for this discussion. Libby and Walter Hickman, majority owners of 210 East Oak Street (the former Zoric Cleaners), requested a fagade grant for f igade renovation of the building. The owners are converting it to a fitness training center with commitments from a yoga studio and massage therapist. Staff strongly supports the request because of the building's unique architecture and recommended Board approval, reducing the amount by half of the cost of the architectural design fee. Moved by Mr. Ohlson, seconded by Mr. Sears: To approve a fagade grant in the amount of $33,998. The motion passed unanimously. DDA Minutes June 5, 2008 Page 3 RIVER INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN Kathleen Bracke, John Sayer and Bruce Hendee presented the final draft of the Downtown River District Improvement Project Plan. The document includes a summary of the project process, an infrastructure needs assessment, preferred design alternatives, and a phasing and implementation strategy. The plan has received a recommendation for City Council approval from both the Planning and Zoning Board and the Transportation Advisory Board. Staff recommended the Board take two actions on this matter. First the Board was asked to accept the plan and recommend Council approval of the final draft. Second, the Board was asked to appropriate funds, which had been budgeted but not appropriated or allocated, in the amount of $1,500,000 for the design, administration and construction of improvements on Linden Street, a Willow and Linden roundabout, and a roundabout at Jefferson Street and Mountain Avenue, which is to be leveraged with the City's CMAQ grant and in collaboration with CDOT and the North Front Range MPO. About one-third of the funds would be used at each of the three locations. (Kathay Rennels left the meeting before the vote on this matter) Moved by Mr. Sears, seconded by Mr. Keiffer: To approve the River District Plan as accepted and recommend City Council approval. The motion passed unanimously. Moved by Mr. Keiffer, seconded by Mr. Brelig: To approve the appropriation of $1,500,000 to be allocated to the River District Plan as presented. The motion passed unanimously. COMMUNITY MARKET PROJECT — WALLACE CENTER GRANT The Community Market project planning team is seeking a local cash match for a Wallace Center grant application. The grant would provide funds to conduct a feasibility study and public involvement process to examine the agricultural production and distribution system in Northern Colorado. The total project budget is $85,000. The grant request is $30,000. A local $10,000 in kind contribution has been given by the Local Living Economy Project: Staff requests a commitment from the Board in the amount of $30,000 as a local cash match in anticipation of the project team using the DDA commitment as seed to acquire an additional $15,000 in local contributions. Moved by Mr. Ohlson, seconded by Mr. Sears: To approve a cash match in the amount of $30,000 for the Wallace Center grant for the community market project to look at the producer network system and authorize the DDA to enter into an IGA to transfer the funds to the City for administration of funds. The motion passed unanimously. HOTEL There will be a joint work session with City Council on July 22°d. There is a tentative financial agreement that will have to be approved. AMPHITHEATER SITE SELECTION PROCESS HOK Venues was present to explain the site selection process and ask for Board recommendation of a site for the amphitheater to City Council. Susan Sieger of Crossroads Consulting first spoke about the economic feasibility of a downtown amphitheater and the factors that will have an impact, both positive and negative. She also discussed possible operating structure. Ms. Sieger noted that the next steps are to refine the program, estimate the utilization, project revenues and expenses, outline the economic and fiscal benefits, prepare a funding analysis, and summarize those findings. David Gruesel and Tom Williams of HOK discussed the site selection process and how they arrived at the top locations. The Justice Center site came out first overall but Chestnut Street and Poudre Valley Creamery sites also had high ratings. Many factors were considered including access to public transportation, accessibility, current ownership, proximity to parking and residential buildings andvisibility. DDA Minutes June 5, 2008 Page 4 Mike Rodriguez presented progress of the design including 3 roof designs and ideas for the gardens in the park. He emphasized disability access to all sections of the amphitheater in a slightly redesigned bowl design. Moved by Ms. Spencer, seconded by Mr. Keiffer: To recommend the Justice Center site to City Council as the optimal location for the amphitheater. The motion passed unanimously. ELKS BUILDING Lucia Liley presented for Board approval for the Chair to execute a Ratification and Modification Agreement to the original Elks' contract. The Agreement waives the time period in the original agreement for receipt of approval by the national Elks organization; release the $10,000 escrow to the Elks; approves option payments of $10,000 to the Elks on June 30 and July 30, 2008; sets the closing for no later than August 22, 2008; and, provides that the sole remedy of the Elks for failure of the DDA to close is forfeiture of the escrow and option payments. Moved by Mr. Sears, seconded by Ms. Spencer: To allow the Chair to execute the Ratification and Modification Agreement as presented. The motion passed unanimously. ADJOURN There being no further business the meeting adjourned at 11:14 a.m.