UP Site Development Services

18 Pages·2012·1.24 MB·English

URBAN PARTNERS
John Andrew Gallery
James E. Hartling
COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT / HOUSING / POLICY RESEARCH 829 Spruce Street, Suite 204
Philadelphia, PA 19107
215 829-1901
215 829-1908 FAX
www. urbanpartners.us
Urban Partnersis a professional consulting firm serving public, non-profit and private clients in the planning and
implementation of urban development projects. Our primary focus is on the implementation of development projects -
- our goal is to produce visible results in the form of completed real estate projects and development programs. This
attitude toward implementation influences all of our work, including our work in the area of policy and program
evaluation. Because of Urban Partners’ broad knowledge of urban development issues and mechanisms, we often
undertake specialized development strategies for unusual properties or policy issues. We have a particular interest in
the non-profit development sector and have also worked frequently with institutions concerned with the development of
their surrounding neighborhood or the reuse of difficult properties.
Site Development Strategies: Urban Partners has created a large number of specialized economic development
strategies for properties having complex development needs. Our site development strategies have included conver-
sion of former military installations and other large industrial and institutional properties to mixed-use developments;
establishment of transfer of development rights programs to steer conservation and development activity to desired
locations; transit-oriented development around regional rail stations; adaptive reuse of historic properties and the
creation of new village centers. Our assistance ranges from negotiating on behalf of public agencies with private
developers seeking public sector support to performing comprehensive market studies and recommending viable
development alternatives.
Downtown Revitalization Strategies: Much of our work is oriented toward the revitalization of downtown
areas. We have been active in the creation of revitalization strategies for downtown commercial areas and often
arrange financing to implement our recommended plans. Our experience suggests that a successful downtown
development plan requires careful consideration of marketand management issues, physical needs and eco-
nomic strategies that involve a combination of public and private resources. Urban Partners’ approach to down-
town revitalization projects emphasizes our firm belief that actors who will be ultimately responsible for carrying
out the development plan must be involved from the start. Downtown merchants, property owners, residents, local
developers, cultural arts groups, elected officials and key public staff are all encouraged to participate in the
shaping and implementation of the downtown revitalization strategy. As a result of this involvement, it is not
uncommon for individual development projects to begin even before the planning process is completed.
Commercial District Revitalization: Urban Partners has regularly assisted cities, community organizations and
developers create neighborhood commercial revitalization strategies and projects which help meet the employment,
commercial, retail and service needs of urban and lower-income neighborhoods. This work has involved economic
and financial analysis of specific projects as well as broader economic development studies. Urban Partners has
been particularly effective in working with non-profit corporations and helping them to develop economic development
strategies and either secure developer sponsors or proceed with projects on their own. Our approach to neighbor-
hood commercial revitalization heavily emphasizes the involvement of public and private sector actors who are likely to
participate in carrying out the development plan. Neighborhood merchants, property owners and residents, local
developers and lenders help participate in the shaping and implementation of the revitalization strategy selected.
Neighborhood Development Strategies: Urban Partners has a strong commitment to working with community
development corporations and public agencies on neighborhood revitalization issues and we have assisted our clients
to organize and implement development ventures which address housing, economic development and service needs
at the neighborhood level. Our work has ranged from the creation of overall development strategies to the identification
of specific projects, the securing of funds for project implementation and project management. Urban Partners works
with government entities, institutions, community groups and private developers in identifying and evaluating potential
development projects, performing market and financial feasibility analyses and structuring the creative and workable
financing strategies necessary to move these complex urban development projects from conception to completion. As
with our downtown planning work, community stakeholders are actively involved in developing revitalization strategies
that capitalize on available assets and respond to the needs of the community.
Cultural and Recreational Planning: Urban Partners has had extensive experience in planning for cultural and
historic districts and regional heritage areas and in assisting educational and cultural institutions in developing
financing and implementation strategies to carry out the major elements of those plans. Our work in this area has
included overall planning approaches as well as analysis of specific program components such as recreational
facilities; museums, interpretive centers and cultural facilities; related public infrastructure , landscape and
streetscape improvements and, in certain instances, supportive retail, residential and hotel development. Urban
Partners has assisted numerous clients create recreational and tourism development strategies by identifying
area resources -- natural, historical, cultural and organizational -- determining appropriate development sites
and devising financing programs for project implementation.
Historic Preservation Studies: Urban Partners has a longstanding interest in the economic aspects of historic
preservation -- an interest that has emerged from the architectural backgrounds of members of the firm and our
appreciation for the contribution that historic buildings can make to revitalization efforts. Our work has included
the assessment of market conditions, the preparation of pro forma analyses and the creation of financing
strategies for the rehabilitation and reuse of specific properties. In addition to private investment/adaptive reuse
projects we have been involved in projects driven by the preservation objectives of public and non-profit clients.
We find this work especially challenging because the economic characteristics of preservation activities under-
taken by public and non-profit projects are often quite difficult and require more creative and complex solutions.
Program and Policy Analysis:While most of our work focuses on the planning and implementation of specific
housing or economic/community development projects, we also undertake program and policy evaluations in
these areas. Our program and policy analysis services are oriented to foundations; national and local intermedi-
aries in the community development field, special public agencies and non-profit organizations with broad
national, regional and local perspectives that provide funding to the non-profit sector or are in the position to
establish or influence new program initiatives. Our services allow clients to evaluate the effectiveness of their
current programs and to examine new policy directions for their organizations. These services are enhanced by
our extensive experience in the actual implementation of housing, economic development and community devel-
opment programs, which provides us both a practical operational understanding and a broad intellectual per-
spective on the housing, community development and economic development fields.
URBAN PARTNERS
I-16 F R P
LYOVER EMOVAL ROJECT
Savannah, GA
U
rban Partners recently assisted the City of Savannah and
the Chatham County - Savannah Metropolitan Planning Com
mission (MPC) assess the potential of demolishing the cur-
rent flyover entering downtown Savannah which terminates I-16. In-
stead, a grid of boulevards, local streets and city-scale blocks would
be substituted for the current “expressway-barrier” development pat-
ter. Urban Partners modeled a strategic path for redevelopmetn of the
overall area impacted by the I-16 Floyover removal project. This re-
development program is intended to revitalizeAnd redevelop the MLK
Boulevard and Montgomery Street corridors in patterns consistent with
on-going public policy and adjacent uses; to re-
construct the Kayton Homes public housing de-
velopment within the area to create a mixed-in-
come, mixed-tenure community connected to the
existing neighborhood fabric; to redevelop par-
cels currently encumbered by the I-16 Flyover,
and to encourage housing and business diver-
sity in the overall redevelopment scheme.
The target area includes all or portions of 35
current blocks, as well as land to be freed up
by the I-16 Flyover removal. Taken together,
approximately 35-40 acres of land are likely
to be redeveloped over a 20-year period. Ur-
ban Partners’ analysis described existing population and development
patterns and assessed market opportunities and constraints over a
20-year development period. This analysis identified the potential for
development of over 500,000 SF of commercial space, including re-
tail, office and lodging opportunities, as well as 1,200 new housing
units. Housing potential was assessed by tenure (ownership, rental),
as well as by market niche (market rate, workforce and affordable).
Development was programmed for each major grouping of blocks within
the study area and expected development was phased over the 20-
year period to respect market absorption potential.
Urban Partners also prepared an overall strategy for implementation
and a detailed early action agenda to capture the identified develop-
Client Reference:
ment potential. The project was awarded the Georgia Planning
City of Savannah
Association’s Outstanding Planning Document for a Large Commu-
Chatham County - Savannah Metropoli-
tan Planning Commission nity for 2012.
URBAN PARTNERS
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Hoboken, NJ
T
he Hoboken Waterfront Corporation was formed in early 1992
by Hoboken’s Mayor and City Council for the purpose of
creating a waterfront development program for the City. After
two decades of fruitless effort and two public
referenda defeating public waterfront develop-
ment plans, the Corporation was created to ex-
amine and plan the waterfront as a whole, from
the Jersey City boundary to the south, to the
Weehauken boundary to the north.
The area involved in this planning and imple-
mentation project included a largely vacant pier
and various industrial properties intended to be
reused for office, hotel, residential and retail
development. Urban Partners was retained as
economic and implementation analyst to the Wa-
terfront Concept Plan effort. Our role was to
assess the economic benefits of various devel-
opment alternatives and of specific activities,
to participate in the intensive community par-
ticipation process through which alternative de-
velopment strategies were evaluated and a pre-
ferred strategy selected, to assess the costs of
public improvements — such as pier stabilization, street and utility
construction and park and esplanade construction — necessary to
support the recommended waterfront improvements and to structure
a Request for Qualifications process to attract potential developers.
The plan reserves over 60 percent of the waterfront for public open
space and focuses development on portions of the site closest to
Hoboken’s traditional commercial core -- thus maintaining and sup-
porting the existing Washington Street retail district. This project re-
ceived the 2002 New Jersey Smart Growth Award.
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Hoboken Waterfront Corporation
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D M M D P
OWNTOWN ANSFIELD UNICIPAL EVELOPMENT LAN
Storrs, CT
U
rban Partners participated in a consultant team led by Looney
Ricks Kiss Architects in the completion of the Downtown
Mansfield Municipal Development Plan. Retained by the
Mansfield Downtown Partnership -- a non-profit agency representing
public, private and University of Connecticut interests -- the team was
charged with developing a town center plan for a 15-acre University-
owned site that that would serve both institutional and
community purposes.
Urban Partners’ role in this project was to identify mar-
ket characteristics for a full range of residential, re-
tail, commercial, entertainment and hotel uses and to
assist the design team in developing community con-
sensus about desired uses and their appropriate place-
ment and massing. The project will be distinguished
by a town square, small parks and terraces and an
adjacent 30-acre conservation area -- made possible
by the creation of a new mixed-use zoning classification that allows
for a variety of civic and community spaces and higher density de-
velopment within the town center. Overall, the Storrs Center will in-
clude 200-300 units of market rate rental housing, 400-500 units of
market rate sales housing, up to 200,000 SF of retal space, up to
75,000 SF of commercial space and up to 25,000 SF of community-
programmed civic space.
Urban Partners also assessed the economic and fis-
cal impacts of the proposed development program to
provide the clients with information about attributable
tax revenues and public service costs.
The Mansfield Downtown Partnership has moved for-
ward with our team’s recommendations. In May 2006,
the University of Connecticut’s Board of Trustees ap-
proved the sale of the 15-acre town center and 30-
acre conservation area to the selected developer. The
first phase of mixed-use development is anticipated
to be tenanted in Fall 2012.
Client Reference:
Downtown Mansfield Partnership
URBAN PARTNERS
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Haverford, PA
U
rban Partners recently participated in a multidisciplinary
team retained to develop a master plan for the former
Haverford State Hospital. The Haverford State Hospital facility
was closed in 1998 by the Commonwealth of Pennsyl-
vania after operating for nearly 40 years. The 212-acre
parcel includes approximately 150 acres of undevel-
oped open space, constituting the last remaining un-
developed land in Haverford Township. The parcel is the
largest available single natural land tract in Delaware
County and is a significant open space opportunity for
the community.
Our role in the project was to determine the feasibility
of potential reuse options for the Hospital facilities and
grounds that would help support the preservation of
much of the site’s valuable open space. We examined
market conditions for passive and recreational uses; market rate, age-
restricted and assisted living residential uses; office development; enter-
tainment and catering facilities and municipal and community service
functions. For each use, we identified the feasible scale and pricing of
development, the appropriate placement of development on the site and
the impacts of development on the surrounding area as well as deter-
mined the estimated net fiscal impact of development to Township resi-
dents.
Based on our analysis, the Township negotiated transfer of the property
from the state and selected a master developer, which purchased 40 acres
of the site for residential development. The first of 198 age-restricted
condominiums and 100 carriages homes were occupied in Fall 2009 and
proceeds of the sale have financed the development and maintenance of
four multi-use lighted playing fields and walking trails on 120 acres of
publicly-accessible land.
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Haverford Township, PA
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B M O T R P
AYONNE ILITARY CEAN ERMINAL EUSE ROGRAM
Bayonne, NJ
U
rban Partners was retained by the Bayonne Local Redevelop-
ment Authority (BLRAP to assist in developing a reuse pro-
gram for the Military Ocean Terminal of Bayonne (MOTBY).
Urban Partners assessed the site’s capactiy to contribute to long-term
job creation, additional tax rateables, and mixed use activites to enhance
Bayonne’s quality of life.
The study focused on the feasibility of developing commercial,
residential, hotel, marina, entertainment, and waterfront-related
uses at the site through 2025 and recommended appropriate
pricing, scale, and phasing of development. The initial analysis
identified comparable development projects involving each of the
uses being considered for the MOTBY site, examined the region’s
demographic trends and considered accessibility issues affect-
ing the site. Urban Partners identified total development demand
through 2025, which includes 7,500 housing units, five
million square feet of commercial space and a 250-slip
marina.
Further analysis assessed the ecoUnomic benefits of
each development program considered (including tax rev-
enues, revenues from ground leases and/or sale pro-
.
ceeds and employment impacts); compared the costs of
infrastructure investments required for each development
alternative, and identified financing and investment re-
quirements and potential sources of funding for each
potential use.
Since transfer of the property from the U.S. Army, BLRA
has negotiated the sale and lease of a significant portion
of the property that advances the preferred development
approach. Already developed projects include the Royal
Caribbean Cruise Lines’ Cape Liberty Cruise Port and
the 544-unit Alexan at Bayonne Bay rental residential
property. Sale and lease agreements for future residential and mixed
use development have also been negotiated.
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Bayonne Local Redevelopment Authority
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N B R P
EUWEILER REWERY EUSE LAN
Allentown, PA
T
he Neuweiler Brewery in Allentown, PA is an historic property located in
the city’s waterfront district. Opened in 1913, the plant featured state-
of-the-art technology in brewing German style beer, porter, and ale.
Succumbing to national shifts in beer manufacturing and
distributing, the Neuweiler Brewery ceased operations in
late 1960’s. Rehabilitating this facility is a major piece of the
City’s redevelopment plans for the entire waterfront area.
In 2012, Urban Partners was retained by the City of Allentown
as part of a consultant team that examined the reuse plan
for the facility. Our role in this project was to examine the
fi nancial feasibility of the various alternative development
programs. As part of that analysis, Urban
Partners assessed the market conditions for
potential uses, including residential, offi ce,
retail, and entertainment.
In the reuse analysis report, we undertook
the fi nancial feasibility assessment of fi ve
redevelopment alternatives and examined the
cost of initial development, income/expense
analysis for operations, and fi nancing sources.
Additionally, we examined the fi scal impact
the various redevelopment alternatives would
have on the local and state economies.
Client Reference:
City of Allentown
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Erie, PA
D
owntown Erie, like many rust belt cities, has, for decades, wit-
nessed the loss of commercial and residential investment to
nearby suburban communities. Early efforts to compete with sub-
urban forces involved mall-like cosmetic makeovers to some of the
downtown’s historic buildings and the demotion of others to create large
surface parking lots. The resulting destruction of the downtown’s historic
urban fabric further harmed its ability to successfully attract residential
and business tenants.
In recent years, public and pri-
vate investments in Downtown
Erie — resulting in a new wa-
terfront Convention Center, a
growing University, attractive
museums and performing arts
venues and a successful
ballpark and hockey arena –
have begun the process of
downtown revival. To guide fu-
ture revitalization efforts, the Erie Downtown Improvement District, the
Erie Redevelopment Authority and the City of Erie, recently joined forces
to develop a master plan.
The Erie Downtown Master Plan, developed by Urban Partners and Kise
Straw & Kolodner, provides a framework for rebuilding the 70-block down-
town area as an active residential and commercial center, while enhanc-
ing its role as the region’s premier office district. Our work included retail,
office and housing market analysis, economic development analysis, and rec-
ommendations on development strategies and implementation. The result-
ing strategy emphasized renovation of loft buildings for mixed use, new hous-
ing development, office development, and retail expansion in four concen-
trated areas of the Downtown.
Since completion of the plan, the City agencies have moved forward on many
of our recommendations. A key redevelopment project is the reuse of the
Mercantile Building funded in part through the Pennsylvania Housing Fi-
nance Agency’s Mixed Use Facility Financing Initiative (MUFFI). Urban Part-
ners prepared the market analysis for that MUFFI application. Additionally, an
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Erie Downtown Improvement District/ intense design charrette has outlined the first $55 million of development in
Erie Redevelopment Authority the vicinity of Griswold Park and Plaza.
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M B S A R P
ILLBOURNE OROUGH TATION REA EDEVELOPMENT LAN
Millbourne, PA
L
ocated in the eastcentral section of Delaware County that borders the
City of Philadelphia, the Borough of Millbourne is a a community of
1,159 residents in 416 housing units. The most prominent property in
the Borough is the former Sears Department Store site, which is an 18-acre site
that’s been vacant since 1988 when the store relocated to
Upper Darby.
Funded by a grant from the Delaware Valley Regional
Planning Commission, the Borough of Millbourne retained
Urban Partners to engage in a planning process that
culminated in the Station Area Redevelopment Plan. Working
closely with a project steering committee that consisted of
borough offi cials, business leaders, county
planners, and local residents, we developed a
redevelopment plan that, when implemented,
would result in signifi cant increase in tax
revenue for the Borough.
As a crucial part of developing a feasible plan,
Urban Partners also worked closely with the
owner of the property to assess site constraints
and costs for new infrastructure systems. Once the fi nal site plan was completed,
Urban Partners represented the Borough in negotiating with the property owner
on a cost-sharing plan that would involve the developer, the Borough, and the
County.
Client Reference:
Borough of Millbourne