EDSR MEMORANDUM 01-10-2000 - Laserfiche WebLink

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EDA Agenda Memo January 10,2000 Meeting Page 4 • Staff Analysis Staff poses the following questions regarding the proposed project: • What is the overall future plan for the central business district? • How does the proposed project fit into this overall plan? These are probably the two most important questions to ask regarding the proposed project. As the EDA is aware, the HRA has attempted, over the past year and one half, to complete a process of developing a vision for the central business district (CBD). The second part of developing such vision for the downtown area includes the hiring of a designer to work with the city and downtown business people to put together a physical plan for the central business district that can be implemented over time. The visioning process has had limited success due to somewhat lackluster participation on behalf of the CBD stakeholders. It was the intention of staff to ask the HRA this spring to consider hiring a designer to complete a CBD plan. Such plan would be a modification of the past riverwalk/CBD plan, but would include a process to gain input into various aesthetic improvements and special projects such as an amphitheater on the EDA site. Such public process and information gathering is critical to gain public buy-in to special projects. The most comprehensive design plan we currently have regarding the CBD is the riverwalk plan. Attached is a variety of information including artist renderings and costs regarding various sections of this riverwalk plan. One portion of this plan includes the construction of an amphitheater in conjunction with a Mississippi River overlook at the foot of the EDA site. Staff has always believed that this is one portion of the plan that would be most desirable to accomplish and would provide a focal point for potentially completing other sections of the riverwalk plan. Staff suggests with regard to the Rotary Club proposal, that the HRA continue its plan to discuss the merits of hiring a designer to modify the riverwalk plan and to expand it into the CBD, eventually providing an end product of a CBD design plan that has received an appropriate amount of public input. It is anticipated that such a plan would include recommendations for design improvements to the EDA site including a potential amphitheater/outdoor stage. This portion of a completed plan could potentially then be undertaken as a Rotary Club project if • desired. The purpose of this process would be to assure the council, EDA, HRA, and the general public, including downtown stakeholders, that they understand the process and agree upon the design plan.