Southtown ASP Public Workshop July 2018 SOUTHTOWN AREA SPECIFIC PLAN APRIL WORKSHOPS 1
Let’s talk about it… • Project overview • What we’ve heard • Goals & Strategies • Recommendations • Feedback & Next Steps SOUTHTOWN AREA SPECIFIC PLAN APRIL WORKSHOPS 2
Project Overview SOUTHTOWN AREA SPECIFIC PLAN APRIL WORKSHOPS 3
Southtown includes five business areas: • Alger Heights • Boston Square • Franklin and Eastern • Madison Square • Seymour Square All together, these business areas make up the Southtown Corridor Improvement District (CID) SOUTHTOWN AREA SPECIFIC PLAN APRIL WORKSHOPS 4
The City of Grand Rapids Overall Goal: created the Southtown Corridor Improvement District (CID) in Let’s Make 2016 to improve the health and success of business areas in southern Grand Rapids. Southtown the Most Successful The first step is to make an Area Specific Plan (ASP) for Business District Southtown that provides clear and effective strategies for strengthening the business Possible! areas and district corridors . SOUTHTOWN AREA SPECIFIC PLAN APRIL WORKSHOPS 5
What is the Southtown Corridor Improvement District? • CID District was formed in 2015 • Collects a portion of tax revenue increases to reinvest directly back into the Southtown corridor. • CID Board comprised of business owners and engaged community members and leaders. • CID board charged with: • Communicate with the business community • Identify challenges and opportunities to strength the CID district • Determine how to allocate funding for implement projects • Champion project / program implementation SOUTHTOWN AREA SPECIFIC PLAN APRIL WORKSHOPS 6
Who is involved in the Process? • Southtown CID Board • Appointed board members to provide oversight and transparency • Southtown ASP Steering Committee • 12+ person committee representing the business areas • You! • Business area stakeholders (property owners, business owners) • Southtown residents • Technical Team • City Staff • Consulting Team SOUTHTOWN AREA SPECIFIC PLAN APRIL WORKSHOPS 7
Project Sequence JAN 2018 APRIL 2018 JULY 2018 LISTEN + LEARN OBJECTIVES + STRATEGIES PLAN DRAFT APRIL: JULY: Community Strategies Input Workshops Workshops SOUTHTOWN AREA SPECIFIC PLAN APRIL WORKSHOPS 8
What we’ve heard SOUTHTOWN AREA SPECIFIC PLAN APRIL WORKSHOPS 9
Engagement Methods • April workshop participants: 104 people • 3 days, 3 different locations with in the district • 4 focus groups • Two Business Owners Groups • Community Organizations • Developers • 3 public presentations • Survey Responses: 160 people • Paper surveys: 103 people • Web surveys: 32 people • Workshop boards: approx. 25 people • 239 Total Participants SOUTHTOWN AREA SPECIFIC PLAN APRIL WORKSHOPS 10
Survey Demographics Where do you live? • 74% of 25.00% respondents said % of respondents (Total responses = 160) they lived in the 20.00% Southtown area or southside of 15.00% Grand Rapids. 10.00% 5.00% 0.00% Alger Heights Boston Franklin and Madison Seymour Southside of Elsewhere in Outside of Square Eastern Square Square Grand Grand Grand Rapids Rapids Rapids SOUTHTOWN AREA SPECIFIC PLAN APRIL WORKSHOPS 11
Survey Demographics Do you own a business Do you work in Do you own a car? in Southtown? Southtown? Yes No 10% 14% Yes 38% No Yes 62% No 86% 90% SOUTHTOWN AREA SPECIFIC PLAN APRIL WORKSHOPS 12
What would make you feel welcomed? Safe? Valued? Celebrated? SOUTHTOWN AREA SPECIFIC PLAN APRIL WORKSHOPS 13
Critical Findings 1. The Southtown Community faces a wide range of challenges. • Grand Rapids ranked second to last in 2015 Forbes ranking of economic conditions facing African-Americans in the top 52-largest cities in the country. • Heightened awareness of how public and private investments impact displacement and community fabric over time. SOUTHTOWN AREA SPECIFIC PLAN APRIL WORKSHOPS 14
Critical Findings 2. The success of the retail corridor is tied to the success and stability of the community. Access to capital is critical for: • Home maintenance and improvements • Commercial property acquisition and improvement • Entrepreneurship / start-ups • Workforce training SOUTHTOWN AREA SPECIFIC PLAN APRIL WORKSHOPS 15
Critical Findings 3. Institutional and implicit racism continues to impact opportunity for economic growth. 4. Housing and commercial property affordability impacts stability . 5. Significant concerns around policing practices, safety, community identity and the sense of value. 1937 Redlining Map 6. Drug addiction and transitional https://grpeopleshistory.org/2015/12/17/1991-pamphlet- recovery services impact many families. demonstrates-how-red-lining-continued-in-grand-rapids-and-what-was- being-done-to-address-it-from-the-grassroots/ http://www.historygrandrapids.org/tilemap/2596/the-holc-map SOUTHTOWN AREA SPECIFIC PLAN APRIL WORKSHOPS 16
Critical Findings 7. There is a lack of trust in working with the development community (both non- profit and for-profit) 8. The CID-focused plan can only addresses a portion of the challenges facing Southtown. 9. Need to continue to build community capacity around engagement, advocacy, technical support. SOUTHTOWN AREA SPECIFIC PLAN APRIL WORKSHOPS 17
Types of Retail Retail Market Study > Inventory of existing retail and storefronts SOUTHTOWN AREA SPECIFIC PLAN APRIL WORKSHOPS 18
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? • Some retail space is healthy Retail Market Study • Many retailers are probably struggling to achieve healthy sales • Two major reasons for this: too much retail & retail in the wrong places > Supportable retail at healthy levels of sales 228,550 SF Existing Retail SOUTHTOWN AREA SPECIFIC PLAN APRIL WORKSHOPS 19
What can this planning process do for Southtown? • Engage business owners and residents • Study retail market and physical conditions • Identify goals, issues, and opportunities • Proposed strategies and best practices for improving the success of commercial corridors • Advocate for changes to policies that can help the community as a whole • Provide direction for the Southtown CID to invest resources in ways that have a big impact SOUTHTOWN AREA SPECIFIC PLAN APRIL WORKSHOPS 20
What will make Southtown a thriving business district? SOUTHTOWN AREA SPECIFIC PLAN APRIL WORKSHOPS 21
Goals & Outcomes aka “What we want to accomplish” SOUTHTOWN AREA SPECIFIC PLAN APRIL WORKSHOPS 22
1 Support local / minority business efforts • Legacy business owner programs • Local ownership of business properties • Access to capital for job creation / entrepreneurship • Tax relief programs • Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs) • Expand Entrepreneurial Match Program SOUTHTOWN AREA SPECIFIC PLAN APRIL WORKSHOPS 23
2 Improve the retail corridor environment • Safety & comfort • Clean & welcoming • Cohesive Identity SOUTHTOWN AREA SPECIFIC PLAN APRIL WORKSHOPS 24
3 Establish vibrant retail nodes • Priority retail nodes • Continuous retail frontage • Establish preferred approaches to street and building design • Façade Improvement Programs & Signage • Trees, landscape and lighting • Wayfinding, art, identity and branding SOUTHTOWN AREA SPECIFIC PLAN APRIL WORKSHOPS 25
4 Leverage placemaking opportunities • Gather community and add value through open space • Multi-use areas such as parking lots, streetscapes and vacant lots • Local expression and participation SOUTHTOWN AREA SPECIFIC PLAN APRIL WORKSHOPS 26
5 Expand mobility options for all users • Align recommendations from Vital Streets. • Transit and bus service accommodations • Pedestrian safety • Bicycle safety • Prioritize the “place” value of streets in the district over the “through” value to fast moving traffic. SOUTHTOWN AREA SPECIFIC PLAN APRIL WORKSHOPS 27
6 Grow community programs & activities • Identify opportunities for cultural expression • Hold regular events aligned with each business area • Connect each business node with access to healthy food SOUTHTOWN AREA SPECIFIC PLAN APRIL WORKSHOPS 28
Strategies aka “How we will meet our goals” - Corridor strategies - Business area strategies - Mobility strategies - Stability strategies SOUTHTOWN AREA SPECIFIC PLAN APRIL WORKSHOPS 29
Franklin Corridor Strategies: Retail Priority Nodes & Eastern • Emphasize retail where it can be most successful and best leverage investments. Madison Square • Areas based on: 1. Retail store frontage tied to retail demand (market analysis) Boston 2. Retail occupancy, class of retail space Square (A, B, C), category of retail space (e.g. neighborhood goods & services) 3. Infill opportunities 4. Density of surrounding area Seymour Square 5. Neighborhood anchors (e.g. library, schools, churches, major stores) 6. Transit service, parking, mobility Alger Heights SOUTHTOWN AREA SPECIFIC PLAN APRIL WORKSHOPS 30
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