Sunday, June 03, 2007
Walkin' Much In Downtown Lafayette?
"We are trying to get more people involved in active lifestyles in Lafayette" says Debbie Wilmot, community relations director for the Lafayette recreation center. A big article in the Camera describes the mile markers up and down South Public Road that will help people guage their walking distances while strolling the length of downtown. Have you noticed them? Do you even walk downtown?
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I do!!! I think it is a great little walk! Not quite as nice as a jaunt around Waneka Lake, but with a different character and different opportunities (tortillas, coffee, waving to friends in cars...). Especially with the new improvements of the street restriping and the flowers, it is a great chance to keep up with what is going on downtown. The markers are a little hard to see, but that is so they blend in with the existing environment and if you know what you are looking for, you won't miss them. It is great that it is exactly two miles -- makes it easy to cut it in half or do the whole thing. I'm usually out before the stores open, but midday would be a great time to get a little shopping done while exercising!
I think the distance may be part of the allure - two miles or any fraction thereof should not be daunting. Now, if we could just get a few of those vacnt storefronts to fill in...
This Tuesday night, the Lafayette Urban Renewal Authority - LURA(i.e. City Council) will be considering taking the next step towards committing its yearly revenue for the next 10 years or so to borrow money to finance a city park as part of the redevelopment project at the Old Albertsons/Wal-Mart site.
http://www.cityoflafayette.com/files/itemwk1060507.pdf
The major source of this revenue is from the retail sales tax and property tax generated each year by property owners and businesses on Public Road and Baseline (south side) between Public Road and approx. 287. Since the relocation of Albertsons to its current site, those on S. Boulder Road have contribute ZERO in sales tax revenue.
I have focused on LURA and its financial structure and have also checked with city hall. To net it out, if this moves forward, there will be little money left for LURA to commit funds to support Public Road businesses and property owners. Not enough to have an significant impact. In addition, the redevelopment project is currently in gridlock and may take years to come to fruition, if at all (The new W-M store took 3 years and did not involve multiple property owners.) But bonding out LURA money would FREEZE it until whatever happens with the redevelopment project happens.
LURA has already made commitments to support Public Road. Yet if the bonding moves forward, I am unable at this time to determine how it will be able to back up those commitments.
No doubt that improving the walkability of Public Road is a nice idea. But as Dan implies, a lot more heavy lifting is required to keep Public Road from continuing its downward spiral.
The part of the article that jumped out at me was this. "Old Town has received more than $3 million worth of improvements in recent years yet is still peppered with empty storefronts."
A source for this number was not mentioned, could someone confirm this number?
While several of us on this blog may partronize Public Rd businesses, we apparently represent a very small percentage of Lafayette residents.
How much money needs to be spent to attract people to what most apparently feel is still an unattractive area? Understand, not my feelings, but the public speaks with it's dollars and they're not coming to Public Rd.
With no track record of Urban Renewal success on Public Rd, it shouldn't surprise anyone there was no interest in an Urban Renewal project at Countryside Village.
I love walking South Public, but it's not as fun on the south end of this route near S. Boulder Rd. Too many lights/crosswalks and less character. I think they should have made the loop go through the outdoor classroom and down to Emma. IMO
I'm not sure I see Public Rd as a "Downward Spiral". It actually seems to have more charactrer and seems to be a bit busier these days than it did a few years ago. I prefer it to any of the downtowns/Old towns/Original Towns in the area. But then again, I'm biased. Sure it could use some work on the south end, but the north end is a happening place these days.
The $3M refered to was the repaving, drainage system, curbing, and sidewalks redone some 7 or 8 years ago. It's what you see today. But is has been deteriorating.
Some of the big guys and restaurants on PR have been holding their own. The rest is struggling. Unknown is what happens when W*M and then Lowes opens.
PR is rapidly becoming the 287 by-pass with all the traffic these days. Waneka Lake and the new dog park are great for walking and there are some more trails in town. Depends on whether one likes urban or rural communing.
So the $3million "improvement" is just upkeep. Paving, curbs, gutters, and drainage are not improvements. Certainly not an "extra" investment in the area that anyone should see any return on. So no real urban renewal effort.
WM relocation and Lowes opening will have little or no effect on Public Rd. The few businesses doing well on PR do so because they're destinations in and of themselves. Limited parking will also cap the amount of business PR will get.
If anyone believes the increased traffic on Baseline will drive PR business, they're mistaken. Drivers in busy traffic have one thing on their mind, getting through the traffic to their destination. If increased traffic was the answer, the Coal Creek Center on the SE corner of S. Boulder and 287 would be hugely succcessful.
Unless there is some sort of draw on Public Rd, it will never be more than just a smattering of small, mostly struggling businesses.
But, does this need to be a vibrant, buzy retail location? What would be the advantage of that?
No Dok, more than upkeep has happened on Public Road. Flagstone pavers, benches, colorful banners and more have been added to upgrade the appearance of the district.
Adding a walking route may not be a big draw for people who aren't already walking up and down Public Road but it sounds like it didn't cost a lot of money to implement either.
Has there been any analysis of which businesses do well and why, followed by some sort of marketing and incentives plan to attract likely to succeed counterparts?
Dreamer, I'll give you the benches, flagstone, etc. But, how many in the general public could point those improvements out? My point, $3million for no identifiable return to the city.
Your point about a study is an excellent one. Something a proactive city would do to know who to attract to town. Kinda touchy, though, in that the businesses on PR wouldn't want the rest of the city to know how good/bad they're doing. Highly confidential information.
But, it doesn't take a study to know that the most successful businesses on PR are Mexican food restaurants. Interestingly, other Mexican food restaurants have failed at times as well, so being a Mexican food restaurant on PR is not a guarantee.
Lafayette Florist is also a long standing success story. But, increasing competition from the WalMart Supercenter and Lowe's will impact this Lafayette stalwart. There will come a time when the property it sits on will be worth more than the business.
I've nothing against the mile markers. Not much money spent to enhance an experience already enjoyed by some.
But, as with improvements in the past, this will have little or no effect on the health of Public Road.
I'm not aware of any in-house expertise the city has as to what needs to be done about PR. What I do know is that the small mom and pop businesses are struggling. The winter storms really hurt them. So my view is LURA needs to launch a major effort to figure it all out. This is not for amatuers. Committing its revenues to a park south of the Old Albertsons is not going to help one bit.
While all this time and money has been focusing on the WM/OA site, PR is being left to struggle on its own. A few cosmetic gestures are nice but they aren't going to solve the fundamental problem.
Do I know what will work? No. But at least I know that.
Not sure I understand the logic. "Lura needs to launch a major effort", You "don't know what will work", but you are one of the LURA directors. Is there a solution you wish to share?
Yes.
I for one hope your solution for LURA is to spend some of their money on obtaining some expertise in how to do urban renewal.
Forgive my naivety, but isn't urban renewal about economic vitality? I'm not sure how a city park plays into that.
Thank you, d-b!!!
One of my top 3 suggestions. Urban renewal is not for amateurs. That's why I said I don't know what will work.
It should bother you that we may think alike - danger, danger...
Hey, watch it Kerry! Don't go accusing me of that. We haven't agreed on many recent topics, i.e. EP paint issue, sales tax revsharing, etc.
I've only been posting on this blog for a couple of months, but I've seen how some on the blog like to take personal swipes at you, and you in return.
I'm not going to stand too close to any of the flame(er)s.
And, now the song "I Gotta Be Me" joins in.......
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