Millworking Warehouse District AgreementTHE CITY OF DUBUQUE
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
Dubuque
All-American City
2007
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Millworking Warehouse District Agreement
DATE: January 14, 2009
Assistant City Manager Cindy Steinhauser is recommending that the City enter into an
Agreement with Dubuque Main Street for hiring of a Resource Development Director for
the Millworking Warehouse District.
In 2007, the Mayor and City Council adopted the Millworking Warehouse District
Revitalization Strategy. Included in the strategy was adaptive reuse of nearly 1 million
square fee of vacant warehouse space into a 24/7 mixed use district that includes retail,
entertainment, office, commercial and housing uses. Since that time, City staff has
been working in partnership with the Millworking Warehouse District steering committee,
including the four major property owners in the District, to implement this vision.
Included in our efforts has been the participation in the master planning process; the
pursuance of the redevelopment of this district as a national model for sustainability and
historic preservation; and developing alternative funding sources for redevelopment of
the district including State Historic Tax Credits, New Market Tax Credits and Energy
Credits and Rebates.
Key to these efforts has been the research and coalition building efforts of Jill Connors,
who is currently working as a temporary employee of Gronen Restoration/Gronen
Properties (GR/GP). In August 2008, Jill was hired by GR/GP. Since that time, Jill's
work has expanded to include development and coordination of a Historic Tax Credit
coalition to promote the expansion of State Historic Tax Credit: coordination of
warehouse district tours for private developers, and local state officials; conducting
research and analysis on State and Federal historic tax credits for use in the warehouse
district; providing information to City staff and warehouse district property owners on
issues related to state and federal historic tax credits; conducting research on the use of
New Market Tax Credits (NMTC), including the creating of community development
entities; and conducting research and analysis on the use of energy credits.
Agreement to create a partnership between the City, Main Street, Dubuque Initiatives
and the four major property owners in the Millworking Warehouse District will fund this
position as an employee of the Dubuque Main Street. Some of the proposed partners
have not yet decided to participate but most have committed. While the City
contribution of $25,000 per year would not begin until July 1, 2009 the arrangement
would begin effective February 1, 2009.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
Michael C. Van Milligen
MCVM:Iw
Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
THE CITY OF DUBUQUE
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
Dubuque
All-American City
2007
TO: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
FROM: Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
SUBJECT: Millworking Warehouse District Agreement
DATE: January 12, 2009
Introduction
The purpose of this memorandum is to request City Council approval of an Agreement
with Dubuque Main Street for the hiring of a Resource Development Director for the
Millworking Warehouse District.
Discussion
In 2007, the Mayor and City Council adopted the Millworking Warehouse District
Revitalization Strategy. Included in the strategy was adaptive reuse of nearly 1 million
square feet of vacant warehouse space into a 24/7 mixed-use district that includes
retail, entertainment, office, commercial and housing uses. Since that time, city staff has
been working in partnership with the Millworking Warehouse District steering committee,
including the four major property owners in the District, to implement this vision.
Included in our efforts has been the participation in the master planning process; the
pursuance of the redevelopment of this district as a national model for sustainability and
historic preservation; and developing alternative funding sources for redevelopment of
the district including State Historic Tax Credits, New Market Tax Credits and Energy
Credits and Rebates.
Key to these efforts has been the research and coalition building efforts of Jill Connors,
who is currently working as a temporary employee of Gronen Restoration/Gronen
Properties (GR/GP). In August 2008, Jill was hired by GR/GP to provide administrative
support and research for State Historic Tax Credits for GR/GP. Since that time, Jill's
work has expanded to include development and coordination of a Historic Tax Credit
coalition to promote the expansion of State Historic Tax Credit; coordination of
warehouse district tours for private developers, and local and state officials; conducting
research and analysis on State and Federal historic tax credits for use in the warehouse
district; providing information to city staff and warehouse district property owners on
issues related to state and federal historic tax credits; conducting research on the use of
New Market Tax Credits (NMTC), including the creating of community development
entities; and conducting research and analysis on the use of energy credits.
The city of Dubuque, Dubuque Main Street and the Warehouse District Property owners
have benefitted from this research and coalition building and anticipate that these
credits will help to provide important gap financing for the redevelopment of the
Millworking Warehouse District.
The purpose of this memorandum is to request City Council approval for the city of
Dubuque to share in the cost to continue this important work. Attached is a proposed
Agreement that creates a voluntary partnership between the city of Dubuque, Dubuque
Main Street and the four major warehouse property owners in order to achieve common
goals related to the restoration and redevelopment of the Historic Millworking
Warehouse District. Included in the Agreement are the responsibilities of Dubuque Main
Street, the responsibilities of the Resource Development Director (who will become a
part-time employee of Dubuque Main Street) and the Financial Contributions from each
of the parties identified in the Agreement. City staff is continuing to visit with all parties
and to date has obtained financial commitments and approval for this Agreement from
Dubuque Main Street, Dubuque Initiatives and GR/GP. City staff is recommending
approval for the city to become party to this Agreement. The initial term of this
Agreement will be from February 1, 2009 to June 30, 2009 and then run from July 1 to
June 30 each year there after. The city has $25,000 budgeted as a reoccurring expense
beginning fiscal year 2009 for this activity.
Request
The requested action is for City Council to approve the attached Agreement.
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AGREEMENT
BY AND AMONG
THE CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA
DUBUQUE MAIN STREET,
DUBUQUE INITIATIVES,
GRONEN RESTORATION,
FISCHER COMPANIES,
WILMAC PROPERTIES
AND
SUSTAINABLE NEIGHBORHOOD BUILDERS, INC.
This Agreement (the Agreement) dated for reference purposes the day of
2009, is entered into by and among the City of Dubuque, Iowa (City),
Dubuque Main Street (DMS), Dubuque Initiatives (Initiatives), Gronen Restoration
(Gronen), Fischer Companies (Fischer), Wilmac Properties (Wilmac) and Sustainable
Neighborhood Builders, Inc. (SNB).
Whereas, it is the intent of the parties to this Agreement is to create a voluntary
partnership of the parties in order to achieve common goals related to the restoration
and redevelopment of the Historic Millworking Warehouse District, specifically, to:
1) Coordinate and collaborate predevelopment work necessary for the
redevelopment of the Historic Millworking Warehouse District;
2) Undertake grant and foundation research for implementation in the Historic
Millworking Warehouse District;
3) Research and implement the use of state and federal historic tax credits for
use in the Downtown and Historic Millworking Warehouse District;
4) Research and implement the creation of a local community development
entity to pursue and distribute New Market Tax Credits for use in the city of
Dubuque; and
5) Research and implement the use of energy credits and rebates for
implementation of sustainable initiatives in the Historic Millworking
Warehouse District.
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS AGREED BY AND AMONG THE PARTIES AS
FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. TERM. This Agreement shall commence on the day of
2009, and shall continue until terminated by all of the parties. Any party
may withdraw from this Agreement by giving thirty days written notice to all of the other
parties. Upon receipt of a notice of withdrawal, the remaining parties shall determine
whether to terminate the Agreement.
SECTION 2. RESPONSIBILITIES OF DMS. DMS agrees to provide the following
services:
1) Serve as administrator of funding for the costs associated with this
Agreement.
2) Hire apart-time (20 hours per week) Resource Development Director whose
sole responsibility will be to implement the Vision and Mission as detailed in this
Agreement.
3) Prepare and annual budget for costs associated with the position of Resource
Development Director
SECTION 4. RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR. The Resource Development
Director shall:
1) Serve as coordinator, liaison and record keeper for weekly meetings with
representatives and developers from across the State of Iowa.
2) Assist in coordination of warehouse/downtown district tours for private
developers, and local and state officials.
3) Coordinate and participate in state and federal historic tax credit meetings
and presentations.
4) Conduct comprehensive research and analysis, on state and federal historic
tax credits for development of local and state strategy.
5) Provide the support staff role for local representatives meeting with officials
on state and federal historic tax credits.
6) Provide the support staff role for warehouse district property owners on
issues related to state and federal historic tax credits.
7) Conduct comprehensive research and analysis on the use of New Market Tax
Credits (NMTC), including the creating of community development entities, for
development of a local and federal strategy.
8) Conduct comprehensive research and analysis on the use of energy credits;
9) Provide the support staff role for local representatives meeting with public and
private officials regarding NMTC.
10) Provide and coordinate the support staff role for discussions with NMTC
purchasers and potential investors.
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SECTION 5. FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS. City, Initiatives, Gronen, Fischer,
Wilmac and SNB agree to provide annual financial support for the Resource
Development Director and associated costs as submitted annually by DMS as follows:
City $25,000
Initiatives $ 5,000
Gronen $ 2,500
Fischer $ 2,500
Wilmac $ 2,500
SNB $ 2,500
SECTION 6. VOLUNTARY COMMITMENT. This Agreement is an entirely voluntary
commitment among the parties hereto to cooperate and collaborate to achieve the
vision and mission articulated herein. This Agreement in no way obligates or restricts
the activities of any party hereto in any way except as set forth herein. No party hereto
may obligate, or purport to obligate, any other party with respect to any matter.
CITY OF DUBUQUE
By: Signature Date
Print Name
DUBUQUE INITIATIVES
By: Signature Date
Print Name
DUBUQUE MAIN STREET
By: Signatuer Date
Print Name
GRONEN RESTORATION
By:
Signature
Print Name
FISCHER COMPANIES
By:
Signature
Print Name
WILMAC PROPERTIES
By:
Signature
Print Name
SUSTAINABLE NEIGHBORHOOD BUILDERS
By:
Signature
Print Name
Date
Date
Date
Date
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