Title
CRA Project Summary September (NB)
Explanation
As a regular informational item on CRA agendas, Staff provides a brief update on selected referrals, redevelopment projects and development agreements under review. This monthly update is typically a limited sampling of the CRA’s many on-going projects, as opposed to a complete list.
CRA Wide
Façade Grant, Project Manager, Michael Beard - The Façade Grant program is a competitive matching grant program that is designed to encourage reinvestment in building facades, specifically those located on highly visible target corridors within each district. Staff continues to meet with potential applicants in each district. Recent marketing and engagement efforts have yielded an influx of potential program participants in nearly every CRA District.
Eastside Redevelopment Advisory Board (ERAB)
Heartwood, Project Manager, Michael Beard- Through the executed contract with EDSA for Architectural Standards and Design Guidelines, 4 Floor plan options and 4 Elevation options have been produced. Staff has received cost estimates for the horizontal improvements and appraisals for the conceptual designs on the approved lots.
The completion of the Architectural conceptual designs has provided the final elements needed to fulfill website development for Heartwood, which will act as a major marketing component for the community, as well as a source for progress updates.
In the first stages of forming a public/private partnership, staff is developing a solicitation for the developer/builder community. Staff will present the solicitation to the CRA Board in the coming weeks. Along with the partnership recruitment, staff is continuing engage potential residents and financial institutions in an effort to develop constructive relationships toward homeownership in the Heartwood Community. On October 22, the CRA will host an information session on the project, connecting local financial institution with potential home buyers. Construction permits are expected to be received in September/October.
Cotton Club Grant Management, Project Manager, Stephanie Seawright - The Cotton Club continues to move forward with the construction of the facilities. Staff continues to provide guidance and oversight through grant management of the project.
Cornerstone, Project Manager, Michael Beard - The fully permitted construction documents and approved master plan set is anticipated by August 2016. Staff has been working to foster full development of the site, combining tenant recruitment, marketing and physical improvements for a cohesive economic development strategy. After continued engagement with a viable anchor tenant for buildings C and D, staff presented the overall framework of a possible public/private partnership with Concept Companies; one of the respondents of the 2014 Developer RFP. This direction was approved and staff has been diligently working closely with the developer to solidify the framework to accommodate 22,700 square feet of space required by the tenant. On August 4th the City Commission approved the proposed terms of the land disposition for building pads C and D; a public/private partnership in the form of a lease with an option to purchase with Concept Companies. At the June CRA meeting the board was introduced to the idea of possible changes to some of our programs. Staff will be presenting the Guaranteed Maximum Price proposal for the previously discussed infrastructure scope which will represent 90-95% of the horizontal improvements needed to complete the overall Master Plan in the coming weeks.
ERAB Residential Paint Program, Project Manager, Malcolm Kiner - The Residential Program is open and accepting applications, the program will provide an eligible applicant with a voucher for paint and painting supplies up to $500 to be used for the exterior painting of their home. As we approach the new fiscal year staff will work on new ways to market the program throughout the district, this includes all new applications as well as marketing the program through local outlets.
Greater Duval Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative (NRI), Project Manager, Malcolm Kiner - CRA launched a partnership with Alachua Habitat for Humanity called the “Partnership for Paint” program. The program allows the CRA to offer a grant of up to $500 to eligible home owners in the NRI area. The $500 grant will be applied to the fee associated with participation in “A Brush with Kindness”. During the month of July we completed the 16th home in the Greater Duval Neighborhood. Along with the partnership for paint, staff has worked closely with the Neighborhood Association and coalition partners to identify additional needs in the community. A second round of surveying was completed over the summer, and as the results of the surveys are recorded staff along with our partners will evaluate new ways to provide services to the community.
Downtown Redevelopment Advisory Board (DRAB)
Downtown Plaza, Project Manager, Malcolm Kiner -On Agenda
University Avenue Substation, Project Manager, Stephanie Seawright -
Staff is still in discussions with County Staff with regards to the property being transferred to the City or CRA through the surplus program. CRA Staff plans to take the project through our First Step process to determine the viability of the types of projects envisioned for the site. Possible uses for the redeveloped site are a restaurant, newspaper kiosk, juice bar, pizza take-out and a specialty shop to name a few.
Downtown Redevelopment Area Residential Paint Program, Project Manager, Stephanie Seawright - To date the DRA Residential Paint Program has completed seven (8) homes (407 SW 5th Ave, 428 SW 3rd St., 436 SW 3rd St., 507 SW 6th Pl, 608 SW 4th St., 627 SW 5th St., 703 SW 5th St., 403 SW 7th Avenue). We have five (5) pending applications (621 SW 5th St., 704 SW 5th Terr., 803 SW 5th Terr., 614 SW 3rd St., and 321 SW 7th Ave.)
Depot Park Phase II, Project Manager, Ori Baber - On August 1, the fences surrounding the construction site were taken down, signifying the start of the much anticipated soft opening of Depot Park. On August 20, the CRA celebrated the Grand Opening of Depot Park alongside hundreds of community members that showed up to enjoy the new park. The celebration included food trucks, live music, dance performances, organized field games, and opportunities to meet with the many partners that contributed to the development of the park. The CRA would like to thank all those who helped make Depot Park and the grand opening celebration a success.
The CRA is dedicated to ensuring the ongoing success of Depot Park and will continue to work closely with the Construction Management team and Depot Park to staff. The CRA will manage the Depot Building lease until all improvements are complete and will continue to act as the liaison for the Cade Museum.
Power District, Project Manager, Andrew Meeker - In July the CRA Board gave approval of the Developer RFQ (Request for Qualifications) rankings as presented and recommended by Staff. The goal of the solicitation was to identify potential local, regional, and national private development partners. Because of the uniqueness of the Power District as well as the significant amount of existing due diligence work with the site, the RFQ served as a mechanism to announce our desire to formalize private public partnerships and begin strategic development driven implementation of the master plan. This solicitation process encourages private investment while also ensuring the community vision and core principles of the adopted 2013 Redevelopment Plan are maintained throughout the development process. CRA Staff is currently in the process of crafting the subsequent RFP (Request for Proposals) for Phase 1 development projects that will likely include, at a minimum, the adaptive reuse of several existing buildings and activation of the site with programming events. It is expected that the draft RFP will be presented to the CRA Board at an upcoming 2016 meeting.
College Park University Heights Redevelopment Advisory Board
NW 5th Avenue (1300-2000 blk), Project Manager: Suzanne Wynn -The CRA has received preliminary electrical undergrounding designs and required easement locations from GRU. The CRA’s next steps for this project will be initiating a cost/benefit analysis and meeting with individual property owners over the next several months to determine the feasibility of the acquisition of all of the easements required. We will be moving toward a community meeting after all potential easement stakeholders have been contacted.
NW 1st Avenue (1600-1900 blocks): Project Manager, Sarit Sela - On Agenda
South Main Street, Project Manager, Andrew Meeker - Improvements to the South Main Street corridor have been the subject of discussions and planning exercises for a number of years in anticipation of the opening of Depot Park, the Cade Museum, the Power District, and other redevelopment opportunities in the area. During this period numerous milestones have been accomplished furthering the broad redevelopment goals for this area of Gainesville. Within the past several months significant changes to the area have occurred that directly impact the functional needs of the street. These include new commercial oriented businesses, the Depot Avenue streetscape and roundabout, siting of the Cade Museum, and the opening of Depot Park. With these recent improvements being fully realized, CRA Staff is prepared to advance the planning process forward so that the South Main Street corridor responds to its changing context and reflects its prominence as a gateway to Gainesville.
During the past several months CRA Staff has been meeting with individual stakeholders, businesses, and property owners located along South Main Street to solicit feedback in regards to their current and future relationship to the corridor. The information received compliments the work previously conducted related to surveying, traffic data gathering, façade grants, site inventory, community engagement, and user analysis.
With the recent opening of Depot Park and the pending opening of the Cade Museum in the fall of 2017, CRA Staff hosted a two-day participatory community workshop on August 29 & 30 to explore design alternatives that will support the project planning principles of: improving safety and connectivity, increasing parking opportunities, preparing the area as a destination with a unique identity, while addressing the accessibility, flow, and balance of the corridor. Over 50 citizen stakeholders attended the workshop, completed conceptual designs for the street, and provided valuable feedback that is being analyzed and summarized to find points of consensus within the community. For those that were not able to attend the workshop, a web-based version of the design exercise was launched as an interactive method to allow citizens to submit concepts electronically. To date we have received 10+ electronic submissions.
Staff is working to advance the planning, design, and engineering process to ensure public safety improvements are in place as soon as possible without significant disruptions to business and commuter operations along the street.
Throughout the month of September the CRA will continue to solicit feedback from the public and meet with key stakeholders. CRA Staff will then consolidate feedback and recommendations received into a presentation to the Board during the fall of 2016. Once a cross-section for the street is approved by the Board, scoping of a schedule, construction documents, and construction can be developed.
Fifth Avenue Pleasant Street Redevelopment Board
A.Q. Jones House Museum, Project Manager, Stephanie Seawright - A Certificate of Completion has been received. Next a Certificate of Occupancy will be obtained. MAM Exhibit Design is currently working on the exhibit design concept for the project. Plans are to have the conceptual completed by the end of October and then move to exhibit build-out and laying a foundation for programming in conjunction with PRCA.
FAPS Residential Paint, Project Manager, Malcolm Kiner -Like the Eastside Residential Paint Program the FAPS Residential Paint program provides an eligible applicant with a voucher for paint and painting supplies up to $500 to be used for the exterior painting of their home. Staff has seen an increase in applications. Applicants along NW 3rd St and NW 6th Avenue completed their homes in September.
Seminary Lane, Project Manager, Sarit Sela - In February, the Gainesville Florida Housing Corporation (GFHC) and Gainesville Housing Authority (GHA) boards, the majority owner of the site, approved to sale 2.77 acres of the 6.55 site, located northwest of the NW 5th Avenue and NW 12th Street intersection. Future transaction proceeds will be used to self-finance construction on the rest of the property. The CRA has been working with GHA and GFHC on an FRP for the sale of the NW Quadrant property.
Last month, the partnering organizations decided about a change in strategy, and will look for a developer to develop the entire 6.55 acres as a holistic project. The agencies are working with a commercial realtor to move this effort forward.
Fiscal Note
None at this time
Recommendation
CRA Executive Director to the CRA Board: Receive project update from Staff