Fiscal Note
The Resolution authorizes the City to negotiate a development agreement, but does not commit to expenditures at this time. Terms of the development agreement will require Council approval under a future, separate Resolution.
Title
Accepting the proposal of Common Wealth Development for the redevelopment of the Garver Feed Mill and directing City staff to negotiate a development agreement with Common Wealth Development.
Body
PREAMBLE
From 1906 through 1997, the Garver Feed Mill was a working industrial building and a significant feature on the east side of Madison. The building was designated as eligible for listing on the National Register in 1992 and designated a local landmark in 1994.
In 1997 after a two-year fundraising campaign, the Olbrich Botanical Society (the "OBS") acquired the Garver Feed Mill (the "Building") and approximately five acres of land surrounding it (collectively the "Property") for $700,000. The City Parks Division acquired the surrounding 17.8 acres north of the Property to Fair Oaks Avenue. The OBS transferred ownership of the Property to the City with a deed restriction that the Property be used in perpetuity as parkland devoted primarily to botanical gardens. DNR Stewardship Funds were used for the both the City and the OBS purchases, so DNR permission is required for any sale, transfer or conversion to non-park uses. In 2000, the Park Commission adopted an updated Master Plan for the Olbrich Botanical Gardens (the "OBG"). The Master Plan proposed to preserve the Property as part of expanded park and botanical garden facilities north of the railroad and bike path. The Master Plan allocated space for future parking, but proposed several measures to minimize the amount of parking needed and to maximize the amount of open space.
In 2001, a fire destroyed all but approximately 60,000 square feet of the Building. In 2004, the OBS commissioned a Historic Structure Report and adaptive reuse study. In accepting this Report from the OBS in 2005, the Park Commission recommended that the Property be declared surplus for the purpose of seeking a public/private partnership for adaptive reuse. The Park Commission recommended that the reuse include some storage and maintenance for the OBG; that it include some broadly defined public space for uses that are compatible with the mission of the OBG; and that the reuse should minimize the amount of parking and maximize the amount of open space on surrounding parkland.
The Garver Building Reuse Committee (the "Committee") was established under the guidelines of the City's surplus property procedures, and its members were appointed by the Mayor and approved by the Council on September 6, 2006 (Resolution No. 06-00767, ID No. 04224). The Committee was charged with establishing criteria for reuse of the Property, with soliciting proposals and with selecting a proposal. To develop the Request for Proposals (the "RFP"), as outlined in city surplus property procedures, Committee held an open process that consisted of 3 public information meetings and over 20 regularly scheduled meetings that were open to the public. The Schenk-Atwood-Starkweather-Yahara Neighborhood Association also held a workshop that many of the Committee members attended to gain additional input from neighborhood residents. After this meeting, the Committee drafted an RFP and recommended that the Common Council authorize its issuance. The Common Council approved the issuance of the RRP on June 5, 2007 (Resolution No. 07-00595, ID No. 06115).
In accordance with the RFP, proposals were received until September 14, 2007. Three proposals were received, and the Committee determined the proposals of Barnsdale Land Co. LLC ("Barnsdale") and Common Wealth Development, Inc. ("Common Wealth") to have been responsive to the RFP. The third proposal was determined not to be responsive to the RFP criteria and rejected. Common Wealth proposed creating an arts incubator in the building that would include affordable studio space for artists, a gallery, atrium, cafe, gift shop, performance space, museum, workshop room, roof garden, and space for the OBG. Barnsdale proposed creating a center for sustainability dedicated to bringing together in one location not-for-profit and private sector interests to further the practices of restorative and sustainable economy and ecology. The Committee reviewed the proposals, interviewed the developers who submitted the proposals, and heard public testimony. After reviewing the two accepted proposals and all associated information, the Committee determined that Common Wealth Development best met the criteria that was in the RFP and that its proposal was in the best interests of the City of Madison.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Common Council determines that it is in the best interests of the City to sell or lease the Property to Common Wealth Development for its adaptive rehabilitation and reuse by creating an Arts Incubator at the Garver Feed Mill property.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that staff from the City Parks Division, the City Attorney's Office, and the Office of Real Estate Services are authorized and directed to enter into negotiations on behalf of the City of Madison to prepare a development agreement between the City of Madison and Common Wealth Development, the terms of which will be subject to Council approval by separate resolution.