The Eau Claire Revitalization Story. April 17, Traffic Engineering Workshop and Transportation Planning Forum Pewaukee, Wisconsin

Transcription

1 The Eau Claire Revitalization Story April 17, Traffic Engineering Workshop and Transportation Planning Forum Pewaukee, Wisconsin

2 Overview Downtown Redevelopment Public Response to Redevelopment Traffic & Planning for Redevelopment

3 Downtown Redevelopment

4 First was Lumber, then Heavy Industrial Manufacturing Known as Sawdust City then an Island of Industry in a Sea of Agriculture

5 Uniroyal Tire Company Closing ,300 workers 1,900,000 square feet

6 Banbury Place former Uniroyal Celebrated 25 th Anniversary in 2017 Local Developer 155 businesses 750 employees 300 storage units 35 apartments

7 Downtown Eau Claire Highways and sprawl Department stores moved out to the malls Buildings got older Low rent district Highest crime rate

8 Keys to Eau Claire s Revitalization Public Sector took the lead Established Redevelopment Authority and Downtown Eau Claire, Inc. Infrastructure investment in bike trails, riverfront parks, and public plazas Used Tax Incremental Financing and state/federal grants where avail. Investment commitment for downtown revitalization Private Sector Investment Royal Credit Union and JAMF Software building large office buildings Housing development, mixed-use projects Created tax increment Young Entrepreneurs

9 Keys to Eau Claire s Revitalization Emphasis on Housing More people living downtown creates more demand for commercial Greater pay back on utility infrastructure, 24/7 usage Creative Class/Creative Economy Included as part of our economic development strategy Investment in Arts and Culture Emergence of VolumeOne The voice for arts and music culture, millennials, and hipsters University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Expanding beyond campus boundaries into downtown and other parts of Eau Claire

10 Keys to Eau Claire s Revitalization Collaboration Clear Vision Many players coming together to support the Confluence Project Public/Private Partnerships Branding as Music Capital of the North Promoting all the major music festivals People who discovered Eau Claire through music festivals moving to town Music spin offs

11 N. Barstow Redevelopment Before Flood Plain Contamination Substandard soils Blighted Properties

12 N. Barstow Redevelopment After Features mixed-use buildings, narrow streets, shared parking, and high-density development

13 Public Response to Redevelopment Phoenix Park - Photo Credit: Volume One

14 Farmer s Market in Phoenix Park Tubing from Phoenix Park Easy access to river Free air hose at JAMF

15 Royal Credit Union Corporate Headquarters, consolidated multiple branches Used historic design Generated tax increment to pay for Phoenix Park Local resident s software company Creates software for Apple products How could he help support the Confluence Project? JAMF Software

16 Phoenix Park Neighborhood Out of town developer took first risk Mixed-use development Loft apartments and retail Emphasis on housing Underground parking

17 The Livery Give every older building a chance to be redeveloped Some are not financially viable or highest and best use The Oxbow Hotel & The Lakely Former seedy rundown hotel Hipster hangout WEDC Grant

18 Photo courtesy of WEAU The Lismore Hotel $20 million+ remodel of a bankrupt Ramada Zach Halmstad (JAMF Software) and Pablo Properties Eau Claire s first rooftop bar The Informalist & EC/DC

19 Downtown Business Growth Young entrepreneurs opening stores downtown Red s Mercantile Ramone s Ice Cream Parlor Tangled Up In Hue Revival Records

20 Arts and Community Spaces Blue Boxer Arts SHIFT Cyclery & Coffee Bar Volume One and The Local Store

21 Sculpture Tour

22 Banbury Place (former Uniroyal) Annual Art Crawl Commercial Kitchen for Rent

23 Bridge Lighting

24 Music Capital of the North Sounds like Summer weekly concerts Eau Claire Jazz Festival Country Fest Country Jam Rock Fest Blue Ox (Bluegrass) Prex Claires /Oxbeaux Eaux Claires (Indie) Photo Credit: Eaux Claires

25 Haymarket Landing Mixed-Use Building One of two Confluence buildings 30,000 square feet of first floor commercial 5-story dormitory Taxable

26 Pablo Center at the Confluence Public/Private Partnership WEDA Award 2016 City, County, and State financing Collaboration with University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Under construction, open in Fall 2018

27 Haymarket Plaza Public Plaza between two Confluence buildings

28 Haymarket Plaza

29 Haymarket Plaza Pedestrian Bridge

30 Statistics Industrial Vacancy Rate Citywide: 1.85% 2017 Building Valuation: $295,604,991 Unemployment rate < 3% Investment around the Confluence: Over $80,000,000 Downtown Apartment Vacancy Rate: 0% Downtown TID value grown from $12 to $71 million in 14 years Number of housing units increased 50% in Downtown Adding over 600 new people living Downtown

31 Traffic and Planning for Redevelopment Phoenix Park - Photo Credit: Volume One

32 Barstow St. & Graham Ave Two-way Conversion Parking Concerns

33 Downtown Street Planning Reviewing a Complete Streets Policy for adoption Downtown Parking Study Expand to Neighborhoods Bike and Pedestrian Plan Update 2018 Collaborations DECI Health Department MPO BPAC University, CVTC, ECASD

34 N. Barstow Parking Ramp Phoenix of Two Rivers by Jeff Barber Success led to parking demand in Downtown area 2015 Construction Modern design Contract Parking

35 Downtown Parking Study Urban Land Institute (ULI) Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Cheap Free / Very Low Cost Remote Parking Lots and Streets Enough Convenient Moderately Priced Lots and Garages Strategically Located Enough Cheap

36 Downtown Parking/Transit Creating culture of ramp parking Meeting needs of businesses, residents, and visitors Free Parking in Downtown 30 year temporary transit center location 2 nd ramp needs work Bikeshare Bike Corrals

37 TIGER Grant 2017 Grant Application 2022 Construction

38 Next Redevelopment Areas: Menomonie Street YMCA Tennis Center Opened April 2018 Sonnentag Events & Recreation Complex

39 Next Redevelopment Areas: Cannery District Eau Claire s newest redevelopment district Over 30 acres along the Chippewa River

40 Photo Credit: Matt Schrupp Thank you!