4.1. HRA DRAFT MINUTES 08-01-2022

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Housing and Redevelopment Minutes Page 3 July 5, 2022 ----------------------------- Should they split the site and focus one area on residential? The land is eligible for incentives – which have already been partially completed by acquiring and leveling the properties. Is there a need for partnerships? And finally, any desire to have some interim activity on the site to put it to use or give it something for people to look at the property in a unique way. Mr. O’Neil explained corridor visioning – looking at the road, streetscape, and adjacent land use, and viewing the surrounding area to the 169 Redesign to determine what use fits best in this site. Would they ever consider the entire corridor being changed, and would perhaps a small boutique hotel then fit? And finally, directing marketing interest and how do they want to market this parcel. Chair Toth stated he felt they should allow any offer to come in and be heard by the HRA and not discourage any use unless they felt they were poor uses. Commissioner Ovall stated he would be interested in the tax base for density, what would bring in the highest and best tax yield dollars. He stated he envisions medical and would be more interested in that. He did not feel a hotel would be friendly to the neighborhood. He felt a daycare or swim school would also be conducive to the corridor. Mr. O’Neil showed the HRA commission the Main and Gates property boundaries and explained how the site could, for example, support a 10,000-foot building for a medical use. Mr. O’Neil explained how partnerships can be formed with several interested parties to combine uses or enlarge one use. A challenge was accessibility off Main Street. Commissioner Wagner discussed the streetscape visioning and if they wanted to create a more walkable downtown extension, a mixed use like Granite Shores seemed to be a terrific way to create that walkability area and could potentially be the catalyst to the desired change from east to west. She suggested having interim uses for the site, like farmer market stands or makers market stands just to get some action on the parcel. The HRA discussed the remaining residential lot with the surrounding area and would they be able to provide future support to the overall redevelopment. The HRA discussed and rd agreed Mr. O’Neil should reach out to the owner of 425 3 Street NW. They also discussed the possibility of someone purchasing the entire parcel for fair market value, and how would the city guide the uses of the site following city code. The HRA was not in favor of proposing single-family housing. Commissioner Ovall did not feel like the empty site was an eyesore. He stated he would love to have a developer that will design the entire site to its best use using the original specs, instead of the HRA spinning its wheels trying to design the site themselves or trying to pair interested parties together. Commissioner Chuba discussed the possibility of a sidewalk and trail system connection to improve walkability. He noted the current state of the economy may play into the future of how this project proceeds.