Fiscal Note
$50,000 is available in the P&D Preliminary Planning Capital project. There is
no impact on the levy.
Title
Authorizing expenditure of $50,000 from the Planning and Development Preliminary Planning capital account in support of the continuing Dane County BUILD (Better Urban Infill Development) program in conjunction with the East Washington Capitol Gateway Corridor land use planning and authorizing addenda to existing consultant contracts for the additional work.
Body
PREAMBLE
In September, 2004, Resolution #61843 was passed by the Common Council to accept a $25,000 grant from Dane Count B.U.I.L.D. Program to develop a focused vision with land use recommendations, design guidelines, and implementation tools for the East Washington corridor area between Blair and First Streets, and authorized the Department of Planning and Development (DPD) to complete the documentation necessary to secure said grant. This resolution also accepted donations to complete this project from area businesses and neighborhood associations, plus commit $15,000 in City Planning resources. All resources were to be used to hire consultants to facilitate and create the final plan for the corridor defined above. A 20-member steering committee was formed for this project. Due to the project's growth (desire for more detailed urban design guidelines) and a very complicated public input process (more meetings and public outreach), the City will be out of budget in August 2005. In order to bring this project to fruition, the city and the steering committee will need an additional $50,000. Addendums to consultant contracts have been received and approved by DPD staff to add these additional services and complete the project in December, 2005.
WHEREAS, East Washington Avenue is a Gateway to the City that moves people and business activity to from the downtown; and
WHEREAS, East Washington Avenue is a dynamic corridor with several unique parcels that possess great potential for redevelopment, provide a signature gateway, support a strong sense of entry, and provide an opportunity to better coordinate land use and transportation activities; and
WHEREAS, East Washington Corridor is home to several major employers in the City, many of them longstanding businesses with national reputations, which desire to expand at their current location while being a part of the collective redevelopment vision; and
WHEREAS, business retention and expansion, employment uses, mixed-use development, transit- oriented redevelopment, aesthetic improvements and gateway enhancements have been targeted for the East Washington Corridor; and
WHEREAS, there has been increased investment interest in the East Washington Gateway Corridor as a location for mixed-use (business and housing), parking structures, and regional transit; and
WHEREAS, a 20-member steering committee has been formed to help steer the project; and
WHEREAS, the City has previously committed $15,000 in Planning and Development capital funds and has been awarded a $25,000 grant from the Dane County BUILD program plus $10,000 in business donations and additional contributions from neighborhood associations to develop a comprehensive plan for redevelopment of the East Washington Gateway Corridor; and
WHEREAS, the process is currently well underway, but an additional estimated $50,000 will be required to complete the project.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Common Council authorize the expenditure of up to $50,000 from the P&D Preliminary Planning capital account #810425 in support of the East Washington Capitol Gateway BUILD redevelopment plan; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council authorize the addenda to existing consultant contracts to complete the work.