Downtown Dbq Master Plan Consultant
D"G~~E
~ck~
MEMORANDUM
October 11 , 2006
TO:
The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM:
Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Downtown Dubuque Master Plan - Consultant Selection
Housing and Community Development Director David Harris is recommending approval
of a consultant contract with the Community Land Use and Economic (CLUE) Group for
. Services relating to implementation of the Downtown Master Plan.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
flJ ~/ltk
Mict{ael C. Van Milligen
MCVM/ksf
Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
David Harris, Housing and Community Development Director
",-,C- ~. \~~C
..~
~~
.".~
CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA
MEMORANDUM
4 October 06
To: Micha~Van Milligen, City Manager
From: Davia~rris, Housing and Community Development Department
Re: Downtown Dubuque Master Plan - Consultant Selection
Introduction
The purpose of this memorandum is to request the City Council's approval of a
consultant contract with the Community Land Use and Economics (CLUE) Group
for services relating to implementation of the Downtown Master Plan.
Discussion
Included in the FY 2006 CIP budget for implementation actions for the Downtown
Master Plan is a $60 000 allocation for consultant services, under the Residential
Living element These services include promotion of residential living
opportunities in the downtown, through compilation of 'best practices' in other
localities, identification of existing barriers to investment and identification of
existing incentive programs.
In addition, the consultant is to perform assessments of selected properties, to
compile prototype redevelopmentlre-use 'case studies.' We would expect to
assess existing downtown buildings for adaptive re-use, new construction on
vacant land and/or on land cleared of existing unsuitable buildings, and a
warehouse district property. The consultant's task is to create a feasible
development scenario for each demonstration site.
Finally, this information is to be compiled in presentation format and
disseminated to interested developers, lenders and real estate community
members. A presentation will be made to the City Council with the consultant's
final recommendations.
A committee consisting of Rich Russell, Cindy Steinhauser, Laura Carstens, Ken
TeKippe, David Harris and Main Street Executive Director Dan LoBianco was
formed to assemble a request for proposals. An RFP was approved by the
Council in May. Proposals were received from three firms in July. These
consisted of:
MSA Professional Services, including Ann Ricker from Leland Consulting.
Leland was the lead consultant, with MSA, on the Downtown Master Plan report
received by the Council in December 2003;
Economics Research Associates, from Chicago;
Community Land Use and Economics Group, from Boston.
Each firm was interviewed by the committee, in September. Proposal costs were
as follows:
MSA: $63 000
ERA: $30-45 000*
Clue Group: $47 300
*The ERA cost range reflected:
amount of participation and input from project team members
number of potential properties to be assessed
number of meetings and presentations
Recommendation
The review committee's unanimous recommendation was the CLUE Group. This
firm includes as a principal Kennedy Smith, the former director of the National
Main Street Center. Several members of the committee were personally familiar
with Kennedy's background; she worked with 19 Iowa cities during her tenure
with the Main Street Center. She is widely-published, with a forthcoming
Revitalizing Neighborhood Main Streets training manual due for release.. Ms
Smith is currently an adjunct professor at Harvard.
In addition, Leslie Tucker and Josh Bloom, the other firm principals to be
assigned to this project, worked as assistant director for public policy and
program officer, respectively, at the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
It was agreed that use of her firm would provide our efforts the benefits of a
national perspective and extensive 'real market' experience.
Action Step
The action requested of the City Council is to approve a contract with the
Community Land Use and Economics Group, at a cost not to exceed $47 300, to
perform services related to implementation of the Downtown Master Plan, as
specified in the attached proposal.
cc:
Review Committee members
att
..~::;,::~*"-'-"'-' ":
4:....-..'..~!'!I!"'...,....,::::
..' ',.' """""",:,
. '.,'-',..." ....,..:..-;::':.:...
"---,"'" "-'-""
',. . -: . ~~;::~;;-:....
October 4, 2006
VIA EMAIL
David Harris, Director,
Housing and Community Development Department
City of Dubuque
1805 Central Avenue
Dubuque, Iowa 52001
Dear Mr. Harris:
Thank you for taking the time to meet with us by teleconference on September 25th.
We enjoyed speaking with you and your committee and appredated the thoughtful
questions and conversation.
We have revised slightly our July proposal, based on the request of the selection
committee. We are delighted that you and your team have indicated a desire to work
with us in implementing Dubuque's Downtown Comprehensive Plan. Kennedy, Leslie,
and I were impressed with the City's approach in looking at downtown development
incentives and barriers and we look forward to working with you.
In this proposal revision, we have added Kennedy as a presenter at the final wrap-up
and report. We have also budgeted for one additional trip, as a contingency. As I
mentioned in our telephone conversation, in the time since we submitted our July
proposal, we accepted another significant project. Therefore, we propose to begin
our work with Dubuque in early December, if that is acceptable to you and your
team. If you're eager to get started earlier, we can discuss an alternative where
Leslie Tucker begins in early November.
Kennedy is currently revising a Ulight-due-diligence" spreadsheet for rehab tax-<:redit
and New Markets tax-credit projects. We can provide this tool in advance of our first
site visit/project launch. In this way, we can make sure Dubuque's downtown
development opportunities - esp. those potentially eligible for Utwinning" of the two
tax credits - advance as quickly as possible.
The Community Land Use + Economics Group, LLC
14 Roanoke Avenue, Boston, MA 02130
617.905.4842 T I 202.318.4605 F
www.cluegroup.com
As we understand your request, the City wants us to identify barriers to downtown
redevelopment and investment (particularly housing); research best practices,
incentives, and solutions nationwide; and adapt the most promising of those
solutions to Dubuque's local circumstances. Ultimately, the City wants assistance and
presentation products to market those incentives and key downtown properties to
qualified developers.
We think we have a well-suited group to meet your request. We bring:
, A national perspective on downtown revitalization,
. National experience researching and crafting development incentives and policies,
. Local familiarity with Iowa cities' revitalization successes and challenges,
~ Restoration/preservation construction experience.
I wiil serve as the primary contact for this proposal. We consider this a starting point
for discussion about designing services that best meet Dubuque's needs. Please feel
free to cail or email me to discuss our proposal in greater detail.
Thank you for the opportunity to respond to your request.
Sincerely,
'" "' ,,!J!::--
iDSh(cj)c1uegroup.cQlJl
The Community Land Use + Economics Group, LLC
14 Roanoke Avenue
Boston, MA 02130
617.905.4842 T I 202.318.4605 F
www.c1uegroup.com
Firm Drofile
The Community Land Use and Economics (CLUE) Group is a consulting firm that
helps communities create vibrant, dynamic downtowns and neighborhoods.
We help local and state governments, developers, and nonprofits design innovative
downtown economic development strategies, cultivate independent businesses,
recycle historic buildings, attract young talent, strengthen downtown management
programs, and craft planning and land use tools that mitigate sprawl and stimulate
town center development.
A. Project manager and key personnel
Three principals comprise CLUE Group. Josh Bloom will serve as project manager for
our proposed work with the City of Dubuque.
. Josh Bloom teaches communities how to revitalize their commercial centers by
first gaining an understanding of their local economies and then helping them
apply that knowledge to a series of market-driven and achievable projects. He
has particular interests in using research on local customers to deepen the
picture painted by traditional demographic data sources, and in cultivating
sustainable clusters of chain and independent businesses. He has published
articles on both of these subjects. Before joining the CLUE Group, Josh spent ten
years as a program officer at the National Trust for Historic Preservation's
National Main Street Center. While he works in communities of all sizes, he was
instrumental at the Main Street Center in expanding the program's urban reach
to cities that included Boston, Cleveland, St. Louis, Los Angeles and others. Josh
received his B.A. from Columbia University and a master's in historic preservation
from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a former molecular biologist (really).
Josh also has a tool belt and has worked in the preservation trades: he has
training in preservation carpentry from the highly regarded North Bennet Street
School, a historic trades school, in Boston.
" Kennedy Smith is the former director of the National Main Street Center and one
of the nation's foremost experts on commercial district revitalization and
independent main street businesses. She was the Main Street Center's first
program associate assigned to the state of Iowa and she has worked with 19
Iowa cities over the past 20 years. She has worked with towns and cities in all 50
states and in a number of other nations. She created the retail market analysis
methodology now used in many downtown revitalization programs throughout
the United States. She is the author or co-author of numerous articles and
The Community Land Use + Economics Group, LLC
14 Roanoke Avenue
Boston, MA 02130
617.905.4842 T I 202.318.4605 F
www.c1uegroup.com
publications, including Revitalizing Downtown, the forthcoming Revitalizing
Neighborhood Main Streets training manual, and the forthcoming Main Street
Retail Report, the first national survey of sales performance in downtown
businesses. She has conducted over 100 training workshops on retail market
analysis and Main Street business development and scores of additional
workshops on other aspects of economic restructuring, from augmenting local
retail sales with internet-based commerce to using tax credit equity investments
in financing the rehabilitation of historic commercial buildings. She has been
featured in news media ranging from the New York Times, Business Week,
Forbes, Governing and Red Herring to "Donahue," "CBS Sunday Morning," and
Public Radio International's "Marketplace." Kennedy Smith is a 2005-2006 Loeb
Fellow at Harvard University.
, Leslie Tucker is the former assistant director for public policy for the National
Trust for Historic Preservation, where she managed a national clearinghouse of
"best practices" in state and local historic preservation programs and policies
from across the country. She also provided advocacy and educational support to
state and local preservation organizations and the general public on a variety of
issues impacting preservation. She is the author of numerous articles on historic
preservation, smart growth and community revitalization, including: "Big-Box
Sprawl (And How to Control It)," Municipal Lawyer; "Low-Cost Local Incentives
for Historic Preservation," Texas Town & City; "Main Streets and Transportation
Policies," The Alliance Review; "Retail Caps: Smart Growth Tools for Main Street,"
Main Street News; and "Temporary Development Controls," Main Street News.
The CLUE Group is a limited liability company registered in the Commonwealth of
Virginia.
The Community Land Use + Economics Group, LLC
14 Roanoke Avenue
Boston, MA 02130
617.905.4842 T I 202.318.4605 F
www.c1uegroup.com
Our approach
The Community Land Use and Economics Group is committed to downtown
development planning that engages a broad range of public- and private-sector
entities, supports established and emerging industries and knowledge clusters,
reinforces overall community economic development goals, cultivates locally owned
businesses, offers opportunities for economic sustainability, and positions the
downtown as the center of civic life. Our retail development and market analysis
work is guided by the fbllowing principles:
. We explore and pursue innovative economic development solutions to
commercial district revitalization challenges. Historic and older town centers
operate within vastly different economic contexts than they did several decades
ago, and reestablishing market viability and cultural vibrance requires strategies
that create and combine new uses and that use multiple marketing channels in
innovative ways.
. We use market analysis tools appropriate for traditional downtowns. Retail
market analysis for older and historic downtowns differs significantly from retail
market analysis for shopping centers and shopping malls. Shopping malls are
almost exclusively retail in nature, and they provide a relatively limited range of
products and services to consumers with relatively similar demographic
characteristics. Downtowns, however, have multiple uses - retail, professional
offices, housing, government, entertainment, and many more - and serve a
broad range of consumers with many different demographic characteristics. For
these reasons, retail market analysis for older and historic downtowns must
examine multiple factors and multiple options simultaneously.
, We involve as many members of the community in the process as possible, and
disseminate information widely. The more people who share the information, the
greater the level of collaboration on an overall economic development strategy
will be - and the greater the level of support for the process and outcomes.
. We look for opportunities to strengthen and cultivate locally owned businesses.
We believe that locally owned retail businesses provide the critical market
distinctiveness that helps position a downtown as a unique destination and
investment venue. We also look for pockets of growth that provide signals about
changes occurring in the regional economy and for opportunities these pockets of
growth might provide for bringing small-scale industries and support services into
the downtown area.
The Community Land Use + Economics Group, LLC
14 Roanoke Avenue
Boston, MA 02130
617.905.4842 T I 202.318.4605 F
www.c1uegroup.com
, We put information to work right away. We make reports easy to understand -
brief and digestible - with information broken down into small, usable chunks.
. We stress practical, achievable implementation strategies. A report is of little use
if the guidance it provides is not easy to implement.
, We try to make the process fun.
B. Other consulting firms
No other firms will be engaged in the performance of this work.
c. Experience of key personnel
. Retail market analyses, sales gap analyses, and market analysis training
Kennedy Smith and Josh Bloom have conducted scores of retail market analyses
and sales gap analyses, in both small towns (like Luray, Virginia) and urban
neighborhoods (like Boston's Chinatown district). Together, they are currently
engaged in conducting a comprehensive retail and office market study for the
City of Ventura, California.
. Real estate development
Kennedy Smith frequently evaluates the feasibility of new development projects
(most recently - this month - she assessed economic impact study for a 700+
unit upscale housing development on the grounds of Roseglll, an old Maryland
plantation). She regularly evaluates historic theatre rehab projects for their
feasibility and tax credit eligibility as a consultant to the League of Historic
American Theatres. For the National Trust Community Investment Corporation,
Kennedy identifies and evaluates non-theatre commercial projects eligible for the
Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit and for New Markets Tax Credits.
, Development incentives and policies
Leslie Tucker is an expert in local, state, and national policy analysis. At the
National Trust, Leslie led an initiative to gather examples of best-practices
nationwide, assess their impact, and assist local communities in adapting and
replicating relevant policies and incentives. Leslie has continued that work as a
principal of CLUE Group.
. Building assessment
Josh Bloom has trained as a preservation carpenter and has studied standard
residential building codes. This background will enable him to work directly with
the City of Dubuque's building inspector In evaluating selected buildings.
The Community Land Use + Economics Group, LLC
14 Roanoke Avenue
Boston, MA 02130
617.905.4842 T I 202.318.4605 F
WNW.cluegroup.com
Representative projects
, Carlsbad, California
Downtown Development Strategy, 2004; market analysis 2006
The CLUE Group conducted a comprehensive evaluation of Carlsbad's downtown
revitalization efforts over the past decade, providing guidance on ways to
streamline activities, engage a broader range of community organizations and
agencies in the revitalization process, provide attractive incentives for downtown
property and business development, cut red tape currently discouraging
investment, and strengthen the district's arts and entertainment activities. In a
follow-up project (completed this month), CLUE Group conducted a market
analysis, business development plan, marketing plan, and implementation
strategy. As a result, Carlsbad is realigning and more tightly organizing
revitalization activities around several market-based development strategies.
, Columbus, Georgia and Fort Benning
Customer survey, 2006
The CLUE Group provided customer survey assistance to the Columbus (GA)
Business Improvement District, and its adjoining Army base, Fort Benning. This
work grew out of a partnership between the National Trust Main Street Center
and the Department of the Army to establish better economic links between Army
installations and their neighboring communities. "Uptown" is the historic
downtown of Columbus, about eight miles from Fort Benning; the downtown is
now surrounded by a half-dozen shopping centers on the city's outskirts. As a
subcontractor to the National Main Street Center, Josh Bloom worked closely with
local leaders to design a customer survey which was distributed to 500 Fort
Benning affiliates. He then analyzed the surveys, the results of which will strongly
influence future economic development plans for Uptown Columbus.
. Derby Line, Vermont
Business Feasibility and Location Study, 2004
While at the National Main Street Center, Josh Bloom conducted a Business
Location and Feasibility Study for the village of Derby Line, Vermont. Derby Line
is located in northern Vermont, on the Canadian border. As part of the project,
Josh analyzed the retail spending potential and trade area for a supermarket (top
on the wish list of local leaders) and seven other product and service categories.
Josh also designed customer surveys and trained local staff and volunteers to
conduct the survey. Josh analyzed the viability of several potential uses for two
key, vacant downtown buildings. Somewhat to the disappointment of local
leaders, it was clear from the sales gap analysis and customer surveys that there
was insufficient local market to support a full-scale supermarket in Derby Line.
The Community Land Use + Economics Group, LLC
14 Roanoke Avenue
Boston, MA 02130
617.905.4842 T I 202.318.4805 F
www.cluegroup.com
However, restaurant uses (of which there were none in Derby Line) emerged as a
clear need. (Residents regularly traveled ten miles to Newport, VT, for restaurant
dining.) At the same time, Village leaders had routinely dismissed tourism - a
mainstay of the Vermont economy - as a possible economic development engine
for Derby Line. We presented to them a strategy by which tourism could be
grown incrementally while minimally impacting the small-town character of the
community.
D. References
Kennedy Smith has conducted sales gap analyses for several Virginia Main Street
communities. Please contact:
Amy Yarcich, Coordinator
Virginia Main Street Program
Dept. of Housing and Community Development
501 North Second Street, Third Floor
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 371- 7030 orAm'y.,Y.<!I~J.~h@J!t!gj.,.y.i.!:!l!.!!1<!.JlQY
Josh Bloom conducted a customer survey and analysis for Uptown Columbus, GA.
Please contact:
Burnie Quick, Executive Director
Columbus BID
1226 3rd Ave.
P.O. Box 121B
Columbus GA 31901
(706) 322-9078 or hQllickl1llcolumbllsBID com
And:
Teresa Lynch, Program Officer
National Trust Main Street Center
56 Hartley Street
Portland, ME 04103 (home office)
(207) 773-0763 or Teresa I ynchl1llnthp org
The Community Land Use + Economics Group, LLC
14 Roanoke Avenue
Boston. MA 02130
617.905.4842 T I 202.318.4605 F
www.c1uegroup.com
In 2004, Josh Bloom conducted a business feasibility and market study for Derby
Line, Vermont. Please contact:
Alison Meaders
Planner, Northeastern Vermont Development Association
36 Eastern Avenue, Suite 1
PO Box 630
St. Johnsbury, VT 05819
(802) 748-5181 oralis.o.n@.nllda.ne.t
E. Workload
Our current schedule would allow The CLUE Group to begin work on this project in
December 2006.
The Community Land Use + Economics Group. LLC
14 Roanoke Avenue
Boston. MA02130
617.905.4842 T I 202.318.4605 F
www.c1uegroup.com
OUf DfoDosal
In response to the desired products described in the RFP, we propose the following
approach to our services for Dubuque.
After gathering and reviewing the Downtown Master Plan and other relevant
documents, Josh Bloom and Leslie Tucker will make an initial two-day site visit.
During that visit, they will:
. Tour and study the downtown
, Assess key properties with local code official
~ Meet with elected officials and city staff
~ Meet with selected downtown property owners
~. Meet with other downtown leaders
Element #1.: Strategies
Building on our ongoing research on best local and state development practices, we
will identify those examples most adaptable to Dubuque's current challenges. In
doing so, we will provide relevant examples and proposed changes or incentives in
the following areas:
~ Identify barriers to desired downtown development. Barriers may exist in current
ordinances or current project-review operations;
. Propose new policies, procedures, and ordinances that encourage downtown
development in keeping with the Downtown Master Plan;
. Provide downtown housing-development examples (particularly for upper-story
housing development), including profiles of similar projects in comparable cities;
~ Assess tax-credit eligibility (Historic Rehab and New Markets) for up to five key
downtown buildings or sites;
. Review City housing incentives for downtown living;
. Review local lending programs for applicability to downtown living.
Element #2: Assessment
As part of our initial site visit, we will assess exterior and (where accessible) interior
conditions of up to five key downtown buildings. We will review these structures
working alongside the designated City building official. (An second site visit will be
made by Kennedy Smith to study tax credit and development feasibility of key
buildings.)
The Community Land Use + EconOO1ics Group, LLC
14 Roanoke Avenue
Boston, MA 02130
617.905.4842 T I 202.318.4605 F
www.c1uegroup.com
Element #3: Products and marketing materials
Report. We will provide a report summarizing our findings and recommendations
from Elements 1 & 2. The report will include:
. Recommended modifications to current ordinances, policies, or project-review
procedures,
. Sample codes from relevant places and recommended adaptations for Dubuque,
. Assessment of tax-credit eligibility for selected buildings
>. Assessment of current downtown housing incentives and lending programs, and
recommended modifications for these programs,
. Summary of conditions assessment of key buildings, with recommended,
preservatiOn-5ensitive adaptive uses.
Marketing materials. We will develop a set of marketing materials geared toward
potential downtown developers. The materials will include:
. Summary of financial incentives for downtown housing development,
. Summary of project guidelines, review standards, and review procedures,
. Explanation of tax credit incentives and their relevance to key downtown
Dubuque properties.
Presentation. We will prepare a presentation of our findings and recommendations
for policy and financial incentives for downtown property development. On a third
visit, we will make a live presentationes) to city officials and downtown developers.
In addition, we will prepare an abbreviated slide presentation which the City can use
in its continued work with downtown developers.
TimiP-linll!
We anticipate the following project timeline: (Note, proposed start date December
2006)
Week
1
2-5
6
7-11
12
15
16
Activit
Initial site visit (Bloom, Tucker)
Statewide and national review of best ractices
Site visit (Smith)
Assessment of ke buildin s for tax-credit eli
Re ort Elements 1 & 2
Draft marketin materials develo ed
Presentations of findings and marketing materials to City and partners
(Smith, Bloom)
The Community Land Use + Economics Group, LLC
14 Roanoke Avenue
Boston, MA02130
617.905.4842 T I 202.318.4605 F
www.cluegroup.com
Budaet: Our budget for this project is as follows:
Activity Hours Fee Expenses Total
Initial olanninn site visit (Bloom Tucker) 32 <t4800 $2 300' $7100
Policv research (Tucker) 30 4.500 4,500
Housing research (Bloom) 16 2,400 2,400
Housina research (Smith) 6 1.200 1,200
Tax credit, development feasibility (Smith) 24 4,800 1,075 5,875
Reoort (Bloom Smith Tucker) 56 9.200 9.200
Marketing materials (Bloom) 35 5,250 5,250
Presentation develooment (Bloom. Smith) 32 5.600 5.600
On-site presentation (Bloom, Smith) 16 2,800 2,300 5,100
Continaencv trio (travel on Iv) 1075 1,075
Total: <t40 550 $6 750 $47.300
$150
200
750
150
60
50
1 Estimated at one flight, two hotel nights, two car rental days, two per diem days, and incidental costs
The Community Land Use + Economics Group, LLC
14 Roanoke Avenue
Boston, MA 02130
617.905.4842 T I 202.318.4605 F
WINW.cluegroup.com