| Overview of University Avenue
Urban Manufacturing Project
December 20, 2011 | Greenpoint
Model of Urban Manufacturing | Click
on graphic below to view flyer | | | Click
here for Project Flyer |
Concerns of Displacement
of Small Manufacturers and Creative Enterprises A number of
people in the community had concerns that the Central Corridor Light Rail Project
and related development would create displacement pressures on small manufacturers
and creative enterprises along University Avenue. Informal conversations led to
the creation of a working group that would explore models for retaining this important
sector on a more stable and sustainable footing. There were also more general
concerns that the manufacturing sector represented only 5 percent of the employment
in the Twin Cities and more needed to be done to expand blue-collar job opportunities
and the middle class economy. Greenpoint Manufacturing
and Design Center, Brooklyn, N.Y. In September, 2010, a working
group comprised of Councilmember Russ Stark, and representatives from Public Art
Saint Paul, Asian Economic Development Association, St. Paul Port Authority, Midway
Chamber of Commerce, and University UNITED organized a program to introduce the
Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center from Brooklyn, N.Y., to the St. Paul
community. Funding was provided by the working group sponsors and the Central
Corridor Funders Collaborative to bring Brian Coleman, the Greenpoint CEO, to
St. Paul for a series of presentations over a three day visit. These sessions
were well attended and generated considerable interest in exploring the possibility
of replicating the "Greenpoint model" in St. Paul. Click
here for Greenpoint Tennant Survey Creative Enterprise
Zone This "Greenpoint" working group overlapped to
some extent with a separate initiative, the Creative Enterprise Zone (CEZ) working
group, which was simultaneously exploring ways to support and stabilize the existing
cluster of artists and creative enterprises in the St. Anthony Park neighborhood.
This effort was initiated by concerns about possible displacement of the arts
cluster at the Raymond Avenue node. The CEZ secured funding from the Central Corridor
Funders Collaborative and the St. Anthony Park Community Foundation to create
"a framework for sustainable, economically vital, creative community where
people live, work, trade, and visit", building upon the cultural assets of
the community. Click
here for Creative Enterprise Zone Plan University
Avenue Urban Manufacturing Project The two initiatives converged,
and after several meetings with about a dozen stakeholders, it was agreed to seek
funding for a feasibility study for the potential of acquiring and managing an
industrial building along University Avenue that would be rented to small manufacturers,
artisans and artists. A collaboration comprised of University UNITED, Sparc, and
the St. Anthony Park Community Council received funding from the Saint Paul Foundation
and the Central Corridor Funders Collaborative. A study is now underway
to determine the market for stable and affordable work space for small manufacturers
and creative industries and to identify optimally-located, affordable buildings
that can feasibly be acquired and adapted. The focus area of the study is the
University Avenue corridor extending from the Lowertown Arts District in downtown
St. Paul through the historical Midway industrial area, including the St. Anthony
Park neighborhood. A market study of tenants and businesses will follow a 'natural
market' geography to give a more accurate picture of current conditions. Over
the next six months data will be gathered on approximately 100 industrial buildings,
which will be analyzed with a variety of criteria. The pool of buildings will
be narrowed down to one or two prospects that merit a full blown architectural
feasibility analysis and a financial pro-forma. Consultant
Team With funding in hand, the project team created a scope
of work, and an Advisory Group, and have embarked on an ambitious six-month feasibility
study. The Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center has been retained as lead
consultant, and the local firm of Lunning Wende Associates, Inc., will provide
architectural services. There will also be a real estate marketing study, with
a consultant to be selected. University UNITED will provide overall coordination
of the project, as well as data gathering, survey, and mapping services. Consultant
Bios Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center
Brian Coleman became CEO of GMDC in 2003, taking over
from its founder. He supervises a staff of twelve and oversees GMDC's building
portfolio, organizational operations and real estate development. Prior to joining
GMDC, Brian worked for Kilby Management in Jersey City, New Jersey, where he oversaw
light manufacturing, retail and condominium management and development. Brian
also served as the Executive Director of the Journal Square Restoration Corporation
in Jersey City, New Jersey, a local Business Improvement District. Prior to that
he held positions with the Jersey City Economic Development Corporation and the
Brooklyn Economic Development Corporation. He is a Brooklyn native and a graduate
of Marist College. Kyle Merker, CFO, oversees all financial systems
and operations for GMDC and its subsidiaries. Prior to joining GMDC, Kyle was
CFO/Controller for AEA Consulting, a management consulting and market research
firm specializing in cultural organizations. He has also worked as a freelance
consultant for both non-profit and for-profit companies, including Leveraging
Investments in Creativity, Children's Television Workshop, Thomas Publishing,
Permanent Publishing USA, Urban Climber Magazine, and The Ali Forney Center. He
has also held positions at Fusebox, The Interep Radio Store, Arthur Andersen and
The Plaza Hotel. Kyle has served on Manhattan's Community Board 5 for 10 years,
and served as chair for four of those years. He has served on several boards in
New York City, including several Business Improvement Districts, Political Clubs
and Non Profits. He currently is the chair of the board of the Ali Forney Center.
He is a graduate of New York University's Stern School of Business. Paul
Parkhill, Director of Planning and Development, is an urban planner with 17
years of experience in real estate development and community planning. Since joining
GMDC in 1999, Paul has worked on all aspects of the organization's real estate,
planning and renewable energy projects, and coordinated GMDC's response to the
North Brooklyn rezoning. He has also worked as a consultant for a variety of organizations
including the Citizen's Housing and Planning Council, Queens Community Board 2,
the Corporation for Supportive Housing, Asian Americans for Equality, Safe Harbors
on the Hudson, Civic Builders, and the Fifth Avenue Committee. Between 1994 and
1999, Paul worked as a housing developer for Common Ground Community, a Manhattan-based
supportive housing provider. He is co-founder and co-director of Place in History,
a non-profit that sponsors neighborhood planning, history and public art projects,
and is the co-author of a recently published book on Long Island City. Paul holds
a BA from Brown University and a Masters Degree in Urban Planning from Columbia
University. Cassandra Smith, Project Manager, is a planner and preservationist
who manages real estate and planning projects for GMDC. Cassandra joined GMDC
in the summer of 2006, and has played a critical role in the historic rehabilitation
of 221 McKibbin Street. While in graduate school, she worked in marketing and
research at Beyer Blinder Belle Architects and Planners. Prior to graduate school,
she worked with community organizers at Partnerships for Parks, a jointly funded
program of the City of New York Department of Parks and Recreation and the City
Parks Foundation from 2000 until 2003. She was an assistant construction site
supervisor for Habitat for Humanity in both New York City and Oakland, CA from
1998 until 2000, where she was part of the team that supervised one of the organization's
Jimmy Carter Work Projects. She holds a BA in Sociology from Mills College and
dual Masters Degrees in Urban Planning and Historic Preservation from Columbia
University. Lunning Wende Associates, Inc., Architects Bob
Lunning has over thirty years experience in community planning, building design,
and urban design, as a Principal with Lunning Wende Associates. His building designs
include numerous single and multi-family residential projects, a range of educational
and cultural facilities, and historic building renovations. Bob has participated
in numerous community planning efforts along the Central Corridor as well as Payne-Phalen
and District del Sol neighborhoods in Saint Paul. He led the predesign planning
for a city-state partnership that resulted in the $250,000,000 State of Minnesota
offices and laboratories project in downtown Saint Paul. His designs have been
recognized in local and national competitions and have received awards from AIA/Minnesota,
Committee on the Urban Environment, Minnesota Preservation Alliance, and New York
Home Best in Green Building. Bob has served on the City of Saint Paul's Planning
and Heritage Preservation Commissions. In addition to his environmental design
practice, Bob is a consultant with Forecast Public Art focusing on art-based community
development. Scott Wende has practiced as an Architect and Urban
Designer for the past 36 years. Drawing upon his experience with community and
neighborhood planning, Scott has led planning efforts in the Elliot Park, Phillips,
Payne-Phalen, and District del Sol neighborhoods. His interest in the revitalization
of warehousing/industrial districts started with his participation in the re-use
study and inventory of the Minneapolis Warehouse District. In addition, recent
projects have focused on the "green" and sustainable aspects of urban
redevelopment. Scott has managed and designed complex projects ranging from mixed-use
developments to educational facilities. He has served as Chair of the Urban Design
Committee of the Minneapolis Chapter of AIA/Minnesota and also as President of
the Standish-Ericsson Neighborhood Association. Scott's community planning and
urban design projects have received awards from AIA/Minnesota and the Committee
on the Urban Environment. Funding: Saint Paul Foundation and Central
Corridor Funders Collaborative
Project Partners: Sparc - University
UNITED - St. Anthony Park Community Council
Advisory Group: Stuart Alger, Esq., Leonard Street Deinard,
and Chair, University UNITED
Eric Batiza, Colliers International Real Estate
John
Bennett, Western Bank
Jeff Dahlin, E&L Bindery, Business and Property Owner
Catherine
Reid Day, Storyslices, LLC, and Chair, Creative Enterprises Zone
James Garrett,
Jr., AIA, 4RM+ULA, Architects
Louis Jambois, President, St. Paul Port Authority
Marcia
McEachron, Metal Sculptor
Paul J. McGinley, Loucks Associates, and Chair, Midway
Chamber of Commerce
Christine Podas-Larson, President, Public Art Saint Paul
Russ
Stark, City Councilmember, St. Paul
Fred Zimmerman, Retired Professor of Manufacturing
at University St. Thomas Project updates will be posted at www.universityunited.com.
For additional information, call Brian McMahon at (651) 647-6711, or at bmcmahon@universityunited.com.
Information on the "Greenpoint model" can be found at www.gmdconline.org. Back
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