PRE P ARE D B Y I N C ONJU N C T ION WIT H Economic & Planning Systems, Inc. Robert Peccia & Associates Economic Development Strategy White Rock Center Master Plan/ JUNE VOLUME 2: APPENDICES 2008 appendix a: Case study Communities Prepared by MIG, Inc. February 2008 a-1 appendix b: market analysis Prepared by Economic & Planning Systems, Inc. January 2008 b-1 TABLE OF CONTENTS OAKRIDGE, TENNESSEE A-4 SISTERS, OREGON A-8 CORTEZ, COLORADO A-12 SQUAMISH, BRITISH COLUMBIA A-15 CONCLUSION A-19 LIST OF TABLES TABLE A.1 DEMOGRAPHIC COMPARISON - OAKRIDGE, TN A-5 TABLE A.2 DEMOGRAPHIC COMPARISON - SISTERS, OR A-9 TABLE A.3 DEMOGRAPHIC COMPARISON - CORTEZ, CO A-13 TABLE A.1 DEMOGRAPHIC COMPARISON - SQUAMISH, BC A-16 appendix a: case study communities APPENDIX A: CASE STUDY COMMUNITIES | A-1 AS THE WHITE ROCK CENTER MASTER PLAN/ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY moves forward to implementation, examples from other communi- ties that share similar circumstances and struggles can be useful in determining specific strategies. White Rock is a unique place, but the consultant team has identified four communities in North America that White Rock can look to for inspiration: Oak Ridge, Tennessee; • Sisters, Oregon; • Cortez, Colorado; and • Squamish, British Columbia. • This appendix provides demographic information for these four areas, as well as detailed information on paths to revitalization that these communities chose. introduction APPENDIX A: CASE STUDY COMMUNITIES | A-3 oak ridge, tennessee Community Overview Like White Rock, Oak Ridge, Tennessee experienced tremendous growth dur- ing World War II when it was chosen by the federal government as a research lab for the Manhattan Project. Characteristics including Oak Ridge’s remote- ness, the town’s available infrastructure and its valley topography made the site ideal for the establishment of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Laboratory and housing facilities were quickly built, and employees, their families and a range of services soon flooded the area. Today, the Department of Energy lab remains the area’s primary employer, which contributes to a large daily com- muter population. Oak Ridge’s residents are of a similar age and education levels to White Rock’s but have a lower median income and house value. Both the median income and house value are nearly half of those found in White Rock. This could relate to the less specialized nature of work occurring at this lab and to the area’s larger population and land area. Oak Ridge, which covers around 85 square miles compared with White Rock’s seven square miles, has a population of nearly 30,000 compared with approximately 6,000 in White Rock and 20,000 in Los Alamos County. Oak Ridge has capitalized on its cold war heritage by building the American Museum of Science and Industry. In addition, the Department of Energy has opened the Oak Ridge National Laboratory to limited access public tours during the summer months. The extremely popular public tours have a long waiting list of interested participants. The American Museum of Science and Industry accommodates visitors to the region who are interested in its scientific history, but who cannot participate in the National Laboratory’s summer tours. Economic Redevelopment Strategies Oak Ridge has begun several efforts to attract investment and ensure imple- mentation of the community’s vision. These efforts are a combination of community input, private investment, and Department of Energy programs. Community input drove the development of the 2001 City Center Master Plan, which was intended to serve as a conceptual and practical guide to future de- velopment. A major component of this plan was to increase city center density, increasing public open space (including roads and walkways) while decreasing the retail supply. The Oak Ridge Mall, an obsolete structure, would be “de- Brian Stansberry A-4 | WHITE ROCK CENTER MASTER PLAN / ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY oak ridge, tennessee malled,” creating a town center-style retail environment, eliminating 40% of the structure’s space and opening up the area to attract more shoppers. This type of development reflects one of the elements of White Rock’s preferred devel- opment scenario: the mixed-use Town Center suggested for the A-19 site. (As of this writing, the Oak Ridge plan has stalled, due to confusion and negotia- tions regarding placement of an additional strip mall—in an area that was origi- nally zoned industrial—instead of redevelopment of the Oak Ridge Mall. The private developer involved has stated his intentions to proceed with revamping the mall, but no resolution has been reached.) The City Center Master Plan also involved Oak Ridge’s Industrial Development Board (IDB). IDBs have been formed across the United States, largely due to their provision of PILOT—payment in lieu of taxes—programs that have been used in the development of retail centers. Under a PILOT program, a property is deeded to an organization—in this case, the IDB—and developed by the “real” owner. Instead of paying property tax to a municipality, the developer pays an amount equal to the tax burden to the IDB, which in turn uses this in-lieu-of-tax money to repay bonds it has issued. In this way, the city does not need to issue bonds on its own, and its bond rating is not affected. table a.1 demographiC Comparison of white roCk to oak ridge, tn APPENDIX A: CASE STUDY COMMUNITIES | A-5 The Department of Energy also participates in a PILOT program. The DOE owns approximately 60% of the land mass in Oak Ridge, and has discretion- ary authority to make payments in lieu of taxes to the City. These payments amount to 10% of the property tax that private industry would pay, and help to offset the tax revenue that the City loses on land that is federally owned. In addition, the DOE can transfer property at below fair market value or at no cost to municipalities that are economically harmed by the elimination of gov- ernment facilities, and the Department has been authorized by Congress to indemnify entities or individuals who purchase or lease real property from the DOE. Furthermore, the Department can, at its discretion, make direct financial assistance payments to communities that are adversely affected by the DOE’s presence. Oak Ridge continues to try to receive PILOT funds from the DOE, as well as to encourage the agency to give the City land that the DOE has deter- mined it no longer needs. Oak Ridge is also taking advantage of regional connections and programs. The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce and the East Tennessee Economic Council joined forces in 2000 to create the New Business Development Program. This is a comprehensive program of small business development tools, designed to achieve a pro-small business environment within the City of Oak Ridge and the East Tennessee Technology Corridor. The program comprises three areas: below-market real estate space, business training and support, and financial assistance. This last is led by a $1.7 million DOE-funded Revolving Loan Fund and aimed at technology-based businesses. The New Business Development Program has an exact parallel with an impor- tant element of the preferred development scenario for White Rock. The be- low-market real estate space offered by the program includes a small business incubator. Approximately 38,000 square feet of new and existing commercial space makes up the incubator, with a portion set aside for businesses requiring state-of-the-art technological amenities. Rents in the small business incubator space are below market rate, and leases last for three years, with rents increas- ing each year until they approach market rate. This special space is intended as a training ground for new businesses—not as competition to existing firms who must pay market rate rents—and is supplemented by access to shared oak ridge, tennessee A-6 | WHITE ROCK CENTER MASTER PLAN / ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY [...]... the development potentials for the White Rock Center Master Plan /Economic Development Strategy The report addresses residential, retail, and office/business development potentials VISION STATEMENT The Master Plan /Economic Development Strategy process will be guided by an overarching vision The following vision statement has been developed through public input and review: The commercial center of White. .. redevelopment of the commercial core and development of A-19, and 2) redevelopment of the commercial core and development of both A-19 and TA-71 A product mix is recommended for consideration during the development of the White Rock Master Plan /Economic Development Strategy • Retail Development – The analysis quantifies retail expenditure potentials for the White Rock area based on the two projected household... supportable in White Rock is estimated based on assessment of the portion of expenditure potentials that can be captured in the White Rock area, existing retail inventory data, and existing retail sales and leakage patterns The product is a list of potential retail development opportunities for the White Rock area • Office and Business Development – The limited analysis of office and business development. .. Retail Strategy s second focus was to find a balance between attracting additional, potentially big box, retail, while not detracting from downtown revitalization efforts Several key recommendations of this strategy have resonance for White Rock s downtown redevelopment Like White Rock, downtown Squamish has many assets, including its unique setting, opportunities for commercial and residential development, ... residential development can range from 20 to 50 units per acre 6 White Rock includes one of the largest available parcels of land in A-19 In addition to the potential redevelopment of the commercial core and future DOE transfer of TA-71, this parcel could allow the White Rock neighborhood to capture a significant portion of the future growth potential in Los Alamos County The forecast of residential development. .. histories The following strategies were identified as particularly useful examples in preparing the economic development strategy for White Rock Center: Oak Ridge, Tennessee • Investment in the construction and operation of the National Museum of Science and Energy • Creation of the 2001 City Center Master Plan with strategies to: • Reduce the overall supply of retail space in the commercial core •... analysis includes primary and secondary data that identify the potentials for residential, retail, and office development in White Rock The analysis and report include the following tasks: • Economic and Demographic Framework – EPS evaluates economic and demographic trends and forecasts for the larger Los Alamos County market area and for the White Rock study neighborhood Data on employment, population, households,... earning over $100,000 annually are concentrated in the White Rock area than the County as a whole The White Rock average household income exceeds the County average at approximately $127,000 in 2006 Only 8 percent of households earned less than $50,000 annually in the White Rock area The disparity in average income is due to the fact that White Rock is almost entirely comprised of single family detached... Residential Development – EPS analyzes residential development trends in the County over the last six years with a focus on infill and higher density development projects and products The analysis is based on available secondary data and primary data collected through interviews and site visits The housing development potentials for White Rock are forecast based on two future growth scenarios: 1) redevelopment... contributes to differences between White Rock and Cortez Its younger citizens have not attained as many professional and doctorate degrees, and the median income and household value are only about a third of White Rock s Strong growth in the area has necessitated the development of a Com- pigseye.com prehensive Plan and Design Guidelines, which are currently underway Economic Redevelopment Strategies Located . Comparison of white roCk to Cortez, Co APPENDIX A: CASE STUDY COMMUNITIES | A-13 A-14 | WHITE ROCK CENTER MASTER PLAN / ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY Potential. Comparison of white roCk to sisters, or APPENDIX A: CASE STUDY COMMUNITIES | A-9 A-10 | WHITE ROCK CENTER MASTER PLAN / ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY Formal