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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAPRIL 12,1993 I I ()I/(). ~'O 35: 0082 0 'II.:), '/, c.c,.. CITY COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS ARE TAPE RECORDED AND ON FILE IN THE OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK ROLL CALL 1. 2. DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION STRATEGY (M.Freedman) Ot;. ~O ,,~ M I NUT E S CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ARCADIA ADJOURNED REGULAR MEETING (WORK SESSION) APRIL 12, 1993 The Arcadia City Council met in an Adjourned Regular Meeting (Work Session) on Monday, April 12, 1993, at 5:30 p, m. in the Council Chambers Conference Room. PRESENT: Councilmen Ciraulo, Harbicht, Lojeski, Margett and Fasching ABSENT: None ORAL COMMUNICATIONS None At the January 12, 1993 City Council Work Session, Michael Freedman, of Freedman, Tung and Bottomley, formally presented a "Downtown Revitalization Strategy, Scope of Services", proposal for Arcadia which included a Project Summary and a list of work tasks which his firm would perform. Said proposal included also an Economic and Marketing Analysis by Mundie and Associates in cooperation with services provided by Freedman, Tung and lIottomley. Subsequently, on January 19, 1993, the Arcadia Redevelopment Agency approved and entered into a contract with Mr. Freedman's firm for the purpose of developing a Downtown Revitalization Strategy pursuant to their proposal in an amount of approximately $80,000, plus time and materials for additional work. Said figure included $15,000 to be paid to Mundie and Associates for the marketing analysis. Mr. Freedman opened his presentation of the downtown' revitalization strategy for Arcadia by stating in part that, as stated in the original contract scope of services, a series of workshops had been conducted with City staff and with interested members of the community and business owners. The formal study session this evening with the City Council is to report back with preliminary ideas for downtown and receive Council's comments and reactions. Ms. Suzanne Lampert, of Mundie and Associates, distributed a draft of the "Downtown Arcadia Revitalization Strategy: Economic Background Report", and presented a broad overview of Mundie's economic conditions and market analysis for the project area under consideration. Ms. Lampert noted, there are two ways to think of the area; one way is the entire area from the race track all the way on Huntington Drive to Second Avenue or beyond to Fifth Avenue; and the other way is to focus specifically on the Huntington Drive core, between Santa Anita Avenue and Second Avenue. The specific details of the Mundie economic report are detailed in their February 1993 draft, noted above as distributed to Council. To conclude her report, Ms. Lampert commented that although she had painted a pretty dim picture, there are opportunities for Arcadia that the Agency can seize on to accomplish revitalization, such as; identity and atmosphere can be created through physical improvements by landscaping, monuments, street furniture or a design tneme that could be carried throughout the two blocks of the historical downtown area on Huntington Drive. 1 4/12/93 3j:0083 This could be accomplished in cooperation with the private business community, Secondly, there is a base of business support that is thriving in that area and it should be encouraged, this would include all of the businesses north of Huntington also, Thirdly, the race track draws a tremendous influx of people during racing season, also during off. track betting season. And finally. once the train station comes into the City. if these people can be linked to the downtown, they will create another source of support for the businesses there. Further, the land around the station will become valuable for retail business. At the conclusion of Ms. Lampert's overview of her report, Councilman Harbicht noted that he was under the impression that Mundie and Associates' report was going to be an economic analysis of the entire area looking for voids or niches that I Arcadia could fill, Ms. Lampert responded the real basis for their economic investigation was to be the 1989 market report prepared for the City of Monrovia to try and evaluate whether the findings were applicable to Arcadia, and if they weren't, why not, and going beyond that what her firm could recommend in terms of economic strategy that would help Arcadia's revitalization effort. Monrovia's report focused on three types of land use; office; industrial/research and development, and the=third was retail, with particular attention to discount retail or higher value warehouse discount retail. Monrovia's report indicated that Monrovia should move toward the office market, not toward the industrial/research and development market. Discount retail was encouraged. Mundie and Associates concluded that these three uses probably would not apply to Arcadia. However, if there is opportunity for industrial/research and development or discount retailing to come into Arcadia, it should not be turned away. Mr. Freedman presented slides of other cities' downtown revitalization projects and expanded on his and Ms. Lampert's activities and methods of developing two strategies for t:he revitalization of downtown Arcadia along Huntington Drive. between Santa Anita Avenue and Second Avenue; the Foulger Ford site; and the area north of Huntington between Santa Anita and Second Avenue and the railroad tracks. "Strategy' A" would limit the size of downtown to a core area within a larger downtown district. The core area would stretch from the post office on Wheeler Street south through a mid-block opening on Huntington Drive between Santa Anita and First Avenue, then proceed east to just past the Huntington and First Avenue intersection. This would form a "T" shaped like cluster of the post office, retail, restaurants, theater and art gallery uses in the smaller area, and would capture the daytime population in a professional office, medical and civic services, district developed on the site bordered by Huntington Drive, Santa Clara and Santa Anita Avenue, encompassing the Foulger Ford site. The Freedman/Lampert site investigation also suggests the potential of, developing the south side of Huntington Drive between First and Second Avenues with dense multi-residential units to increase daytime population to support the downtown core of ground level retail/services. The area between First and Second Avenues could be a mix of professional office, services and residential development, I "Strategy B", commented Mr. Freedman, is more ambitious than "A", and would encompass the downtown core and would stretch the entire distance on Huntington Drive between Santa Anita and Second Avenue. "B" would include the continued densification of the residential area south of Huntington to California Street; and promote professionel office, civic services and medical development. "B" would encourage continued investment in mixed commercial and small scale industrial uses north of Huntington Drive to generate a lot of daytime population to support the 2 4/12/93 I I 35:0084 2.000 lineal feet of ground level shops along Huntington, from Santa Anita to Second Avenue. Referring to the north side of Huntington between First and Second Avenues, Mr. Freedman directed attention to two of the nicer buildings constructed mid-block with a parking lot between them. This physical area could be used to create a mid. block amenity such as a plaza or a mid. block paseo similar to a plaza area in Santa Barbara. Retail businesses could open directly out onto the middle of the paseo. Mr. Freedman suggested also that the Council consider placing the expected train station in the area of Second Avenue and Huntington Drive at the Bonita Park site, or just north of Huntington to the west of Second Avenue. This plan could be politically controversial, however, if the Council would like to double the size of downtown, creating an anchor such as the train station is a way to do so. Also densifying the housing in the area will support the station and the downtown businesses. The station would be an immediate catalyst for residential development and an anchor for downtown. Mr. Freedman commented that the Council think of Strategy "B" as a shopping mall which has a lot of little shops between two big generators of activity. He also suggested the development of a large scale retail use in that area. In considering either of these strategies, City investment would be necessary to "prime the pump" to attract new private investment into the area. Considerable discussion ensued after Mr. Freedman's presentation of the viability of developing Strategy "B", The main issue would be positioning the train station in an area described by Mr. Freedman, which would then make the mid-block paseo possible ,., and Strategy "B" "totally doable", according to Mr. Freedman. A larger scale retail use would also increase the potential for Strategy "B". The City Manager commented that there has been an expression of interest on the part of AMC Theatres in the City's revitalization of downtown Arcadia, Mr. Freedman informed also that one more commercial workshop will be held. A lot of specific issues will be discussed at that meeting. ADJOURNMENT At 8:12 p. m. the City Council ADJOURNED to Tuesday, April 13, 1993, at 5:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers Conference Room for an Adjourned Regular Meeting (York Session). ATTEST: / Fasching, Mayor J 3 4/12/93