New Orleans in Downtown Open Space Enhancing
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ENHANCING OPEN SPACE IN DOWNTOWN NEW ORLEANS VISIONS FOR A GREENER DISTRICT 20-21 MARCH, 2014 A TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PANEL REPORT Published August 2014 | New Orleans Urban Land Institute Louisiana 2 Urban Land Institute Louisiana Urban Land Institute Louisiana, a District Council of the Urban Land Institute, has 213 members statewide. ULI is a nonprofit research and education organization established in 1936 with more than 30,000 international members. ULI’s mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and to create and sustain thriving communities worldwide. ULI shares best practices through both practical professional development education programs and ULI’s research and publications. The organization sets the standard for high-quality information on urban planning, real estate development, growth and land use. Downtown Development District The Downtown Development District of New Orleans (DDD) was created by the Louisiana Legislature in 1974 as the nation’s first assessment-based business improvement district (BID) to provide enhanced services in economic development, cleaning and safety. Kurt W. Weigle is President & CEO of the DDD, whose mission is to drive the development of Downtown New Orleans and be the catalyst for a prosperous, stimulating, innovative heart of the Crescent City. The DDD services the area bounded by Iberville Street, the Pontchartrain Expressway, Claiborne Avenue and the Mississippi River. It is governed by an 11-member Board of Commissioners who represent a cross section of the diverse Downtown community. Appointed by local elected officials, our commissioners help guide the policies and programs of the DDD. Acknowledgements ULI Louisiana and the Downtown Development District of New Orleans thank the following supporters of the Enhancing Open Space in Downtown New Orleans - Visions of a Greener District Technical Assistance Panel: • American Institute of Architects New Orleans • American Planning Association Louisiana & Metro New Orleans Section • American Society of Landscape Architects Louisiana Chapter • J.W. Marriott • Meraux Foundation • Fifty-three stakeholders from various firms, organizations and city government who participated as interviewees in breakout sessions. 1 2 Technical Assistance Panel Program ULI Louisiana’s Technical Assistance Panel (TAP) process is designed to enhance community leadership, clarify community needs and assets, and advance land use policies that expand economic opportunity, maximize market potential, and conserve natural environments. TAPs are typically intensive, two-day working sessions, where expert volunteers address a land use challenge proposed by the sponsoring organization about a specific development issue or policy barrier within a defined geographic area. ULI Louisiana’s criteria for selecting communities to work with include the following: strong local leadership capacity; a clearly defined scope of work, and three to four well-articulated questions to be addressed during the TAP; a defined geographic boundary (neighborhood, district, corridor, etc.); and transferability to other communities in the region. ULI Louisiana gratefully acknowledges the support and on-going assistance of its Sponsors. Urban Land Institute Louisiana 2013-2014 Sponsors Columbus Properties, LP First Bank and Trust Walker & Dunlop Landis Construction Company, LLC Laporte Sehrt Romig Hand Lugenbuhl Wheaton Peck Rankin & Hubbard Perez, APC Sealy & Co Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert, LLC The Steeg Law Firm, LLC Stirling Properties, LLC Trapolin-Peer Architects, APC Eskew+Dumez+Ripple HRI Properties Duplantis Design Group, PC 3 4 TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PANEL MEMBERS Co-Chairs Elizabeth Mossop Principal & Director Cristina Ungureanu Spackman Mossop & Michaels Planner & Urban Designer Eskew+Dumez+Ripple Sarah Olivier Program Manager Laura Woltanski Trust for Public Land Production Analyst Walker & Dunlop John Renne Director, Merritt C. Becker Jr. Transportation Institute Moderator University of New Orleans Cindy McSherry Marcel Wisznia Executive Director President ULI Chicago Wisznia Architecture & Development Members TAP Support Peter Aamodt Stephanie Boh Vice President of Development District Council Coordinator Stirling Properties ULI Louisiana Joseph C. Canizaro Richard McCall Chairman & CEO Director of Operations Columbus Properties, LP Downtown Development District Brian Gibbs William Gilchrist Founder & Principal Director of Place Based Planning Brian Gibbs Development City of New Orleans Gary McNamara Executive Vice-President & Legal Counsel Writer First Bank & Trust Jason Berry Wm. Raymond Manning JasonBerryAuthor.com Founder and Managing Principal Manning Architects Jordan Monsour Attorney Butler Snow LLP 5 6 ENHANCING OPEN SPACE IN DOWNTOWN NEW ORLEANS VISIONS OF A GREENER DISTRICT TABLE OF CONTENTS PART 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PART 2 OVERVIEW: DOWNTOWN IS A PLACE FOR LIVING PART 3 IMPLEMENTATION: A DOWNTOWN COMMONS PART 4 MOVING FORWARD 7 8 PART 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY GREEN SPACE IN DOWNTOWN LIVING IS A TOP PRIORITY With a resurgent economy and 4.2 percent unemployment, New Orleans is cleaner and more visibly prosperous than any time in recent history. Since 2005, the Downtown area has seen $6 billion in investments and commitments for construction, planning and various phases of building and renovation. There are 5,100 residents in the core of New Orleans’ Downtown today and over 2,000 additional residential units are in various stages of development. The post-Katrina building boom and the surging number of Downtown residents have transformed an area once known for commerce into a collection of neighborhoods with distinctive traits. The residents and workers in Downtown have stressed the need for dog parks and playgrounds, multifunctional open space, green infrastructure and connectivity between neighborhoods. Green space is a top priority for these New Orleanians. 9 To foster active open spaces and smart growth, ULI Louisiana agreed to conduct a Technical Assistance Panel (TAP) for the Downtown Development District (DDD) assessing Downtown green space needs, priorities, and prospects. The TAP study area is bounded by Iberville Street, the Pontchartrain Expressway, Claiborne Avenue and the Mississippi River (referred to in this report as “Downtown”). A group of 10 expert panelists held wide-ranging discussions on March 20-21, 2014 at the JW Marriott. The panelists included real estate developers, architects, lawyers, financiers, landscape architects, and land use specialists. Together, they evaluated all of the available qualitative and quantitative information related to the vision and statement of need. The panel was provided with an extensive briefing book containing market research reports, New Orleans Master Plan and Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance maps and language, demographics and employment statistics, detailed existing conditions analysis, and a sampling of precedent open space case studies and reports. During the two-day session, the panel brainstormed, planned and offered objective recommendations. They encouraged the DDD to take ownership and provide leadership when it comes to open spaces Downtown, and to be empowered to generate revenue, oversee enforcement and approvals, where necessary develop open spaces, and take on operational responsibilities. Initially, the DDD should redevelop Downtown’s existing green spaces and create a linkage between Duncan Plaza, Loyola Avenue and Lafayette Mall. 10 The questions posed to the Enhancing Open Space TAP panelists by the DDD were: 1. What is the best development model for New Orleans? What is the best operating model? Identify potential best practices in both ownership and management. 2. What financing or incentives are possible to encourage private development to incorporate each of these types of spaces into their projects? Identify best practices for consideration. 3. What public policy or zoning recommendations should be developed to encourage and support the growth of more open/green spaces? 4. What are the best opportunities for open space enhancements in Downtown New Orleans given its current conditions? 5. Where should these spaces and/or amenities be located? (3 locations) 11 The panelists held conference discussions and breakout sessions with a range of invited stakeholders, among them hoteliers, developers, business owners, residents, and city authorities, in order to gain insight on the issues at hand. After two days, the following recommendations were offered to foster a greener Downtown. Recommendations for Operating/Management Model: • A contractual agreement with the City that allows the DDD to develop, manage, and maintain all parks, underpass walkways and pedestrian spaces within its zone. • Gain additional revenue for management and maintenance through: × Parking revenue × Street furniture advertising × Infrastructure funding × Park concessions × Liens for sidewalks and parking lots through regulation enforcement • Promote connectivity between Downtown, the Biomedical District and Lafitte Greenway, the riverfront, and surrounding neighborhoods • Consider a range of green/open spaces to meet the needs of those Downtown 12 Recommendations for Financing & Incentives: • Create an Open Space Grant Program (similar to façade grants) • Expand the Restoration Tax Abatement availability to include open space options • Dedicate funds from upcoming Restoration Tax Abatement expirations to open spaces • Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Districts with revenue dedicated to open space