2012-02-13 Study City Council - Laserfiche WebLink

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Ms. Ricci asked if there was a cost to University City in the area encroaching into the City. Mr. Holt said there was not and noted there has been great collaboration.  HUD recommends 1.5:1 relationship between jobs and housing units which translates in to 5,850 jobs that could be accommodated along Delmar, in five story buildings, and also along the edges of Skinker and Olive Blvd.  From Public Sessions there were a couple of questions as affordable housing and to encourage active aging that still needed to be answered.  Advantage with addition of the Delmar Streetcar would be it would then become a transit developed neighborhood.  Implementation of extending optical fiber internet cables along Delmar, Skinker and into neighborhoods at the same time when the Streetcar construction begins, giving University City a highly competitive advantage for future businesses.  Principles developed will be the walkability: transit orientated; urban quality & livability; arts and culture; healthy urban environment systems; community health, safety and empowerment; all organized for success.  Neighborhood plan shows a lot of disconnected streets that needs to be changed in order to bring access to the neighborhood as streets and parks are the framework.  For neighborhood sustainable development, residents have consistently talked about a need in the neighborhood for a grocery store; which there is a market for around Delmar and Skinker, as the Schnuck’s Culinary downtown.  Other neighborhood sustainability would include: student housing to be developed and renovated; new retail developed in the LOOP area; condominium development behind large parking lot owned by University City; mixed-use/office at Skinker and Kingsland; and mixed-use/affordable apartments on Olive  Metcalf Park and Ackert Walkway have been enlarged since the original plans.  An integrated Funding Plan is in the works. The biggest challenge in development will be the many jurisdictional boundaries that exist. (City Boundaries, Loop and Loop East Special Business District, Loop Trolley TDD, Parkview Gardens Special Business District and Parkview Gardens Association.)  To meet the above challenge, it is suggested that a non-profit development corporation be developed, to manage the Community Improvement Districts (CIDs) and other redevelopment entities; to adjust the boundaries of the existing Loop SBD, East Loop/Parkview Gardens SBD and Parkview Gardens SBD to be conterminous; and overlay the existing SBDs with CIDs.  The second component will be to develop a regulatory plan to ensure that future development matches the plan’s intention and objectives. This is where the height of buildings will be guided with the green area allowing 2 to 4 stories, the red area - 3 to 5 stories and the blues areas 3 - 8 stories, up to 12.  The third component is how and where to start. Phases should be 0 to 5 years, then 5 to 10 years and lastly 10 years and out. Ms. Ricci asked about University City’s cost as compared to other jurisdictions, how does City owned parking lots fit into the plan, has there been an analysis of dollars of how the City might benefit, and was there a dollar income evaluation on the mixed-use. Mr. Crow confirmed that the study to date has been financed by Parkview Gardens, Washington University, the Federal Government and $14,000 from University City. He asked on the average of how many citizens participated in the public discussions and was told on an average of 40 per session. Mr. Crow asked if the landowners have participated and was told that the major land owners have attended. 2