Downtown and Memorial Highway Redevelopment Plan
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Downtown Mandan and Memorial Highway Redevelopment Plan December, 2003 Prepared for: City of Mandan, North Dakota Prepared by: Corporation TABLE OF CONTENT PAGE Executive Summary ..................................................................................................................…...5 I. Introduction ...……………………………………………………………………………17 II. Inventory and Analysis ………………………………………………………………..21 III. Vision, Goals and Objectives, and Design Principles …………………………………….32 IV. Framework and Alternative Plans …………………………………………………………35 V. Recommended Concept Master Plan …………………………………………………..43 VI. Implementation Strategy ………………………………………………………………..59 VII. Project Costs ……………………………………………………………………………...72 VIII. Phasing …………………………………………………………………………………….76 Appendix ……………………………………………………………………………………………79 1) Survey Results 2) Public Participation Input 3) Market Study Report Downtown Mandan and Memorial Highway Redevelopment Plan Mandan, North Dakota December 2003 2 Acknowledgments Todd Steinwand, Wells Fargo Bank Mark Weide, First Southwest Bank City of Mandan Ken LaMont, Mayor Sharon Gallagher, City Attorney Jim Neubauer, City Administrator Mayor Greg Welch, Director of Finance Kenneth LaMont Russ Staiger, Bismarck Mandan Development Association City Commissioners City Staff Tim Helbling Jim Neubauer, City Administrator Stan Scott Richard Barta, City Assessor/Building Inspector Sandra Tibke Phyllis Hager, Deputy Auditor Dan Ulmer Thomas Little, City Engineer/Planner Steve Nardello, Fire Chief Mandan Redevelopment Committee Dennis Rohr, Police Chief Vern Dosch, National Information Solutions Cooperative Pete Snider, Director of Public Works Jay Feil, Starion Bank (fka First Southwest Bank) Greg Welch, Director of Finance Al Fitterer, Al Fitterer Architects Mike Heinshon, Lewis & Clark Regional Development Council Citizen Attendees at Public Forums Wally Joersz, Retired Businessman Ken LaMont, Mayor - City of Mandan Mandan News Al Leingang, Leingang Siding and Windows John Loerch, Morton County Housing Authority Bismarck Tribune Dave Ludwig, Security First Bank Tracy Porter, National Information Solutions Cooperative Russ Staiger, Bismarck Mandan Development Association Local Television Stations Todd Steinwand, Wells Fargo Bank Bruce Strinden, Neumann Signs Sharon Teeples, Phyne Photography Mandan Growth Fund Bradley Charnholm, Retired Businessman Dennis Friesz, Hardee’s Dave MacIver, Greater North Dakota Association Kevin Ressler, Kary-Ressler Insurance Timothy Spilman, Montana Dakota Utilities Downtown Mandan and Memorial Highway Redevelopment Plan Mandan, North Dakota December 2003 3 Consultant URS Corporation Planning and Urban Design Augustine Wong, RLA, Project Manager Robert Kost, RLA AICP Tim Blankenship, Graphic Designer Karen Wittbrot, Graphic Designer Market Analysis Jon DeVries, AICP, National Director Karen Gross, AICP, Project Manager Timothy Butler, Senior Planner Funding Funding for this study has been provided by the HUD CDBG funds through the Lewis and Clark Regional Development Council and the Governor’s Discretionary Fund and secured by Bismarck Mandan Development Association. This study was also funded by the Waste Management Division of the North Dakota Department of Health. Downtown Mandan and Memorial Highway Redevelopment Plan Mandan, North Dakota December 2003 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY redevelopment coordinator to assist in the planning and a consulting firm to prepare a strategic redevelopment vision for Purpose of the Plan the downtown area impacted by the BNSF fuel spill. The Downtown Mandan, once a thriving and vibrant Central timeline of the various events is identified below. Business District, has seen its property values and structures deteriorate, and increase vacancies in the last decade due to a Mar 2002 - IEDC begins Peer Review of Mandan. series of unfortunate events. These events included the reduction May 2002 - IEDC completes Peer Review Report. of rail traffic, development of shopping malls in Bismarck, and Sep 2002 - City hires Fritz Schwindt as Redevelopment the discovery of the environmental contamination in 1985. Coordinator Oct 2002 - City Commission and Mandan Development Despite these happenings, a contributing factor to the decline of Committee hire URS to prepare a Strategic the local economy, the downtown continues to be the center for Redevelopment Vision for the Downtown and city and county government and recent developments continue to the Memorial Highway (Strip). be catalyst for downtown revitalization. Nov 2002 - URS initiates site visit, meets and interviews stakeholders The purpose of the Downtown Plan is to provide guidance to the Jan 2003 - URS presents initial Market Study report and future land use of downtown (Master Plan), develop strategy for conducts Public Visioning session. economic activity (Market Study) and create a proactive Mar 2003 - URS presents final Market Study and implementation program. Alternative Plans. May 2003 - URS presents recommended Concept Master The Memorial Highway, also known as the Strip, an economic Plan. engine for the City of Mandan in recent years, still has large Jun 2003 - URS submits DRAFT Redevelopment Plan tracts of vacant land for future development. Development in Document. recent years has been on an ad hoc basis with minimum land Dec 2003 - URS submits Final Redevelopment Document uses or aesthetics qualities. Plan and Final Market Study Report. The purpose of the Memorial Highway (Strip) Plan is to provide Public Visioning Summary a coordinated plan for future development, beautification The creation of the Downtown Mandan and the Strip program and implementation strategy. Redevelopment Plan was guided by distinct yet complementary vision statements. The Downtown Mandan vision is to establish Plan Development Timeline the downtown as a place where residents and visitors can work, The development process of this plan began in March 2002 when live, shop, and play in a pedestrian-friendly and safe the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) began environment, and the Strip vision is to establish the corridor as a its Peer Review Report of Mandan. Recommendations of the regional commercial/service corridor that supports a mix of report, as mentioned in the Bismarck Mandan Development uses, provides flexibility and compatibility in design standards Association November 2002 Newsletter, included hiring a unified by an improved “greenscape” infrastructure, were Downtown Mandan and Memorial Highway Redevelopment Plan Mandan, North Dakota December 2003 5 unfolded after a series of community work sessions involving the redevelopment plan. The projects, outside of the downtown core citizenry, stakeholders, and the City. The outcome of the and completed in 2003, included relocating the City’s library to community work sessions provided direction and focus for the former freight house located on West Main Street and developing the goals and objectives, design guiding principles, adjacent to the park, Library Square on First Street and the Fire and a recommended master plan. Station on Collins Avenue. Planning Process BNSF and the North Dakota Department of Health are currently The basis of this redevelopment plan was the result of the public providing remediation activities on the impacted area in the visioning session and, the conclusions and recommendations of downtown. The City is also actively pursuing other funding the market study. The public visioning session was conducted in mechanisms such as third party liability transfer to remediate the two parts; the first was a page-long survey, and the second was fuel spill so redevelopment of the downtown core could small groups’ discussion. The result of the survey, described in commence. detail in Section II and the questionnaires attached in the Appendix, indicated that the public desires, for the Downtown, a Market Study Report variety of attractions and services such as shopping and The Market Study Report, attached as an Appendix, provided a restaurants, employment opportunities, and parking. comprehensive analysis of the regional market trends, strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats. The survey results indicated that a larger portion of the respondents live, work, or own property in and/or near the The Downtown and the Memorial Highway (Strip) downtown as compared to the Strip, resulting in more frequent redevelopment plans were developed using the conclusions and trips to the downtown. The respondents saw the importance of recommendations of the market study. creating a healthy mix of commercial activity with ample parking to improve the downtown’s vitality. However, the As a result of our research and analysis, a number of respondents also saw the importance of strengthening the Strip redevelopment/development opportunities have been identified through more commercial developments and aesthetic for the Downtown and the Strip Study Areas. These improvements, recognizing its importance to Mandan’s opportunities are highlighted below, and presented in detail in economy. the Market Study Report. The results of the large and small groups’ workshop regarding Downtown Study Area the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats of the The following potential developments are recommended for the Downtown and the Strip are attached in the Appendix. Downtown Study Area: Redevelopment and Remediation projects by the City Office Potentials Despite the BNSF fuel spill impacting the downtown core, the • Select state of North Dakota departments and agencies City of Mandan