Usingurbanrenewalplanstoattractprivatedevelopment

Using Urban Renewal Plans
to Attract Private
Development

Our Panel
Marcos Marrero, Director of Planning and Economic Development
City of Holyoke, MA
- Connect. Construct. Create. A Plan for the Revitalization of Center City
Holyoke, December 2012
Trevor Beauregard, Director, Department of Community Development and
Planning
City of Gardner, MA
- Downtown Gardner Urban Renewal Plan, July 2011
- Mill Street Corridor Urban Renewal Plan, September 2012
Anthony L. Lazzaro, Jr., Deputy Director, Capital Region Development Authority,
Greater Hartford Region, CT
Moderator: Mary Ellen Radovanic, AICP, BSC Group, Inc.

Connect. Construct. Create.
A Plan for the Revitalization of Center City Holyoke

www.HolyokeRedevelopment.com
Topics to Cover
1. Why an Urban Renewal Plan?
2. How was it made?
3. What does it do?
4. How has it helped to date?

Why an Urban Renewal Plan?
Promote economic development and
growth in Holyoke by capitalizing on
the City’s unique characteristics
• Connect: people
and places
• Construct: public
infrastructure and a
diverse stock of
buildings
• Create: a vibrant and
prosperous City
Veteran’s
Park
Node
The
Flats
Transit
NodeCabot/
Chestnut
Node
Cabot/Main and
South Holyoke
Node

How was it made?
• Redevelopment Authority led with City staff
• Engaged a consultant for process, property evaluation
• Based on previous plans: Master, South Holyoke, Center City
Vision Plan
• Citizen engagement and committee
• Integrated with existing projects

What does it do?
1. Key parcel acquisitions for rehab, demo or aggregation to form a larger
parcel more marketable for development,
2. Infrastructure upgrades,
3. Traffic improvements,
4. Streetscape enhancements,
5. Investments in public/open spaces,
6. Partnerships with existing organizations, businesses or others to assist in
on-going or future redevelopment projects.
Note: it does not displace communities, 92% of acquisitions are vacant

What does it do?
A note on aggregation…
• Integrates multiple parcels
into a larger development
opportunity, including small
and odd-shaped parcels
• Creates economies of scale
• Allows for comprehensive
development
• Can recreate small parcels or
subdivisions

Overview of Holyoke

• Catalyst: Recent
streetscape
improvements, can
be enhanced where
possible
• Action: Acquisition
and aggregation of
vacant lots for mixed
residential and retail in
line with the
neighborhood scale
Area 1 – Dwight Street Gateway

• Catalyst:
Investment in
Veterans’ Park,
Transportation
Center, Dioceses
Property Rehab
• Action: Acquisition
of vacant
properties, rehab or
remediation and sell
for mixed use
commercial to
compliment area
Area 2 – Veterans Park Area

• Catalyst: Investment made in Senior Center and Library
• Actions:
• Acquisition and aggregation of vacant lots for infill residential
• Support potential neighborhood school on former Perpetual
Help block
Area 3 – Cabot & Chestnut Area

• Catalyst: Investments in Lyman Terrace, Victory Theater and incoming traffic to
Center City
• Actions: Parcel aggregation for mixed-use commercial on High St. and mixed
residential on Nick Cosmos way, streetscape improvements on Maple Street
Area 4 – High Street Area

• Catalyst: Passenger Rail, Canalwalk, creative economy clustering
• Actions: Support eastern book-end of the Transit Oriented Development district
and parcel aggregation for mixed-use on Main St, Grocery store on Canal St.
Area 5 – TOD/Depot Square

• Catalyst: MGHPCC
• Actions:
• Provide re-use options for 216 Appleton St.
(Farr Alpaca) building
• Clean up of brownfield City property and
market it for Arts and Innovation use
Area 6 – Computing Center

• Catalyst: Remediation of the former
Parson’s Paper site
• Actions: Demolition of structures and
preparation as a greenfield site for
development as likely industrial or large-
scale commercial site
Area 7 – Parsons Paper

• Catalyst: South Holyoke Revitalization Strategy
• Actions: Parcel aggregation to provide mix of housing options and quality open
space and improve connection to Morgan School and Main street
Area 8 – South Holyoke

• Catalyst: S. Holyoke Revit. Strategy
• Actions:
• Parcel aggregation for large commercial
plaza with expanded grocery store and
small business-ready sites
• Gateway theme & improved connection
to Main street and Chicopee
Area 9 – Cabot Street Gateway

• Catalyst: Private investment along the riverbank
• Actions:
• Support industrial expansion on the south side of area – buildings, parking
• Support mixed-use commercial and housing in north side of area
• Expand Canalwalk to North Canal street
Area 10 – 2nd and 3rd Level Canal

How Has It Helped To Date
Harvesting the seeds of growth in Holyoke

 Public Investment
 New Construction
 New Business
 More Employment
 More Housing
LAY OF THE LAND
Outline of Topics
How Has It Helped To Date

MORE SEEDS
Infrastructure Upgrades - Canalwalk connection to South Holyoke
 Streetscape upgrades through Cabot St. up
to Race, Canalwalk from Cabot to
Appleton
 Connecting Center City through second
key gateway and Willimansett bridge to
Chicopee

MORE SEEDS
Infrastructure and Public Facility Upgrades
 New Train Station

MORE SEEDS
Infrastructure and Public Facility Upgrades
 Library Expansion

MORE SEEDS
Placemaking – South Holyoke & Springdale Gateway Improvements
 Improvement area ID’d in 1999 City Master Plan as key gateway
 City secured $50,000 from NEA Our Town Grant Program, one of
only 64 in the country
 1 of only 10 “Infra-Space” program locations by MassDOT
 Collaboration with Center for Design Engagement (CDE)
 Utilize vacant space, enhance gateway to city, increase
connectivity between neighborhoods

MORE SEEDS
Placemaking – Public Art

→ Parson’s Paper Remediation
→ The Cubit
→ Lyman Terrace
→ Streetscape Upgrades
→ Dirk Auferoth & Associates
→ 216 Appleton Street
→ Aegis Energy Expansion
→ Brick Coworkshop
→ Gateway City Arts
→ “How to Pop-Up” Guide
→ Fiesta Cafe
→ STEAM Building
→ Center City Pedestrian Pavilion
→ Gateway City Bistro
→ Canal Galleries
→ Holyoke Innovation District
→ Library Commons
→ I-391 “Infraspace” Art Project
→ And many others…
LAY OF THE LAND
Economic Development Projects in the Revitalization Area

 Pre-development rehab studies
 Tax Incentives
 Land Sales
 Haz-Mat Cleanup
MORE SEEDS
Work/assistance to get Vacant Mill Space Rehabilitated and Occupied
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
1,600
Estimated Vacant Mill Space Assisted for Site Readiness
ApproximateSquareFootage
Approx. 1.5 Million Sq. Ft.
Approx. 750,000 Sq. Ft.

MORE SEEDS
Cleanup & Site Readiness – Parsons Paper
 Fire in 2009, $2 Million EPA Cleanup finished in 2010 - Estimated ~$3.5 Million pad-
ready prep project
 $250,000 in funds for pre-development secured in 2014;
 $2 million from the state Brownfield Fund through MassDevelopment;
 $1 Million capital investment by the Holyoke Gas & Electric, which secures an
easement on the site for potentially 2.5 MW of hydroelectric generation;
 $400,000 capital loan from the Holyoke Economic Development and Industrial
Corporation, to be paid from the sale proceeds of the land to AEGIS Energy Services;
 City also provided its most aggressive tax incentive schedule in its history: 100%
property tax exemption for 10 years.

MORE SEEDS
Private Incentive Program - Renewable Energy Development Fund
 Holyoke has access to ~$2 Million in funds for renewable energy
generation
 Development fund expected in 2016 would provide $ incentive
for rooftop solar or other renewable potential, to leverage funds

HARVESTING PROJECTS
Workforce Training – MGM Resorts HCC Center for Culinary Arts
 $3.65 Million for construction and equipment
 Doubling size of existing programs
 Located on first two floors of The Cubit
 Redevelopment sold adjacent parcels to
HCC/MGM Springfield
partnership announced
MGM Springfield will pay
tuition costs for 50 Holyoke
residents to attend HCC
Culinary school
Opening 2017

• Cubit
HARVESTING PROJECTS
Mixed Housing & Commercial – The Cubit
 ~$4 to 5 million investment
 HCC Culinary Fall 2017 &18 market-rate apartments top two floors
 Commercial and Residential local tax incentives

HARVESTING PROJECTS
New Housing Developments in the Pipeline for Downtown
95
21
140
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
Devonshire 101 Cabot Current Pipeline
Housing Developments
Units
Chestnut Park  55 Units  $19 Million
Library Commons  55 Units  $16 Million
The Cubit  30 Units  ~$2 Million

$19.3 million total
investment
Led by HAP Housing
47 mixed-income
apartments
Renovation of four
blighted buildings
Currently securing
financing (tax credits)
HARVESTING PROJECTS
New Construction – Library Commons

HARVESTING PROJECTS
Mixed Housing – Lyman Terrace
Owned/managed by the
Holyoke Housing
Authority who is under
agreement with The
Community Builders (TCB)
to redevelop the property
$3 million in low-income
housing tax credits and
funding
$4 million MassWorks
infrastructure grant
award for public
improvements
Construction currently
underway for Phase I

HARVESTING PROJECTS
Mixed Housing - Winn Development
Owned by Redevelopment
Authority - over $300,000 in
cleanup and
predevelopment investment
to date
Under agreement with
WinnDevelopment to create
approximately 100 units of
mixed-income housing,
A $38 million investment
Development concept for
the property will seek
funding through historic
preservation and housing tax
credits over the next two
years

HARVESTING PROJECTS
Building Permits Issued in the City
1,992
1,878 1,872
2,226 2,213
2,319
$208,211
$245,892
$175,858
$263,592
$250,734
$306,600
1,500
1,600
1,700
1,800
1,900
2,000
2,100
2,200
2,300
2,400
'09 '10 '11 '12 '13 '14
Year
Permits
$100,000
$150,000
$200,000
$250,000
$300,000
$350,000
PermitFees
In the last decade…
 Highest number of building permits pulled
 Highest value of permits pulled

$1 Million Investment
2,400 sq. ft. building
3 teller stations, drive-
thru, 2 offices, & 24 hr
drive-up ATM/night
drop
12 new employees
Anticipated 2017
completion
HARVESTING PROJECTS
New Construction - Easthampton Savings Bank

HARVESTING PROJECTS
Business Certificates Issued in the City
119
129
145
60
70
80
90
100
110
120
130
140
150
'12 '13 '14
Year
BusinessCertificates
 Registration made simpler, “one
stop shop” process in ‘15

Financial Plan
• Costs
– Land Acquisition: $6,625,400
– Relocation: $1,125,000
– Site Improvements:
$69,539,000
• Building Demo
• Streetscape
• Canalwalk
• Park Improvements
– Building Rehabilitation:
$27,382,000
– Administrative: $1,000,000
– Consultants: $7,474,000
– Bond Fees: $100,000
– Contingency: $15,232,280
• Total Cost
– Gross Project Cost: $128,277,680
– Income from sale or lease
(estimated): $35,053,160
– Net Project Cost: $94,424,520
– City Share: $15,055,900
– Grants: TBD
– Funding Need: $78,368,620

 HRA Proceeds
 City Funding/In-Kind Support
 MassWorks Infrastructure Projects
 Transportation Enhancement Program
 Chapter 90 Funding
 MA Parkland Acquisitions and Renovations
for Communities (PARC) and MA Local
Acquisitions for Natural Diversity (LAND)
Grant Programs (formally the Urban Self-
Help and Self-Help programs, respectively)
 Land and Water Conservation Fund
(LWCF)
 Brownfields Funds
 Economic Development Incentive Program
(EDIP)
 Housing Development Incentive Program
(HDIP)
 Holyoke Economic Development
& Industrial Corporation (HEDIC)
 Community Development Block
Grant Program (CDBG)
 Funding from Massachusetts
General Law Chapter 40R
 Federal and Massachusetts
Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit
 The New Markets Tax Credits
Program
 Adams Arts Grant Program
 MassDevelopment
 Gateway Cities Program
 HOME Investment Partnership
Program
 Growth District Initiative (GDI)
Funding Sources

Questions?
For more information  www.HolyokeRedevelopment.com

→ Parson’s Paper Remediation
→ The Cubit
→ Lyman Terrace
→ Streetscape Upgrades
→ Gary Rome Hyundai
→ Dirk Auferoth & Associates
→ 216 Appleton Street
→ Aegis Energy Expansion
→ Brick Coworkshop
→ Gateway City Arts
→ Lower Westfield/Homestead
→ “How to Pop-Up” Guide
→ Fiesta Cafe
→ STEAM Building
→ Center City Pedestrian Pavilion
→ Gateway City Bistro
→ Canal Galleries
→ Holyoke Innovation District
→ Library Commons
→ I-391 “Infraspace” Art Project
→ And many others…
LAY OF THE LAND
City Economic Development Projects throughout Holyoke

Short Term Expected Completion (1-5 years)
• Area 2 – Veterans Park Area
• Area 5 – Passenger Rail/Transit Oriented Development Area (TOD)
• Area 6 – High Performance Computing Center Area
• Area 7 – Parsons Paper Redevelopment Site
Mid-Term Expected Completion (1-10 Years)
• Area 8 – South Holyoke Area
• Area 9 – Cabot Street Gateway Area
Long-Term Expected Completion (1-20 Years)
• Area 1 - Dwight Street Gateway Area
• Area 3 - Cabot and Chestnut Streets Area
• Area 4 - High Street Area
• Area 10 - Riverfront Area along 2nd and 3rd Level Canal
Projected Timeline

Southern New EnglandAPA Conference
Thursday, October 20, 2016
DCU Center,Worcester, MA

 City of Gardner Urban Renewal Plans
 Downtown URA 2011
▪ Concentration Areas (7)
1. Downtown
2. Rear Main Street
3. Gateway
4. Lower Main Street
5. Sherman/Chestnut (SC) Industrial
 Mill Street Corridor URA 2013
1. FormerGarbose Metal Recycling
2. Former S. Bent Furniture Manufacturing

 OrpheumTheatre and Former Police Station Sites

Former Orpheum Theatre
• .75 acre lot
• 45,000 sf +/- mixed use building
• Acquired through eminent domain
2015 - $88,000
• Demolition in 2016
• Open Space
• Municipal parking
Conceptual Plans
• Assist with driving development of
specific sites
• Needs to be flexible

BEFORE:
Former Conant Ball Furniture
Manufacturing site
Demolished in 1997 by private
owner
AFTER:
$8 million Municipal Library built
in 2005

PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS (2012)
• 78 Units of Assisted Living
100% Affordable
• $9.95 Million HUD Grant
• $10.9 MillionTax-Exempt
MassDevelopment Bond
• $6.4 Million of Equity Based
onTax Credits
• $18 Million ProjectTotal
• 100 Construction Jobs
• 50 Permanent Jobs
• Revitalization of Downtown
GardnerThrough Historic
Preservation

PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS (2015)
• 55 Units of Affordable and
Market Rate Units
• 100+ Construction Jobs
• 5 FT Permanent Jobs
• 25 PT Jobs
• $12.8 million Construction Loan
• $1.8 million Permanent Loan (MHP)
• $715,000 Home Loan (DHCD)
• $370,000 HSF Loan (DHCD)
• $1 million AHT Loan (MA Housing)
• $5.2 million HTC
• $11.5 million LIHTC
• $100,000 City CDBG
• $20 million project total
• Revitalization of Downtown
Gardner Through Historic
Preservation
• Winner of the 2016Thomas M. Menino
Legacy Award

 Building design and materials which
respect architectural heritage and tradition

 Acquisition and assemblage of five parcels
 Demolition of three vacant, blighted
properties and two occupied multi-unit
residences
 $14 million public investment
 $300,000 environmental cleanup
 Two year project

 Acquisition and assemblage of four parcels
 Demolition of three decadent structures
 Environmental
Cleanup

 New $4 million, 4,700 sf retail facility with twelve
filling stations and outdoor seating

 Connectivity of municipal resources and
private businesses
 Develop community space in downtown
 Provide additional parking to encourage
private investment along Main Street
 Support 23 businesses / 60 residential units
 Encourage additional business opportunities

Acquisition and Demolition
• 1.5 acre lot
• 65,000 sf +/- mill building
• Acquired through eminent domain
2015 - $106,000
• $1.2 million MassWorks Grant
• Acquisition / Demolition in 2016
• Derby Drive - Complete
Streets design
• Community / Open Space
• Municipal parking

354 Main Street
 Demolition of vacant, decadent warehouse,
remediation of site
 Developed 12,500 sf Class A Office Space
 $2 million investment
 $425,000 MORE Jobs Grant (MassWorks)
 Retaining wall and stairs
 12 space municipal parking lot
 38 Construction jobs created
 15 full-time jobs created

 Former Collier Keyworth and Nichols and Stone site
 16 Acres of Industrially Zoned land with known
environmental contamination
 14 Industrial structures in various states of disrepair
 Data Guide Cable purchased the former Collier
Keyworth site in 1996
 Data Guide Cable purchased the former Nichols and
Stone site in 2009
 Development Overlay Zoning was approved in 2010
 Demolition began in 2010
 Development began in 2011 and was complete in 2013

Former Nichols and Stone Facility

Retail Development
 60,000 +/- sf Price Chopper
 Additional 60,000 sf of
permitted retail space
 $8 million private
investment
 $500,000 MassWorks
Grant
 280 part time jobs
 95 full time jobs
 75 jobs retained

Vacant structure
Sorrento’s Pizza

Former SimplexTime Recorder Complex
 400,000 s.f. of vacant, decadent warehouse and office space
 $5.5 million private investment
 Conversion to 120,000 s.f. climate controlled self storage
 200,000 s.f. warehouse space
 80,000 Class A Office / Flex Space

 Approved Urban Renewal Area – 2013
 13 parcels totaling 55 acres with frontage on Mill Street or
Timpany Boulevard
 Ownership – Public/Private (68%/32%)
 Rail spur off the P&W mainline which traverses the Corridor
 Municipal water and sewer – gas and fiber adjacent to site
 43D Expedited Permitting – 2008
 Round 2 of State’s Brownfield SupportTeam Initiative – 2010
 Urban Land Institute –Technical Assistance Program - 2011

 Founded in 1867
 Manufacture of five-
spindle factory chairs,
rockers, and stools
 1920’s – 1950’s –
breakfast sets/institutional furniture
 1960’s – college and university chairs
 Acquired by P. Alcock Acquisitions in 1992,
operations ceased in 2000.
 Acquired by City in 2007 through tax title

 27 acres zoned Industrial 1
 Contained multiple buildings in excess of
250,000 s.f.
 Approximately $1.8 million spent on
assessment, cleanup, and demolition
 $1,300,000 CDBG
 $300,000 U.S. EPA assessment/cleanup
 $100,000 MassDevelopment assessment/HM
inventory
 $100,000 combination City, GRA, DEP

Demolition Plan – Three Phases

 The City acquired the former Garbose site through a
Covenant Not to Sue Agreement in 2010.

 10.6 acres, Currently Zoned Commercial 2
 From 1885 to 1957 - L.B. RamsdellCompany
 General storage of dry stock (wood products)
 From 1958 to 1998 - Garbose MetalCompany
 Collection, separation and storage of scrap metal
 Crushing of automobiles
 Dismantling of electrical transformers
 Temporary “landfill” during rerouting of Route 2
 December 2010 to present – City of Gardner
 Cleanup planning and implementation

Completed to date:
 $150,000 EPA funding for assessment by previous owner
 Subdivision of property – maximize funding opportunities
 Transfer ownership to Gardner Redevelopment Authority
 $500,000 from MassDevelopment to develop cleanup plan
and complete Demo
 Created Mill Street Corridor Development Overlay District
Cleanup Funding:
 $2 million MassWorks Grant
 $620,000 U.S. EPA Revolving Loan Fund
 $600,000 U.S. EPA Cleanup Grants

Realistic Plan with across the board support
Proactive Administration
Proactive Board
RiskTakers
Shared Resources (MOU)
Personnel Capacity
State and Federal funding / partnerships
Private Sector partners
Among Others………….

THE END
Trevor M. Beauregard
Executive Director
Gardner Redevelopment Authority
(978) 630-4014, x2
tbeauregard@gardner-ma.gov

SNEAPA 2016
Worcester, MA
Thursday, October 20, 2016
Anthony L. Lazzaro Jr.
Deputy Director
Capital Region Development Authority

MISSION:
• Stimulate economic development and new regional investment
• Facilitate redevelopment projects in eight towns with focus on
downtown Hartford
• Manage public venues – XL Center, Rentschler Field, Connecticut
Convention Center and Connecticut Tennis Center
CRDA MISSION AND QUICK HISTORY
1
HISTORY:
• Created in 2012
• Successor to the Capital City Economic Development Authority
(CCEDA)
• Enlarged District
• Broader Authority
• Expanded Board

Connecticut
Convention
Center
Connecticut
Open
Rentschler
Field
XL Center
VENUE MANAGEMENT
2

CRDA’S FOCUS ON HOUSING
3
HARTFORD
CRDA STATUTORY GOAL –
3,000 UNITS IN DOWNTOWN

201 Ann Street
5 Constitution Plaza
777 Main
179 Allyn Street
36 Lewis
Street
40 Elm Street
Front Street
Lofts
HOUSING DEVELOPMENT
4
Capewell
Hartford Office
Supply

HOUSING TRENDS
5
Some stats 2016
• 698 units built by CRDA and available
for lease
• 396 in construction or closing finance
• 477 units rented since February
o 85% of tenants are from outside city
o 84% of tenants are below the age
of 40
• 40+ units absorbed each month (Avg.)

HOUSING – YET TO COME
6
2017
• Hartford Office Supply
• Capewell
Plus
• Radisson
• Downtown North

CRDA-WHAT ELSE ARE WE UP TO?
7
• Front Street
• UCONN Campus
• State Office Relocation
• XL Center Transformation
• East Hartford
• Citywide and the “Promise Zone”

STATE OFFICE RELOCATION
10
• 12-story, 287,000 square feet, built in
1990, $19 million in renovations
• Approximately 1,100 employees of
currently at 25 Sigourney Street
• Relocation completed in May 2014
• 575,000 square feet, two-building
complex built in 1984
• Approximately 2,300 state
employees to relocate in June
2016
• $48 million renovation budget

PROJECTS IN PIPELINE
• “XL” Center
370 Asylum Street
11
Radisson Hotel
• Housing

PROGRAMS IN DEVELOPMENT
North Hartford Promise Zone
16

DOWNTOWNS
21
• All price points and amenity packages
critical in housing, retail & entertainment
• Need to adjust as Millennials age
⁻ they won’t necessarily leave when
aging and having children
⁻ need to build larger units, home-
ownership equity opportunity,
services and schools
• Technology-based innovation centers
and opportunities tied to education

Usingurbanrenewalplanstoattractprivatedevelopment

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