St. Paul Minnesota March 18–23, 2018 A ULI Advisory ServicesReport Panel A ULI St. Paul Minnesota The Rondo Community Land Bridge March 18–23, 2018 Advisory Services Panel Report A ULI A ULI About the Urban Land Institute THE URBAN LAND INSTITUTE is a global, member- factors affecting the built environment, including urbaniza- driven organization comprising more than 42,000 real es- tion, demographic and population changes, new economic tate and urban development professionals dedicated to drivers, technology advancements, and environmental advancing the Institute’s mission of providing leadership in concerns. the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining Peer-to-peer learning is achieved through the knowledge thriving communities worldwide. shared by members at thousands of convenings each ULI’s interdisciplinary membership represents all aspects year that reinforce ULI’s position as a global authority on of the industry, including developers, property owners, land use and real estate. In 2017 alone, more than 1,900 investors, architects, urban planners, public officials, real events were held in about 290 cities around the world. estate brokers, appraisers, attorneys, engineers, finan- Drawing on the work of its members, the Institute recog- ciers, and academics. Established in 1936, the Institute nizes and shares best practices in urban design and devel- has a presence in the Americas, Europe, and the Asia opment for the benefit of communities around the globe. Pacific region, with members in 80 countries. More information is available at uli.org. Follow ULI on Twit- ULI’s extraordinary impact on land use decision making is ter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. based on its members’ sharing expertise on a variety of Cover: Minnesota Department of Transportation (top); Hudson Kingston © 2018 by the Urban Land Institute 2001 L Street, NW Suite 200 Washington, DC 20036-4948 All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of the whole or any part of the contents of this publication without written permission of the copyright holder is prohibited. 2 A ULI Advisory Services Panel Report About ULI Advisory Services THE GOAL OF THE ULI ADVISORY SERVICES program make accurate assessments of a sponsor’s issues to provide is to bring the finest expertise in the real estate field to recommendations in a compressed amount of time. bear on complex land use planning and development proj- A major strength of the program is ULI’s unique ability ects, programs, and policies. Since 1947, this program to draw on the knowledge and expertise of its members, has assembled well over 600 ULI-member teams to help including land developers and owners, public officials, sponsors find creative, practical solutions for issues such academics, representatives of financial institutions, and as downtown redevelopment, land management strate- others. In fulfillment of the mission of the Urban Land gies, evaluation of development potential, growth manage- Institute, this Advisory Services panel report is intended to ment, community revitalization, brownfield redevelopment, provide objective advice that will promote the responsible military base reuse, provision of low-cost and affordable use of land to enhance the environment. housing, and asset management strategies, among other matters. A wide variety of public, private, and nonprofit or- ULI Program Staff ganizations have contracted for ULI’s advisory services. Paul Bernard Executive Vice President, Advisory Services Each panel team is composed of highly qualified profes- sionals who volunteer their time to ULI. They are chosen Thomas W. Eitler Senior Vice President, Advisory Services for their knowledge of the panel topic and screened to ensure their objectivity. ULI’s interdisciplinary panel Beth Silverman Vice President, Advisory Services teams provide a holistic look at development problems. A respected ULI member who has previous panel experience Paul Angelone chairs each panel. Director, Advisory Services Cali Slepin The agenda for a five-day panel assignment is intensive. Associate, Advisory Services It includes an in-depth briefing day composed of a tour of Daniel Lobo the site and meetings with sponsor representatives; a day Senior Director, Awards and Publications of hour-long interviews of typically 50 to 75 key commu- James A. Mulligan nity representatives; and two days of formulating recom- Senior Editor mendations. Long nights of discussion precede the panel’s Laura Glassman, Publications Professionals LLC conclusions. On the final day on site, the panel makes an Manuscript Editor oral presentation of its findings and conclusions to the Brandon Weil sponsor. A written report is prepared and published. Art Director Because the sponsoring entities are responsible for signifi- Anne Morgan cant preparation before the panel’s visit, including sending Lead Graphic Designer extensive briefing materials to each member and arranging Deanna Pineda, Muse Advertising Design for the panel to meet with key local community members Graphic Designer and stakeholders in the project under consideration, Craig Chapman participants in ULI’s five-day panel assignments are able to Senior Director, Publishing Operations St. Paul, Minnesota, March 18–23, 2018 3 ULI Panel and Project Staff Panel Chair Ilana Lipsett Founder Lyneir Richardson PublicDesign | PublicSpace Executive Director, Center for Urban Entrepreneurship Oakland, California and Economic Development Rutgers University Ben Stone Newark, New Jersey Director of Arts and Culture Smart Growth America Panel Members Washington, D.C. Beth Callender Principal ULI Project Staff CallenderWorks Bridget Stesney San Diego, California Senior Director, Content Rodney Crim Paul Angelone President Director, Advisory Services St. Louis Economic Development Partnership Matt Norris St. Louis, Missouri Senior Manager, Content Sarah Graham Violeta Duncan Principal Senior Associate, Content Strategic Economics Berkeley, California Grace Hill Senior Associate, Meetings and Events Bert Gregory Partner Mithun Seattle, Washington 4 A ULI Advisory Services Panel Report Acknowledgments THIS PANEL WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE Finally, the panel would like to thank the residents; busi- without the sponsors and agency partners, including Re- ness, faith, and community leaders; and representatives ConnectRondo, the Minnesota Department of Transpor- from St. Paul and the surrounding areas who shared their tation, the city of St. Paul, and ULI Minnesota. The panel perspectives and insights during the week of the panel’s also would not have been possible without the financial interviews. The panel felt welcomed and at home at all support of the 10-Minute Walk Campaign, a collaborative times and was able to experience Rondo by meeting and effort among the Urban Land Institute, the Trust for Public working with community members on each day the panel Land, and the National Recreation and Park Association to was in St. Paul. increase access to urban parks nationwide. Special appreciation goes to the ReConnectRondo board and staff members Marvin Anderson, Lars Christiansen, Kim Club, Melvin Giles, Darius Gray, Lilli Post Johnson, Marvin Scroggins, and Walter Smith; Minnesota Depart- ment of Transportation staff Lisa Austin, Broderick Bell, Nancy Boylan, Brian Isaacson, Gloria Jeff, Cyrus Knutson, Scott McBride, and Tara McBride; city of St. Paul staff Bruce Corrie, Ross Currier, Tony Johnson, and Noel Nix; and Metropolitan Council staff members Michelle Fure and Panelists experiencing the Nick Thompson. Finally, thank you to ULI Minnesota staff essence of Rondo at Golden Aubrey Albrecht, David Bauer, Cathy Bennet, and Caren GRAHAM/ULI SARAH Thyme Coffee. Dewar. This report, the briefing materials, tour, interview, or assignment would not have been possible without the many hours spent preparing and answering the panelists’ questions. St. Paul, Minnesota, March 18–23, 2018 5 Contents About the 10-Minute Walk Campaign ...............................................................................................................8 Background and Key Recommendations ............................................................................................................9 Why It Matters: It’s “More Than a Bridge” .......................................................................................................12 Market Context and Potential Uses .................................................................................................................17 Creating the Rondo Community Land Bridge ...................................................................................................23 Funding Strategies .........................................................................................................................................32 Implementation ..............................................................................................................................................38 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................................42 About the Panel .............................................................................................................................................43 St. Paul, Minnesota, March 18–23, 2018 7 About the 10-Minute Walk Campaign PARKS ARE ESSENTIAL TO THE PHYSICAL, social, environmental, and economic health of people and com- munities. Parks help expand the economy by attracting homebuyers, tourists,