Final Recommendations // June 2014

Transcription

1 Final Recommendations // June 2014

2 Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown Task Force ACKNOWLEDGMENTS John Beardsley Kim Bruce Hugh Donnelly Michael Gaeta David Gold Greg Goodman Patrick Gortmaker Jake Hammer Sean Hubert Nikki Jones Phil Kalberer Craig Kelly Lynn Longfellow Beardsley Buildings Langley Investment Mercy Corps Oregon College of Oriental Medicine Gold Properties Downtown Development Group Old Town Chinatown Land Use Comm. Everett Street Autoworks Central City Concern Jones Bar & Boiler Room Kalberer Company Venerable Properties Oregon Nikkei Endowment Brad Malsin Gerard McAleese Bill McCrae Shawn Menashe Adam Milne Anne Naito-Campbell Matt Roberts John Russell Jill Sherman Howard Weiner Marlene Weiner Helen Ying Beam Development Kell s Irish Pub Oregon College of Oriental Medicine Gevurtz Menashe Law Firm Old Town Brewing Property Owner University of Oregon Russell Development Gerding Edlin Development Old Town Chinatown Community Assoc. Weiner Investment Co. Chinatown Special Thanks to These Additional Task Force Participants Staff and Consultant Team Mike Boyer Cmdr. Day Lynnae Berg Lisa Frisch Sarah Harpole Cori Jacobs Dan Lenzen Karl Lisle Norman Locke Jackie Peterson Amy Swanson ONI, Crime Prevention Coordinator Portland Police Bureau Clean & Safe Clean & Safe PDC Retail Advocate Concept Entertainment Group Bureau of Planning and Sustainability Old Town Heritage Group Old Town Heritage Group Weiner Investment Co. Portland Business Alliance Bernie Bottomly Raihana Ansary Siegel Consulting Steve Siegel ZGF Architects, LLP Nolan Lienhart Charles Kelley Alice Peterson Jerome Unterreiner

3 FOREWORD To: Re: Mayor Charlie Hales Commissioner Nick Fish Commissioner Amanda Fritz Commissioner Steve Novick Commissioner Dan Saltzman Recommendations of the Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown Task Force Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown has a unique importance in the history of our City, and it needs your attention now. While other neighborhoods have flourished, Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown has languished. The area has been the subject of previous City revitalization efforts that did not achieve their desired goals. If different results are to be achieved, then a different approach must be put in place a comprehensive and coordinated strategy tailored to address the unique challenges and opportunities facing the neighborhood. The Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown Task Force was formed to address this need. The Task Force consists of property owners, business owners, social service providers, institutional organizations, community members, and other stakeholders working, living, or investing in the neighborhood. There is unanimous agreement that a focused revitalization effort should be undertaken over the next decade. This report details the recommendations of the Task Force. These recommendations address issues specific to the City s West Quadrant Plan and Central City 2035, PDC s Old Town-Chinatown Five Year Action Plan, the City s Entertainment District Pilot Street Closure Program, safety and social service programs in the area, and other related issues. We urge your consideration and implementation of these recommendations. John Beardsley Kim Bruce Hugh Donnelly Michael Gaeta David Gold Greg Goodman Patrick Gortmaker Jake Hammer Sean Hubert Nikki Jones Phil Kalberer Craig Kelly Lynn Longfellow Beardsley Buildings Langley Investment Mercy Corps Oregon College of Oriental Medicine Gold Properties Downtown Development Group Old Town Chinatown Land Use Comm. Everett Street Autoworks Central City Concern Jones Bar & Boiler Room Kalberer Company Venerable Properties Oregon Nikkei Endowment Brad Malsin Gerard McAleese Bill McCrae Shawn Menashe Adam Milne Anne Naito-Campbell Matt Roberts John Russell Jill Sherman Howard Weiner Marlene Weiner Helen Ying Beam Development Kell s Irish Pub Oregon College of Oriental Medicine Gevurtz Menashe Law Firm Old Town Brewing Property Owner University of Oregon Russell Development Gerding Edlin Development Old Town Chinatown Community Assoc. Weiner Investment Co. Chinatown CC: Members of the Portland Development Commission Members of the Portland Planning and Sustainability Commission Members of the West Quadrant Stakeholders Advisory Committee Recommendations of the Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown Task Force June

4 LOVEJOY HOYT STEEL BRIDGE GLISAN FLANDERS EVERETT DAVIS COUCH BURNSIDE PARK BROADWAY 6TH 5TH 4TH 3RD 2ND 1ST NAITO BURNSIDE BRIDGE SKIDMORE OLD TOWN HISTORIC DISTRICT NEW CHINATOWN JAPANTOWN HISTORIC DISTRICT MAX LINE MAX STOP Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown Boundaries 2 Recommendations of the Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown Task Force June 2014

5 Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown Task Force SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Promote the Repair and Rehabilitate Historic Buildings in Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown Expand Authority for Historic Properties in Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown to Sell Development Rights to Fund Historic Renovation Implement PDC Program to Acquire Preservation Parking Rights from District Historic Buildings; Proceeds from Sale Used for Historic Renovation Permit Additional Historic Building Repair and Renovation before Triggering Seismic Retrofits Seek Approval of a State Income Tax Credit for Rehabilitation of Commercial Historic Buildings 2. Promote New Development in District Invest in Catalytic Development Projects in the District Increase Height Limits in Selected Areas Authorize SDC Waivers for Workforce and Market-Rate Housing Facilitate Property Tax Abatement for New Housing in the District Assist Efforts to Develop a Multi-Ethnic Heritage Center 3. Provide Parking Required to Revitalize Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown Oppose Proposals to Tax or Phase-out Surface Parking Lots in Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown Facilitate the Interim Use of Existing Public Parking to Support New Development in the District Replace District Parking Lost as Surface Lots Redevelop 4. Make Effective Use of PDC s Tax Increment Funds Amend Urban Renewal Boundaries to Facilitate Plan Implementation without Increasing Total Area within URAs Dedicate TIF Funds for Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown 5. Implement District Marketing, Recruitment, and Retail Strategy Create a Unified Identity for the District Activate the District Market the District and Recruit Targeted Retail 6. Take Actions to Improve Safety, Security, and Livability in Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown Implement Community Policing and Sidewalk Management Strategies Implement Coordinated Neighborhood Policing Integrate Law Enforcement and Social Services Improve Entertainment District Operations; Terminate the Street Closure Program 7. Implement Urban Design Improvements Strengthen Visual and Physical Connections to Tom McCall Waterfront Park Improve Street Connectivity, Safety, and Functioning Eliminate Barrier Created by W. Burnside Employ Placemaking Strategies to Enhance District Character and Experience Each of these recommendations are detailed in the sections that follow. Recommendations of the Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown Task Force June

6 Aerial Photo looking West over Burnside Street, 1928 [City of Portland Archives] 4 Recommendations of the Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown Task Force June 2014

7 Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown Task Force RECOMMENDATION 1 PROMOTE THE REPAIR AND REHABILITATE HISTORIC BUILDINGS IN SKIDMORE-OLD TOWN-CHINATOWN THE PROBLEM Repair and rehabilitation of historic buildings in the district are hindered by financial and regulatory difficulties. Prevailing rents in Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown are insufficient to justify the rehabilitation of historic properties. Current incentives in the zoning code are inadequate; many historic properties in the district are not covered. City regulations can trigger seismic retrofit requirements when historic buildings are renovated or repaired; alterations and repairs are not done to avoid uneconomic investments in seismic retrofits that would be triggered by the repairs or alteration. Most of the properties that have been seismically improved did so in the 1980s when seismic codes were less strict and retrofits less costly. Financial incentives are required to foster rehabilitation of historic buildings; 34 states offer state income tax credits for such investments. PROPOSED SOLUTIONS Expand Authority for Historic Properties in Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown to Sell Development Rights to Fund Historic Renovation 1. City should amend the provision in the current Zoning Code allowing landmark historic buildings to transfer FAR to sites within 2 miles of the transferring building to allow all historic properties in Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown, including contributing properties, to make such transfers. 2. City should further amend the zoning code to allow: Historic properties in Skidmore-Old Town- Chinatown to earn a 3:1 FAR bonus when the owner covenants that all proceeds from the sale of development rights will be spent to rehabilitate a historic property or properties in the district within five years of the sale of the rights. Sales proceeds should be held in a trust fund and released to the property owner to pay for eligible expenses. Sales proceeds not spent on eligible costs within five years would revert to a city fund dedicated to the Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown area; and A site receiving FAR from a historic property in Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown with bonus FAR to qualify for up to an additional 1:1 FAR above the maximum allowed FAR when all other bonuses and transfers are taken into account. Specifically, allow the maximum FAR on the receiving site to increase by 1/3:1 for each 1:1 FAR transferred from a historic property in Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown with bonus FAR, up to a maximum of 1:1 additional FAR. For example: suppose there is a receiving site with a base FAR of 6:1 and a maximum FAR of 9:1 with bonuses and transfers, and that an historic building in the District that is subject to the covenant described above transfers 4:1 FAR to the receiving site. The 4:1 FAR transfer would qualify the receiving site for an additional 1:1 maximum FAR so that the maximum allowed FAR becomes 10:1 instead of 9:1. The transferred 4:1 FAR would then make the receiving site fully eligible for the maximum 10:1 FAR. 3. Sunset the Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown FAR bonus program at the end of the tenth year following its enactment. Recommendations of the Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown Task Force June

8 Implement PDC Program to Acquire Preservation Parking Rights from District Historic Buildings; Proceeds from Sale Used for Historic Renovation 1. PDC should institute a program to acquire from owners of historic buildings in Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown the rights to a sufficient amount of Preservation Parking spaces to develop parking spaces required for the redevelopment or revitalization of Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown. To be eligible to sell parking rights to PDC: The parking rights must be from historic buildings within Skidmore-Old Town- Chinatown (including contributing sites in the historic districts and other historic properties in the City inventory); and The owner of the historic building must covenant to the City that all proceeds from the sale of Preservation Parking rights from the historic property will be used to rehabilitate the historic properties in the District within five years of the sale of the rights. Sales proceeds should be held in a trust fund and released to the property owner to pay for eligible expenses. Sales proceeds not spent on eligible costs within five years would revert to a city fund dedicated to the Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown area. Permit Additional Historic Building Repair and Renovation before Triggering Seismic Retrofits 1. The City should prepare and implement a smart code for seismic improvements in historic buildings that (a) permits a broader range of repairs and alterations to be undertaken without triggering seismic requirements and (b) when triggered, allows for incremental seismic improvements. 2. PDC should update its loan programs for seismic improvements in the Skidmore-Old Town- Chinatown area to provide loan terms that make seismic improvements financially viable. Consideration should be given to loans that defer payments of interest and/or principal until certain returns on investments or rents are achieved. Redevelopment of historic buildings will require additional incentives and regulatory reform Seek Approval of a State Income Tax Credit for Rehabilitation of Commercial Historic Buildings 1. The City should include in its 2015 legislative agenda support for legislation authorizing State Rehabilitation Tax Credits for rehabilitating historic commercial buildings. In lieu of limiting the Tax Credit to landmark buildings, the Tax Credit legislation should have a two-tiered approach offering a smaller credit to rehabilitate historic buildings not listed on the National Register. 6 Recommendations of the Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown Task Force June 2014

9 Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown Task Force RECOMMENDATION 2 PROMOTE NEW DEVELOPMENT IN THE DISTRICT THE PROBLEM New development in Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown is not currently financially viable. Development pro formas prepared for PDC and pro formas prepared by developers have all shown that new development in the district, whether commercial or residential, is uneconomic without financial and regulatory incentives. Development of market rate housing is required for a balanced and thriving Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown district. Market rate housing supports local businesses, improves retail traffic and rents, and diversifies the area. It is anticipated that at least 1000 market rate units should be developed in the district. Development of a grocery store is needed to attract residential investment and achieve this target. Due to limited and discontinuous ground-level active uses, the street-level experience in Skidmore-Old Town- Chinatown is inconsistent and lacks a corridor or pathway to carry critical energy and momentum to and through the district. Parts of Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown with positive energy and activity tend to be found in pockets of one block or less. Activation of key catalyst sites can create a heart around which other development will cluster, or alternately, enhance connections to successful corridors or pockets of positive energy in adjacent districts such as the Pearl District and the Central Business District. Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown has a deep-rooted multi-ethnic history that is reflected in the district s identity as a heritage district. This identity is part of the attraction of the district, but to remain a significant heritage district its unique identity must be reinforced. At the same time height limits in parts of Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown are relatively low; and to date pro formas have shown development to be uneconomic at the current maximum heights. Methods are needed that allow for new development while supporting the district s identity. PROPOSED SOLUTIONS Invest in Catalytic Development Projects 1. PDC should seek and reserve funding for the development of: As a priority, two catalytic projects in the heart of Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown that will have sufficient scale to establish a vibrant center and energize surrounding development projects. Attention should be given to securing a signature, mixed-use project with a program mix that reinforces the unique attributes and heritage of the district. If the Heritage Center (described below) advanced sufficiently to have stable funding commitments, consideration should be given to incorporating the Heritage Center within this mixed-use development. A catalytic project near the Morrison Bridgehead/ James Beard Public Market that leverages the effects of the Bridgehead/Public Market project and strengthens the Bridgehead/Public Market project connection to Skidmore-Old Town- Chinatown. A catalytic project near the intersection of NW Broadway and Glisan Street to serve as a link between Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown, PNCA, the North Park Blocks, and the Pearl District. A grocery store (potentially incorporated in a catalytic project) that serves the needs of area residents. Recommendations of the Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown Task Force June

10 2. PDC should release development offerings for the property it owns in or near the district, including its property at SW 3rd and SW Oak; projects outside of Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown should not be eligible for funds dedicated to catalytic projects in the District. Increase Height Limits in Selected Areas 1. The City should amend the zoning code and design review criteria to allow taller buildings that are compatible with the neighborhood on parcels between NW Everett and Burnside between NW 4th and NW 5th Avenues (where the limit is currently 100 feet), as follows:: BPS in concert with PDC should undertake studies to identify the minimum additional height limit required to support catalytic development on these sites; a height limit between 125 feet and 175 feet may be required. The base FAR on these sites should be adjusted to correspond to the increased height limit; consideration should be given to an adjusted base FAR that allows more floor area for mixed use development with a substantial residential component than for a stand-alone office tower (for example, a 6:1 base FAR for commercial use and a 9:1 FAR for buildings in which at least one-third of the floor area is in residential use). The design review criteria should be amended to ensure the design of buildings employing the higher height limit are compatible with the historic buildings on NW 4th Avenue. 2. The City Council should amend the zoning code for the half block immediately to the west and the half block immediately to the south of the Lan Su Chinese Garden to require shadow studies for new development on these sites demonstrating that the design of the proposed building does not unduly produce damaging shadows in sensitive areas of the garden. Waive System Development Charges (SDC) for Workforce and Market-Rate Housing 1. Amend the City Code to allow System Development Charges to be waived for residential (rental and owner-occupied) projects in Skidmore-Old Town/ Chinatown that serve households earning up to 120% of Median Family Income. Establish criteria to assign exemptions on a prorated basis depending on the mix of household incomes and thus the level of public purpose served. 2. Cap the cumulative amount of SDC charges waived over the next ten years at $15 million. Facilitate Property Tax Abatement for New Housing in District 1. Exempt property tax abatement awards for residential development in Skidmore-Old Town- Chinatown under the Portland Housing Bureau s MULTE program from the annual citywide dollar cap, similar to exemptions for development in the Lents and Gateway Urban Renewal Areas. Assist Efforts to Develop a Multi-Ethnic Heritage Center 1. PDC should, in consultation with applicable property owners and stakeholders, undertake activities to determine the feasibility of incorporating, as a tenant or joint venture, a multi-ethnic heritage center in the catalytic mixed-use project. Concurrent with PDC s activities, a private sector effort should be undertaken to identify and implement a financial plan for the center including securing the commitment of capital funding and an ongoing, stable source of operating funds. 2. If incorporation of the Heritage Center in a mixed-use development is determined to be advantageous and sufficient financial commitments for the center have been secured, PDC should facilitate a development/ lease agreement between the sponsors of the Center and the developer/property owner. 8 Recommendations of the Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown Task Force June 2014

11 Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown Task Force RECOMMENDATION 3 PROVIDE PARKING REQUIRED TO REVITALIZE SKIDMORE- OLD TOWN-CHINATOWN THE PROBLEM The historic buildings in Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown were built during the streetcar era when parking was not a consideration. Existing surface parking lots in the district serve the parking needs of district businesses, residents, employees, and visitors. City parking studies show that parking demand in the area exceeds practical capacity. A 2008 PBOT parking study showed on-street parking in the Old Town district was 78% full at mid-day and 90% full in the evening, and parking in the entertainment district was 89% full at mid-day and 94% full in evenings. Eighty five percent is considered the ideal capacity. A small sample of two off-street commercial surface lots in the Skidmore area showed they were 93%-97% full during the day. PDC s 2008 North Old Town/Chinatown Redevelopment Strategy identified parking as a primary specific challenge and recommended parking as a priority use for limited future public funding available to assist developments. It is hoped that the infill development will provide parking to serve its own tenants and replace the surface parking that serves surrounding buildings in underground parking structures. However, given the small parcel sizes, divided ownerships, and the high cost of underground parking, it may not be feasible to finance the costs of the additional parking. Absent a proactive program of public and private investment in parking, the district will lose parking as the existing surface parking lots redevelop. There will not be sufficient new parking to serve the new uses in combination with the former customers of the surface parking lot. Studies prepared for PDC of potential parking structure sites in the neighborhood found limited possibilities; of the options considered. expansion of the Old Town Parking Garage was found to be most cost effective. PROPOSED SOLUTIONS Oppose Proposals to Tax or Phase-out Surface Parking Lots in Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown 1. The City Council should reject proposals to tax and/or phase-out surface parking lots in in Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown because: (a) redevelopment of surface lots in Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown is stalled because commercial and residential rents in the area are insufficient to make new development financially viable and not due to parking lot operations; (b) surface parking lots serve a critical parking need for the district, buildings in the district are generally without their own parking; (c) little structured commercial parking is proximate to the district; and (d) a tax on parking would be passed-on to businesses, tenants and employees in the district, eroding the already low demand for the district. A minority report on this issue is provided in the appendix to this report. Facilitate the Interim Use of Existing Public Parking to Support New Development in the District 1. BPS in concert with PBOT should seek to amend city policy to facilitate the conversion of parking spaces in the Old Town Garage to preservation parking. 2. PDC should assemble a reserve of preservation parking rights that could be used to entitle parking spaces for commercial or residential buildings with inadequate parking and/or short-term parking for district visitors. 3. PDC should work with the Facilities Division and PBOT to allow a floor of parking (124 stalls) in the Old Town Garage to be used for Preservation Parking when needed to support new development or retain existing businesses until new additional parking is constructed. Recommendations of the Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown Task Force June

12 Replace Parking as Surface Lots Redevelop 1. PDC should dedicate funds to help make financially feasible the construction of additional parking in new development in the district that is dedicated to serve district needs. The changes to the urban renewal district boundaries described in Section 4 are required to successfully implement this strategy. 2. When needed to implement the Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown plan, PDC in concert with the Facilities Services Division should undertake a two-prong strategy for developing new spaces in the area for short-term visitor parking and/or preservation parking as the need may exist. The strategy should: Expand to the extent cost-effective the 1st and Davis Old Town Garage. Eliminate the helipad to maximize parking spaces in the Garage and eliminate a noise impediment to residential development in the area. Fund the construction of additional parking spaces (i.e.; in excess of those privately owned) for short-term district visitor parking and/or preservation parking for nearby buildings, as most needed, within the parking garages of new development projects receiving financial assistance from PDC. 3. PDC in cooperation with district businesses should develop a shared-use parking program with owners of parking structures in close proximity to the district (such as US Bank and Embassy Suites) to help meet district parking requirements. 4. If new development in the district cannot incorporate sufficient additional parking to meet district needs, allow PDC funds allocated for Skidmore-Old Town- Chinatown parking to be used for additional parking in new development in close proximity to the district provided that the additional parking is dedicated to meet district needs. The parking garage at 1st & Davis may be expanded to accommodate additional district parking capacity. 10 Recommendations of the Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown Task Force June 2014

13 Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown Task Force RECOMMENDATION 4 MAKE EFFECTIVE USE OF PDC S TAX INCREMENT FUNDS THE PROBLEM Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown encompasses portions of two separate urban renewal areas (URA) the River District URA and the Downtown Waterfront URA. The boundaries of these URAs are somewhat intermingled throughout the district, with Downtown Waterfront encompassing more blocks. PDC estimates that the River District URA has about $50 million in unallocated TIF, of which about $15 million is currently budgeted. PDC estimates that the Downtown Waterfront URA has about $8 million in unallocated TIF. PDC proposed dedicating all unallocated TIF in the River District URA and $4 million of unallocated TIF in the Downtown Waterfront URA to projects and programs in Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown The imbalance in TIF amounts between the URAs is a problem for implementing the Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown plan. The Old Town Garage, Block 33 (the full block parking lot), and the Skidmore Historic District are within the Downtown Waterfront URA. Given the importance of the Old Town Garage to parking expansion and Block 33 and the Skidmore District to catalytic development, these sites should be able to access the larger available funding in the River District URA. There are certain statutory restrictions on how much a URA can be expanded; about 11 acres can be added to the River District URA (and removed from the Downtown-Waterfront URA). PROPOSED SOLUTIONS Amend URA Boundaries to Facilitate Plan Implementation without Increasing Total Area within URAs 1. Adjust River District and Downtown Waterfront URA boundaries to facilitate plan implementation. While the exact boundary adjustments require detailed analysis by PDC, include the Old Town Garage site, Block 33, and portions of the Skidmore District in the River District URA and remove these sites from the Downtown Waterfront URA. This is a 1:1 site exchange, there is no net change in property values dedicated to urban renewal. Dedicate TIF Funds for Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown 1. Dedicate all currently unallocated TIF in River District URA to projects and programs in Skidmore- Old Town-Chinatown. These funds should be allocated to: For a period of five years, loan and grant programs to renovate or upgrade historic and other area properties (including the soundproofing and fire and life safety programs in Recommendation 6). Any balance of these funds remaining unobligated at the end of the fifth year should be reprogrammed for other uses in the District; Streetscape and key infrastructure and urban design improvements (as described in Section 7); District marketing and management expenses; and The majority of the funds should be reserved for catalytic development and parking projects. 2. Dedicate at least $4 million of Downtown Waterfront TIF to projects and programs in Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown if the River District URA is expanded as recommended and at least $6 million if not expanded. These funds should be allocated to: Reserve a portion of these funds for a period of five years for loan and grant programs to renovate or upgrade historic and other area properties. Any balance of these funds remaining unobligated at the end of the fifth year should be reprogrammed for other uses in the District. Recommendations of the Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown Task Force June

14 NW 3RD AVE NW 2ND AVE NW FRONT AVE N RUSSELL ST NW 21ST PL NW YORK ST N RIVER ST INTERSTATE I5 FWY SB I5 NW 21ST AVE NW 20TH AVE described NW VAUGHN STin Section 7), and district NW UPSHUR ST NW RIVERSCAPE ST District marketing, key infrastructure and urban design improvements (as management expenses FRONT FREMONT BRIDGE The majority of the funds should be reserved for catalytic development and parking projects HWY 30 NW SAVIER ST W i l l a m e t t e R i v e r NW RALEIGH ST NW PETTYGROVE ST NW MARSHALL ST NW 19TH AVE NW QUIMBY ST NW 16TH AVE NW 14TH AVE NW OVERTON ST NW NORTHRUP ST NW LOVEJOY ST NW QUIMBY ST NW NAITO PKWY NW STATION WAY BROADWAY BRIDGE N THUNDERBIR D WAY NW KEARNEY ST NW IRVING ST NW 17TH AVE NW JOHNSON ST NW 11TH AVE NW 9TH AVE NW IRVING ST NW IRONSIDE T E R NW 21ST AVE NW FLANDERS ST NW 18TH AVE NW DAVIS ST 405 NW 15TH AVE NW 13TH AVE NW 12TH AVE NW FLANDERS ST NW 10TH AVE NW PARK AVE NW HOYT ST NW 8TH AVE NW 6TH AVE NW COUCH ST NW 5TH AVE NW 4TH AVE NW DAVIS ST STEEL BRIDGE SW KING AVE River District Urban Renewal Area SW 20TH AVE SW MAIN ST SW 20TH AVE SW MADISON ST I River District URA MAX Street Car SW C OLUMBIA ST SW CLAY ST SW JEFFERSON ST SW 17TH AVE COLUMBIA SW 17TH AVE Proposed/Under construction SW 16TH AVE ,500 Feet 13TH SW MORRISON ST SW 12TH AVE SW 11TH AVE SW 10TH AVE SW PARK AVE SW 9TH AVE SW MAIN ST W BURNSIDE ST SW STARK ST SW BROADWAY SW 5TH AVE SW 6TH AVE SW 3RD AVE SW WASHINGTON ST SW ALDER ST SW ANKENY ST SW PINE ST SW OAK ST SW YAMHILL ST SW TAYLOR ST SW 2ND AVE SW 1ST AVE SW NAITO PKWY MORRISON BRIDGE Care was taken in the creation of this map, but it is provided as is. The Portland Development Commission cannot accept any responsibility for errors, omissions, or positional accuracy, and therefore, there are no warranties that accompany this product. January Current River District URA Boundary (truncated to focus on Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown district) 12 Recommendations of the Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown Task Force June 2014

15 NW GLISAN ST LOVEJOY NW LOVEJOY ST N INTERSTATE AVE NE HOLLADAY ST NW 11TH AVE NW 10TH AVE SW MORRISON ST SW SALMON ST SW PARK AVE SW 10TH AVE SW BROADWAY NW PARK AVE NW EVERETT ST NW COUCH ST NW BURNSIDE ST SW STARK ST NW 6TH AVE SW TAYLOR ST SW MAIN ST NW 5TH AVE SW WASHINGTON ST SW ALDER ST SW YAMHILL ST NW NAITO PKWY SW ANKENY ST SW PINE ST SW 3RD AVE SW 1ST AVE NW DAVIS ST SW 2ND AVE SW NAITO PKWY STEEL BRIDGE MORRISON BRIDGE BURNSIDE BRIDGE W i l l a m e t t e R i v e r I5 FWY NB NE 1ST AVE NE 2ND AVE SE OAK ST NE LLOYD BLVD NE 3RD AVE SE WASHINGTON ST SE YAMHILL ST SE MARTIN LUTHER KING JR BLVD SE GRAND AVE NE PACIFIC ST NE OREGON ST NE GRAND AVE NE DAVIS ST NE COUCH ST E BURNSIDE ST SE ASH ST SE PINE ST SE STARK ST NE 7TH AVE NE IRVING ST I84 FWY EB NE EVERETT ST SE ANKENY ST SE ALDER ST SE MORRISON ST SE BELMONT ST NE 9TH AVE SE SANDY BLVD NE 9TH AVE SW 6TH AVE SW 5TH AVE SW HARRISON ST SW JEFFERSON ST SW MADISON ST SW COLUMBIA ST SW CLAY ST SW MARKET ST HAWTHORNE BRIDGE SE WATER AVE SE TAYLOR ST SE SALMON ST Downtown Waterfront Urban Renewal Area SE HAWTHORNE BLVD SE CLAY ST I SE MADISON ST SE 7TH AVE SE MARKET ST SE MILL ST SE 8TH AVE Downtown Waterfront URA SE 10TH AVE MAX SE STEPHENS ST SW LINCOLN ST SW RIVER DR MARQUAM BRIDGE Street Car SE DIVISION ST SE HARRISON ST Proposed/Under construction SE LINCOLN ST ,500 Feet SE GRANT ST SE SHERMAN ST Care was taken in the creation of this map, but it is provided as is. The Portland Development Commission cannot accept any responsibility for errors, omissions, or positional accuracy, and therefore, there are no warranties that accompany this product. January Current Downtown Waterfront URA Boundary Recommendations of the Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown Task Force June

16 Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown Task Force RECOMMENDATION 5 IMPLEMENT DISTRICT MARKETING, RECRUITMENT, AND RETAIL STRATEGY THE PROBLEM The challenges facing Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown interact to create dead zones within the district. Vacant retail spaces, buildings with broken glass, garbage containers in the public right-of-way, and boarded windows deaden the streetscape. The lack of demand for ground-floor retail in buildings with marginal retail space results in a district punctuated with inactive office uses in ground-floor retail space. Inactivity during weekday hours prevents bars and restaurants from operating during these hours. While these entertainment uses add vibrancy to the District during evening hours, they add to the inactive streetscape during daytime hours when they are closed and dark. Tenanting a space with a use that contributes to the district concept, activates the ground floor, and enhances the pedestrian experience will reinforce the appeal of the district to other prospective tenants. The district has a high percentage of For Lease by Owner buildings. In addition, there is a presumption in parts of the real estate brokerage community that the district is not suitable for prospective tenants. Consequently professional real estate services required for consistent and targeted tenanting have not adequately penetrated the district. Specific actions are required to strengthen the retail mix and recruit other targeted uses, such as restaurants, and cultural and heritage activities that bolster pedestrian activity throughout the entire day and contribute to the overall vision for the district. Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown has a complex multi-ethnic history, which is reflected by its equally complex set of identities. While part of the attraction of the district, the multiple identities are confusing to some. The district s identity is further colored by its well-known current challenges. In order to spur development, retail, and tourism in the district, the district needs a unified image that reflects and reinforces Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown s status as a significant heritage district. Though the City of Portland has active ground floor use requirements, retail does not work on every street. The Downtown Retail Strategy has shown the benefits of identifying a street hierarchy for concentrating retail development (i.e.; signature retail streets). Development of the streetscape throughout the district should reflect the unique identity being fostered by the branding program and the street hierarchy for retail development. The physical characteristics of the streetscape should include visual clues that reinforce identity of the district promoted by the branding program. Simple elements in the public realm like signage, street amenities, and lighting treatments can be used to form the boundaries of the district and the signature retail streets within the district. The identity can be reinforced in the private realm through storefront and façade design elements. 14 Recommendations of the Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown Task Force June 2014

17 PROPOSED SOLUTIONS Create a Unified Identity for the District 1. The Old Town Chinatown Community Association and Old Town District Association, in concert with Clean and Safe and the Downtown Retail Advocate, should convene a District Retail Marketing Group to engage a marketing/retail/urban design consulting team with a comprehensive understanding of the District s historic, cultural, and multi-ethnic heritage and oversee the work of the team to: Design and implement a branding program for the District; Identify the signature retail streets in the District; and Identify design features and elements to be integrated in the built environment to make the District cohesive and distinctive. Pop-Up Shops, like this Boys Fort example from 2011, fill vacant spaces and help to activate retail streets Activate the District 1. To activate the streetscape and improve the pedestrian experience, the District Retail Marketing Group consultants should: Meet with businesses in buildings with storefronts, facades, or other features detracting from a vibrant streetscape to identify lowcost appearance improvements and assist in applying for Storefront Improvement Grants for the improvements; Encourage retail use of ground floors by working with property owners to seek Development Opportunity Services (DOS) and Storefront Improvement Program grants to convert underutilized ground floor space to active use; Work in concert with the Office of Neighborhood Involvement and other city bureaus to resolve chronic nuisance properties, including properties failing to meet the minimum requirements for property upkeep; and Create art programs with local artists, including students at Pacific Northwest College of Art, Regional Arts and Culture Council, local art galleries, and artists living in the district to activate vacant storefronts, blank walls, and boarded-up windows. 2. To spur retail vitality in the short-term and develop emerging retailers in the district, the District Retail Marketing Group should implement a program to fill vacant storefronts with Pop-Up Shops. The Downtown Retail Advocate should identify movein ready vacant retail storefronts, negotiate for their short-term use, and recruit retailers consistent with the marketing strategy for the district. Recommendations of the Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown Task Force June

18 Market the District & Recruit Targeted Retail 1. Under the auspices of the District Retail Marketing Group, the Downtown Retail Advocate should: Improve the marketing capacity for the district by: Creating professional real estate marketing materials for the district, including a retail relocation guide; Meeting with retail brokers and building owners to share with them the strategy and tools for implementation; Providing market research data on district including employee counts, pedestrian counts, wages, etc.; and Tracking retail vacancies and maintain a vacancy contact list. Recruit targeted businesses to the district, including: Independent Restaurants catering to breakfast, lunch, and dinner markets; neighborhood and fine-dining (destination) restaurants; Hospitality and Entertainment Venues - appealing to a broad range of demographics; Businesses Reflecting the District s Heritage businesses supporting the multi-ethnic heritage and character of the district; Creative Class Retail specialty retail unique to the District such as Compound, Upper Playground, Hand Eye Supply, and Table of Contents Creative Class Office such as architecture, software development, and marketing firms; Grocery Concepts -- Create small scale, specialty grocery/food options in the district; and Basic Neighborhood Retail Services for District residents, such as dry cleaners, banks, pharmacy, and service retail. Work on retention programs for at-risk businesses. Employ restaurant consultants to work with long time struggling restaurant establishments on updating business plans. 16 Recommendations of the Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown Task Force June 2014

19 Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown Task Force RECOMMENDATION 6 TAKE ACTIONS TO IMPROVE SAFETY, SECURITY, AND LIVABILITY IN SKIDMORE-OLD TOWN-CHINATOWN THE PROBLEM Attracting investment to Skidmore-Old Town- Chinatown is difficult due to both the reality and perception of safety and security issues in the area. The area is known for the presence of intimidating panhandlers, drug dealing, and a range of disorderly conduct associated with drug and alcohol consumption and mental illness. The popularity of late night bars and restaurants in Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown raises concerns about auto-pedestrian accidents, public inebriation, noise impacts on residents, and disorderly conduct associated with the late night bar scene. The street closure program for the Entertainment District has created problems for the late night businesses in the district, which have reported lost revenues due to the lost access, towing of customer cars, and the negative image created by the barricades and heightened police presence associated with the closures. The concentration of social service providers and sidewalk queuing for services add to the perception of security and personal safety concerns in the area. Effective sidewalk management has been hampered by inadequate City regulations; an effective sidewalk management ordinance is necessary for a long-term solution. Enhanced community policing must be provided on an ongoing basis. Police patrols are only part of the interconnected law enforcement, adjudication, and social service system required for an effective public safety program. Because many issues in the district are related to drug and alcohol abuse, policing must be coordinated with outreach, services, and the court system. Chronic low-level crime can be addressed in part by a neighborhood policing program that harnesses the businesses, employees, and residents in the area to create an atmosphere where criminal behavior is discouraged through concerted collective action. PROPOSED SOLUTIONS Implement Community Policing and Sidewalk Management Strategies 1. The City should implement and provide on-going funding for enhanced community policing patrols in Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown; officers assigned to these patrols should be specially trained in dealing with individuals who are drug and alcohol abusers, those with mental health issues, and other hard to reach populations. 2. The City should prepare and implement a sidewalk management ordinance that addresses effectively and humanely the challenges resulting from aggressive panhandling in the district. The City should include in its 2015 legislative agenda changes to state statutes required for an effective sidewalk management ordinance. Recommendations of the Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown Task Force June

20 3. Clean & Safe should seek to implement an enhanced early-morning sidewalk cleaning program in Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown. 4. The City and County should reaffirm its commitment to the Drug Impact Area program by reassigning a dedicated deputy district attorney to prosecute drug and low-level crime arrests in the Drug Impact Area. Implement Coordinated Neighborhood Policing 1. Establish a working committee of the Portland Police, Office of Neighborhood Involvement s Crime Prevention Coordinator, Clean & Safe, Community Association, social service providers, and others to implement a comprehensive set of neighborhood policing actions. 2. Establish a neighborhood compact outlining the actions property owners, businesses, and employees in the area will undertake as part of a neighborhood policing effort. The compact could include: Establishing a zero tolerance approach to public nuisance behaviors and report all activities to appropriate responders (either Portland Police or Clean & Safe); Securing trespass agreements for private property that is habitually used for illegal or destructive activities; and Establishing an information sharing systems for property owners, social service agencies, and businesses to identify and track chronic offenders and issues in the neighborhood. 3. Implement Crime Prevention through Environmental Design practices on a comprehensive basis throughout the area. Integrate Law Enforcement and Social Services 1. Implement an Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) or Intensive Dual Diagnosis Team (IDT) program focused on Skidmore-Old Town- Chinatown. Integrate the ACT/IDT efforts with the enhanced community policing, Clean & Safe patrols, and community healthcare networks. 2. Expand the availability of detox and alcohol and drug addiction treatment programs. 3. Formalize the Transition Projects youth outreach program through the city or county. 4. Establish an enhanced system for keeping track of individuals with chronic interactions with police and sharing such information between police, social service agencies, and courts. 5. Seek grant funding provided under the state s Justice Reinvestment Act and elsewhere to fund these programs. 18 Recommendations of the Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown Task Force June 2014

21 Improve Entertainment District Operations; Terminate the Street Closure Program 1. City Council/Portland Police should terminate the pilot street closure program at the end of its current extension this October. City/Portland Police should revise how street closures operate through October 2014 to improve access. 2. The Community Association should form a business committee (the Old Town District Association ) to focus on developing a business friendly environment for the district using inhouse funding and dues from membership to promote business growth, facilitate public safety, and create job development through financial contributions and business outreach methods. 3. The Old Town District Association should convene a group of neighborhood businesses and property owners, Clean & Safe, Portland Police, and ONI staff to assess options for coordinating the exterior video surveillance systems installed by area businesses with Portland Police. This group should determine the feasibility of adopting a standard platform for exterior surveillance systems in the neighborhood. Participation in the cooperative exterior video surveillance program would be voluntary, but encouraged. 4. The Old Town District Association should convene an alliance of area venues to promote a positive self-policing business model. It would establish an intervention protocol, best practices, and hiring guidelines for responsible staff and management. The City should enforce with its existing regulations any failures of area venues to operate safely and responsibly. 5. PDC should create a matching grant program or forgivable loan program for qualified soundproofing and fire and life safety system improvements of entertainment venues. The program should include a maximum cumulative total for such grants (for example, $500,000), and to motivate soundproofing and fire and life safety system improvements in the near term, sunset within three years of its inception. Recommendations of the Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown Task Force June

22 Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown Task Force RECOMMENDATION 7 IMPLEMENT URBAN DESIGN IMPROVEMENTS THE PROBLEM Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown is served by and bordered by several major streets and other edge conditions that create challenges for pedestrians and limit connectivity between the district and adjacent areas. The most difficult challenges to connectivity relate to the fact that unlike many districts which streets pass through and connect to other districts, many of the streets in Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown terminate within it, at the train tracks to the north, or at Naito Parkway to the east. Burnside is grossly out of balance within the context of Portland s Central City street grid system. The lack of pedestrian space and high traffic speeds and congestion creates a significant pedestrian barrier. Several streets within Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown also fall short of optimal conditions for pedestrian circulation. The revitalization of the streetscape is linked to the creation of a pedestrian-friendlier District. Unlike the majority of downtown Portland south of W. Burnside, most avenues within Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown are not signalized between Burnside and Everett. High accident rates between cars and pedestrians and cars and bicyclists exist at intersections of Burnside and in other pockets within the District. Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown is a district with significant cultural and historic assets that contribute to its identity and character. Several unique features of the district seem to fly under the radar, invisible or unknown to many. Strategies that connect and reveal these assets more deliberately will create a more cohesive identity for the district as a whole. Tom McCall Waterfront Park and the Willamette River are regionally significant destinations, which attract hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, and provide the district with a significant open space amenity, including event spaces, multi-modal pathways, commerce, and social gathering areas. This access to a regional open space asset should be a competitive advantage for the district. However, several real and perceived barriers weaken the relationship between the park and the neighborhood. PROPOSED SOLUTIONS Strengthen Visual and Physical Connections to Tom McCall Waterfront Park 1. The Old Town Chinatown Community Association and Old Town District Association should work with the Bureau of Parks and PBOT to strengthen Waterfront Park s connection to Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown by the following: Add pathway crossings through Waterfront Park to improve connections to the Stark and Oak buffered bike lanes; Add a meandering, multi-use path to east side of Naito Parkway; Widen the promenade along the Waterfront Park seawall, separating pedestrian and bike traffic; Install pedestrian refuges or medians where appropriate on Naito Parkway; Prune and thin trees within Waterfront Park and along East-West Streets near the park, to improve views to and through the park, toward the Willamette River; Activate the park with increased event programming, and installation of more permanent attractions (for example, exercise equipment) to increase activity outside of events; Explore opportunities to strengthen the connection to the park through public art; and Eliminate the Morrison Bridge Ramps in order to strengthen the catalytic effect of the James Beard Market development at the bridgehead 20 Recommendations of the Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown Task Force June 2014

23 LOVEJOY HOYT STEEL BRIDGE GLISAN FLANDERS EVERETT DAVIS COUCH BURNSIDE PARK BROADWAY 6TH 5TH 4TH 3RD 2ND 1ST NATO BURNSIDE BRIDGE EXISTING PEDESTRIAN CONNECTION EXISTING BICYCLE CONNECTION EXISTING CHALLENGING CONNECTION PROPOSED BICYCLE CONNECTION EXISTING REGIONAL CONNECTION EXISTING MAX LINE EXISTING MAX STOP Improve Street Connectivity, Safety, and Functioning 1. In the near term: PDC should fund and PBOT should install a left turn lane at 4th Ave. off eastbound Burnside and a new traffic signal at NW Couch & Broadway. PBOT should implement the traffic calming improvements on NW 3rd and 4th required for public safety. PBOT should undertake in the near term a traffic/pedestrian safety analysis to identify and implement the appropriate trafficcalming and pedestrian-safety treatments for the District. These treatments should promote a general pedestrian-friendly environment throughout the District and address the unique pedestrian-safety challenges of late-night activities in the District. Funding for these improvements may come from TIF and/or the proposed monthly City transportation fee, if approved. Recommendations of the Skidmore-Old Town-Chinatown Task Force June