Fiscal Note
This resolution authorizes exploration of building the Madison Public Market as part of a planned redevelopment of the Washington Plaza Shopping Center. Activities outlined in this resolution are estimated to cost approximately $105,000. Of this, $85,000 was previously authorized by resolution no. 41819 for Public Market architectural design work. The additional $20,000 would be used additional site planning work. Funds for the work described in this resolution would draw from the remaining balance in the City’s UDAG account. Prior to this resolution, the balance of the UDAG account is $574,000.
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SUBSTITUTE: Authorizing City Staff and the Local Food Committee to explore the option of building the Madison Public Market as part of a planned redevelopment of the Washington Plaza Shopping Center and to begin a process of co-site planning the Public Market in partnership with the shopping center owners.
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Whereas, for the last four years, City Staff and the Local Food Committee conducted research, talked with stakeholders, surveyed the community, and created a detailed Business Plan for the Madison Public Market; and
WHEREAS, on October 7, 2014 the Madison Common Council Adopted Resolution #35045 which accepted the Local Food Committee’s recommendation on the preferred location for the Madison Public Market as, “the general area around East Washington Avenue, First Street, and the Yahara River”; and
Whereas, on October 6, 2015 the Madison Common Council adopted Resolution #38885 accepting the Madison Public Market Business Plan as the guiding document for the Public Market and directing the Local Food Committee and City Staff to create a project implementation strategy by March 31, 2016; and
WHEREAS, on March 15, 2016 the Madison Common Council Adopted Resolution #41819 to accept the Public Market Implementation Strategy and direct City Staff and the Local Food Committee to move forward with the five work elements identified in the Strategy, which was focused on repurposing the Fleet Services Building at First Street and Johnson Street to create the Public Market; and
WHEREAS, Resolution #41819 included authorization for City Staff to release a Request for Proposals, with a budget of $85,000, to engage an consulting services to develop design/development architecture for the Public Market in the repurposed Fleet Building; and
WHEREAS, the owners of the Washington Plaza Shopping Center approached City Staff with a proposal to engage in a partnership to build the Madison Public Market on the shopping center property as part of a redevelopment project; and
WHEREAS, the Washington Plaza Shopping Center at the corner of First Street and East Washington Avenue (formerly known as the “Fiore” shopping center) is also located within the general area recommended by the Public Market Business Plan as the preferred location for the Public Market; and
WHEREAS, the basic terms of the property owners’ proposal are to demolish the existing strip retail center and work with the City on a master plan for their site that would incorporate the construction of the Madison Public Market within a larger mixed-use redevelopment likely to include retail, housing, and office uses; and
WHEREAS, in this scenario, the Public Market building would be owned by the City of Madison, managed by a non-profit Public Market Operator (PMO), and would be built and operated in a manner generally consistent with the Business Plan’s recommendations on operating structure, vendor selection, management, etc.; and
WHEREAS, although the Fleet Services building remains a viable option for the Public Market, there are potential benefits to the shopping center site including the potential to implement the Public Market at a significantly lower capital cost, better address parking and access challenges, higher visibility, and the ability to reserve the Fleet Services Building for a future opportunity to complement the retail-based Public Market with other food-related uses.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the Madison Common Council hereby authorizes City Staff to move forward with a co-site planning process with the owners of the Washington Plaza Shopping Center to explore the opportunity to build the Public Market on the shopping center property; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Madison Common Council directs City Staff to begin negotiating a preliminary Term Sheet with the shopping center owners to define the general terms and conditions of this initial partnership to explore this opportunity; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Madison Common Council directs City Staff to revise and move forward with releasing the previously-authorized Request for Proposals (RFP) to engage design services for the Public Market; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the scope of work for the previously-authorized Public Market Design RFP will be expanded and the budget will be increased by $20,000 to add a first phase of work consisting of developing a detailed master site plan for the entire area between Johnson Street, East Washington Avenue, First Street, and the adjacent railroad tracks; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, based on the results of the site planning exercise, ongoing feedback from the Local Food Committee, negotiations with the shopping center property owners, and financial analysis of the options, City Staff will report to the Local Food Committee and Common Council on the staff’s analysis and recommendations for moving forward with the Public Market Project either in the City’s Fleet Services Building or on the shopping center site, and provide this report to the Common Council by October 4, 2016; and
BE IT FINNALY RESOLVED, upon completion of the site planning work and after the City reaches a decision on whether to move forward with the Fleet Building option or the shopping center site option, the City will commence with the second phase of the design work which will consist of the previously-authorzied architectural services for the Public Market building with a budget of $85,000.