Downtown

Redevelopment &

Urban Revitalization

in Topeka Kansas

Jeff Schmidtlein Washburn University MBA Program;BU 996 Research Project in Business, Summer 2015

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1) Table of Contents

2) Introduction 3) Downtown Topeka

i. Strengths & Weaknesses ii. The Case For A Strong Core

iii. How to Measure Success iv. Kansas Avenue Redevelopment Project v. Historic Site Districts

4) Economic Development in Topeka i. The Role of Incentives ii. Who is involved?

iii. In the news: challenges 5) Quality of Life

i. Importance of Quality of Life ii. The Case for a Revitalized Waterfront

iii. Topeka Riverfront Project 6) Conclusions: My Takes

i. Challenges and Opportunities ii. Impact of Millennials

iii. The Future: Strategies to Work Towards Appendix: Works Cited/Sources Used

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Note

I would personally like to thank the following people for taking time out of your busy schedules to meet with me to discuss my questions and research.

Vince Frye, President, Downtown Topeka, Inc. Ann Adams, Premier Real Estate John Hunter & Kristen Brunkow, Executive Director & Communications Coordinator,

Heartland Visioning Molly Howey, Director Business Development, Go Topeka

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Introduction: Project Goals and Purpose

I am in the process of getting my master’s in business at Washburn University, and this

summer I decided to do something a little more hands on. This research project will be focused

on analyzing and researching a problem in business. The topic I have decided to focus on is

the whole idea of urban revitalization. Being an MBA student, it is hard to truly get into the

technical aspects of urban planning being that I simply am not a planner. I know there have

been numerous studies done by graduate students in planning and architecture on various

projects in the past so I will try and utilize some of their analysis for my paper. Growing up in a

construction family and being on different projects around town, I had always wondered certain

things about the layout of our city. I wanted to gain more insight, but the question I had to ask

myself is, as an MBA student, how can I approach this topic? The thought I had coming into it is

that there has to be many business implications involved in urban revitalization. The question

is what are they? How do cities revitalize? How do they pay for these projects? Who plans

them, etc.? What goes into the process of getting new businesses to locate here? These are

several questions I hoped to address in my research.

Urban revitalization can cover a wide array of things, so this research focused on 2 of

the main well-known projects in Topeka: the downtown redevelopment project and the

Riverfront project. The idea behind approaching this was not to get involved in the politics, not

lobbying for one thing over another, what should and shouldn’t be done etc. Rather, it was just

to gain more insight into processes, to take an objective view, gathering data about what the

groups are doing, how money is being allocated, looking at the pros and cons of these projects,

how they are important in improving the image and quality of life of Topeka as well as the

challenges that come with it. I anticipated before my research that I would find out I don’t know

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very much on the topic, and that is fine, because my goal is to learn. I also will add my opinions

in the conclusions section at the very end.

Downtown Topeka

i) Strengths & Weaknesses

So what’s good about downtown?

Topeka still remains the capital city of the state of Kansas. The Capital recently just

underwent a $332 million renovation including infrastructure, major aesthetics including redoing

the original copper on the dome, and much work inside. Being the state capital of Kansas, it is

expected to be a major attraction for visitors from around the state and even country.

Downtown Topeka also is still considered to be the financial center of the city, with multiple state

offices and agencies, as well as multiple corporate businesses. Over 25,000 people are

employed downtown. Some may not realize it, but Topeka does have a good amount of history,

even with many of the buildings downtown. A big thing in the past year has been the talk of

downtown and other areas getting a historic district designation. Topeka recently put in their

nomination to apply for this designation for several blocks along and around Kansas Avenue for

the National Register of Historic Places. The proposed districts include the downtown

revitalization effort on Kansas Avenue (see section v for more on this below) between 6th and

10th streets and Jackson and Quincy. Also, the Mill Block Historic District, which is a five-

building, light industrial district along Topeka’s main commercial street, Kansas Avenue, just

north of the central business district, between 1st Avenue and N.W. Crane Street. The district,

constructed between 1904 and 1930, reflects the light industrial and commercial warehouse

development that occurred along the river at the north end of the downtown commercial core

once the presence of railroads was firmly established in Topeka. The big thing to take from this

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is the idea that if Topeka’s application is approved, they will be eligible for state and federal

grants, as well as tax rebates in these areas, and this will play a large part in downtown

revitalization, said Vince Frye, President of Downtown Topeka, Inc. and spearheading the

revitalization project. Since Frye took over DTI, they have created over 35 events downtown,

including weekly concerts, classic car nights, brew festivals, and the annual St Patrick’s parade

continues to be a major attractor.

What are the weaknesses to downtown?

Often the purpose of doing analysis and research is because you are trying to solve a

problem, or come up with a solution to figure something out. I have learned in school that often

the hardest part of analysis is figuring out what the problem is itself that you are trying to

solve. So, for the purposes of this project, what is the problem that is trying to be solved? The

problem in my eyes is overcoming the weaknesses of our city, especially our downtown. The

first problem is the lack of a vibrant downtown. Sure, some may say it is purely one’s opinion on

what makes a downtown vibrant and what doesn’t. Some may say that it is vibrant and fine the

way it is. However, most people that work down here and happen to come through would not

see it this way. The word vibrant is defined as “full of energy and enthusiasm, lively, having or

showing great life and activity. Having lived in Topeka my whole life, I know that this description

does not describe our downtown. It is busy during the week, but when 5 PM comes on a

weeknight, people go to their homes either in other neighborhoods, in the suburbs, or even out

of the city. Just a personal note; I believe almost half of the people that work on my floor live in

Lawrence or outside of Topeka. Also, many of the stores close at this same time. That being

said, it isn’t like there is a lot to choose from for shopping anyway. Also, there is very little

weekend traffic downtown. It often seems like a ghost town. I have heard co-workers say, “I

can’t wait to get out of here after work” and “I don’t care that the Celtic Fox has a band playing,

downtown is dead and I am not making a special trip to come down here on the weekend.” That

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sounds very negative, but it is true. Also, if one strolls down the avenue, they can see the

numerous building that stand vacant. That isn’t exactly showing a lot of vibrancy and activity. It

isn’t hard to see the problems with all of these things. For someone who was born and raised

here, and someone who is part of the millennial generation it probably comes much easier to

describe what the weaknesses are to Topeka. Downtown Topeka to our age generation has

never had a “life” it seems, there is nothing to do, not a very good selection of places to eat, little

to no entertainment, no recreational opportunities, etc. Growing up on the outskirts of the city

limits, having a downtown full of life and activity really never mattered much to me, and I never

put much emphasis on it. However, working downtown every day for the past 5 years has made

me realize the weaknesses and challenges it represents. A few years ago I walked down

Kansas Avenue and building after building was vacant and had a “for sale or lease” sign in the

window. The sidewalks were not in the best shape and there really wasn’t much to look

at. When someone from out of town came to visit for lunch, I had to suggest meeting them on

the west side as there isn’t much variety of quality places to eat downtown unless you like

sandwiches. Downtown used to be a place people in Topeka were proud to go to, but when

White Lakes Mall and West Ridge Mall came about, this began a trend of urban sprawl. This is

essentially the low density development, a trend over the past several decades of people

shifting from the cores of cities and moving outward to the suburbs. It is also important to note

that Topeka has not been alone in this trend. Other cities all across the country have

experienced this and are also trying to revitalize their downtowns. This trend represents a major

challenge to cities and their downtowns (this will be discussed more later in the paper). Another

major challenge that really comes with all of this too, and perhaps the biggest one is the image

downtown Topeka has. Not only do many view downtown as having not much to do, but it also

has the image of being an unsafe area. Frye said there is a perception that downtown isn’t

safe, but based on recent stats, downtown has been one of the safest places recently. It all

depends on what people consider downtown as well. The media will portray a shooting at 6th

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and Taylor as being downtown, yet this area is significantly west of the downtown core. The

residential areas surrounding downtown don’t exactly represent the greatest image, and this

really doesn’t help the positive ball keep rolling. There are also little to no residential/housing

districts in downtown. And, as far as things to do, downtown does have events, but once a year

parades don’t exactly get the job done. The lack of a consistent attractor, something to catalyze

the area and keep people down here on a regular basis has been a problem..

ii) The case for a strong core

Some may live in Topeka and say it is perfectly fine, not too big, not too small,

etc. Some may live in the suburbs, work on Wanamaker and be perfectly happy with their lives

and not care about downtown. However, for as many people working downtown as there are,

every person who works there should be classified as someone with a vested interest in

downtown. Heck, we spend 40+ hours a week at our workplaces, so wouldn’t we like to work

somewhere we are proud of? Instead of having to get in our cars and drive to the west side to

have many choices to pick from for lunch. Or, having the ability to shop during our lunch hour?

If one were to poll workers downtown, most would probably say the weaknesses mentioned

above outweigh the strengths of our downtown and they ultimately would like a better

downtown. Lately, the term revitalize has been thrown around a lot. So, what exactly does it

mean to revitalize? Well, for starters, the definition of revitalize according to Merriam Webster

dictionary is to impart new life or vigor to, to restore to an active or fresh condition. Synonyms

related to the word include: recreate, rejuvenate, refresh repair, and revive (Merriam). When

searching for related items, the term urban renewal also came up frequently. Dictionary.com

says it is “the rehabilitation of city areas by renovating or replacing dilapidated buildings with

new housing, public buildings, parks, roadways, industrial areas, etc., often in accordance with

comprehensive plans.” (Dictionary) Merriam states urban renewal simply is “a process by which

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old buildings or buildings that are in bad condition in part of a city are replaced or repaired; a

construction program to replace or restore substandard buildings in an urban area” One of the

terms that seems to stand out is the term repair. Repair means you have to fix something that

is broken, or something that just isn’t working the way it should. This leads back to the question

of “what is the problem and what needs repaired? As mentioned above, the vacant and

dilapidated buildings, lack of activity downtown, no nightlife or entertainment, limited eating and

retail, minimal housing, etc. When we talk about a strong downtown, what does it mean, and

why is it important for a community? Why do we even need a strong downtown? In the book,

the Seamless City: A Conservative Mayor’s Approach to Urban Revitalization that Can Work

Anywhere, this excerpt from Rick Baker talks about how downtowns are the heart of a city.

“It is the place where our crossroads come together, our common bond. Picture in your

mind’s eye a city you have visited. You are probably not thinking of the suburbs,

shopping malls, or industrial parks—you are picturing the downtown area. It is where a

city defines itself, and it is the prism through which the outside world views the city.

Downtown is a city’s heart, so if a city is to thrive, its heart must be strong. A downtown

with a large commercial, office, and residential base will contribute significantly to the tax

rolls of the city with the effect of reducing the tax burden on residents in the city’s

neighborhoods, helping residents throughout the city save money” (Baker).

So one might be asking, who is Rick Baker and who cares what some guy thinks? Well, Baker

isn’t just some guy. He was the author of this book and more importantly the former mayor of

St. Petersburg Florida who was instrumental in revitalizing their downtown. According to him,

the local newspaper once described their downtown as moribund, which means lacking vitality

or vigor, or something dying. He saw the importance of strong downtowns and helped make it

happen; this is a book that our city leaders should read if they haven’t already. Also, another

idea already mentioned and will be talked about multiple times is the concept of urban

sprawl. How exactly does this affect downtowns and the strong core? As people move further

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outward from the existing infrastructure, this increases costs for taxpayers. This requires more

roads to build and maintain. Also, another effect of this that may come as a surprise to some is

that this urban sprawl according to some research can lead to higher obesity rates. Yes, lack of

downtowns lead to higher obesity rates. According to prior research, urban sprawl,

characterized by low-density development patterns and changes in the built environment, has

been found to be positively associated with rates of obesity. Suburban residential location

increases the distance between home and destination (e.g., job), increases the reliance on

automobiles, and minimizes walking. Lack of sidewalks and bicycle trails, and the cul-de-sac

street layouts that are typical in suburban areas may decrease physical activity (Zhao). It is

important to note that the evidence for this is not fully uniform, but still it makes some

sense. And, obesity has been noted as a problem here recently. Topeka and Shawnee County

in recent numbers came in at 56 healthiest out of 105 counties in Kansas, with obesity and

sedentary lifestyles being main contributors (Riley). This isn’t exactly a statistic to be proud of.

One of the benefits a strong downtown can bring is people rely more on walking to get to places

than driving; this active lifestyle could really improve the health of those in the area and in turn

the community. All in all, when one goes and visits other cities and their downtowns and sees

ours, it is obvious change needs to happen here and revitalizing our core is the best way to

start.

iii) How does a city measure success in revitalization?

If Topeka is trying to revamp its downtown, how do we know if we become successful

and what are good ways to measure success? There really isn’t an exact formula for measuring

revitalization success, but there are several factors that can be looked at. They can be broken

down by different categories, including qualitative, quantitative and legislative/governmental

groups. According to a prior research study done by Sara Bratcher from the University of

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Arizona, she did an in depth planning study on downtown revitalization and stated that although

different communities view successful revitalization projects different from others, these are

common ways to tie project together. According to her, quantitative analysis is a way to

measure success, such as increased spending, pedestrian traffic, or the amount of mixed use

buildings, downtown living options, or number of entertainment options. And, of course, the

amount of dollars brought in through retail sales, taxes, etc. Qualitative success may be harder

to measure, it is something that just has to be observed. “The enhanced physical elements of a

downtown add to the overall success of a downtown in terms of the quality of life people are

able to achieve within it. Downtowns need to be a destination place. As downtowns are typically

the city center of any community they need to be known as such regionally. By creating a brand

for downtown and an advertising or marketing campaign in conjunction with revitalization,

downtown can be viewed as the place to be.” Other qualitative success could just be things like

people’s overall perception on the area. How do people describe the revitalized downtown, do

they talk positive about it? Do people feel safe and have a new and improved image of the

area? These are all qualitative measures, not necessarily numbers or statistics, but just a

general feel you kind of get via word of mouth. The third measuring stick relates to government

success. Bratcher mentioned city planning departments who re-zone areas for development,

improving regulations for residential development, and improving guidelines which assist in

creativity by developers were all things to measure success by (Bratcher). Below is a table from

her report that breaks down measuring elements of success for redevelopment.

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iv) Kansas Avenue Redevelopment Project

We have looked at the strengths and weaknesses of Topeka’s downtown, the case for a

strong downtown, and how to measure success of a revitalization project, now we come to

present day and what are we doing about it here? If you’ve happened to come through

downtown Topeka KS in the past year, you may have noticed quite a bit of orange and

construction equipment. So what is this work for and what is it all about? On December 11th,

2012, the Topeka City Council approved a budget close to $5 million to begin work improving

the area between 6th and 10th streets along Kansas Avenue. Work being done includes

demoing existing street and eventually turning it into a 3 lane stretch, one lane going north and

south, and one turning lane in the middle. The sidewalks are being torn out along the avenue

and will be widened and all curb and gutter is being replaced. This is part of the enhancements

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we will see above ground. But, a huge part of this project is the work underground. Major

utilities such as electric, water mains and lines, storm sewers and gas lines are all being

replaced. One may then ask the question, why do this now? According to Doug Whitacre,

Public Works Director, Kansas Avenue is in dire need repairs. From a streetscape standpoint it

hasn’t been updated since the 1980s and the utilities under the street haven’t been updated for

more than 100 years. (Dressing Up). These had all been neglected over many years and had to

be upgraded in order for any future revitalization to occur. This is a big proponent of what

supporters use to back the practicality of this work. Detractors of the project say that we

shouldn’t be spending money on areas that no one goes to, that the money spent won’t attract

people downtown and that several so called “revitalization” attempts have failed in the past, and

so many taxpayers are leery about committing so much to one again. Residents that have lived

here for decades can recall of multiple studies, consultants hired and debating city council that

never really materialized into anything. Of the nearly $5 million approved by the Council, $3.75

million comes from general obligation bonds, $158,000 from utility revenue bonds, and over $1

million comes from the citywide half-cent sales tax. The public funding obviously is what draws

the most criticism like the previous attempts. However, a big difference with this project

appears to be the investment of private capital into the equation. Close to $3 million was raised

by Downtown Topeka Inc. through a grassroots effort. This group, affiliated with DTI, called

Imagine Downtown is comprised of several key people who have led the fundraising efforts

(Anderson). DTI worked with Architect One to design new streetscaping and pocket parks to

help the image of our downtown. Corporate companies like Westar Energy, Security Benefit,

BNSF, Hill’s Pet Nutrition and Capitol Federal among others all have contributed to this effort to

begin enhancing downtown. There will be new greenery, mid-block arches, pavilions and art

work along with individual pocket parks. The idea of the parks is to create a visually appealing

area and attract people downtown. Another things people will notice are statues of historical

people. Several statues will be seen in different parks, including but not limited to: ones for

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Arthur Capper, the Kansas Senator known for founding the Easter Seals Capper Foundation,

Charles Curtis, former U.S. Vice President, Cyrus K Holliday, one of the founders of Topeka,

who also created the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, one for the Brown vs. Board

story, one of the Menniger brothers, and one for Ichabod Washburn, founder of Washburn

University. These statues will help emphasize the history and culture of Topeka and the

downtown area and again attempt to draw people downtown.

These enhancements will look cool and be appealing to visitors, but as Frye said, “will

they come back?” It is clear that the infrastructure work is needed for any future development to

occur, but now we get back to the problem of vacant buildings and business attraction. A big

issue has been getting people to invest in locating businesses downtown. “You can’t

collectively control all of downtown because you have different owners and many owners and

developers are out of town that may not be as invested in downtown as you’d like them to be

and that is one of the big problems” said Frye. So, one of the things that DTI has been working

really hard to do is connect people who own the properties with local business owners who want

to be a part of revitalizing downtown. Frye went on to show some of these available properties

to these local business people. There has been a lot of interest from people in getting loft space

downtown, Frye said he gets calls every week from people wanting to live downtown and nearly

all lofts are full. He said since the City Council passed the measure to begin construction, over

14 building on South Kansas Avenue were purchased. A curious thing is it seems many

buildings downtown are still for sale or lease because Kansas Commercial has their flyers in the

windows, but Frye said many of these are already spoken for. It seems a little odd they are

keeping this in the windows, but they are there regardless. Some examples of buildings

purchased include:

An old Dollar General store at 815 Kansas Ave that has been boarded up for years has

been purchased by Blue Moose and Schwerdt Design owners who bought the building

from an absent owner.

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The old Tucker’s Building right across from Westar Energy at 8th and Kansas was

purchased by Jim Klausman, president of Midwest Health. He formed Ray’s Red LLC

with Greg Schwerdt, of Schwerdt Design Group, John Federico, of Federico Consulting,

and Butch Eaton, of Midwest Health. The group doesn’t plan to have their own offices in

the building, but will rent out the space.

At 718 South Kansas Ave, Debra and Randy Clayton, owners of Clayton Financial

Service, have purchased this building next to their building. The two addresses share a

facade, Debra Clayton said, and Jersey Mike’s sandwich shop is located in the first floor

of the one they recently purchased. The purchase won’t affect the sandwich shop,

Clayton said, but they plan to turn the second and third floors into apartments.

There is also talk of some retail and office space going in at the vacant lot at 10th and

Kansas. There has even been rumors of some sort of multi-use plaza area being built

somewhere along the avenue. Frye expects an announcement soon regarding several things to

be coming to downtown after the construction is finished. The main thing is waiting until this

construction is complete, then things will start moving and people will see changes. He said

people can expect new restaurants, new retail and loft apartments, and there could be a hotel

coming. All in all, supporters of the project believe all of this work will really enhance the future

of downtown.

v) Historic Site Districts

One thing mentioned previously that could potentially play a big factor in the future of

downtown is the notion of a historic site district. As of this writing, the application for the

historic nomination was approved by the state but still pending with the National park Service,

but DTI expects the results by August. “This is a very historic area and deserves official

recognition,” Frye said. “In so doing, it opens up federal and state tax credits that are a

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significant incentive for a lot of people who are interested or already invested in downtown.”

There are four factors under consideration that play a role in determining a historic site:

a historically significant event,

linkage to a famous person in history,

reflection of a distinctive construction style or work of a master artist,

or the likelihood that they contain or can yield historically important information

If approved, contributing buildings to the historic districts would be eligible for state and federal

tax credits for capital improvement projects that preserve the historic integrity and original

materials of the buildings. The state of Kansas offers a 25 percent tax credit for projects worth

more than $5,000. The federal tax credit is for 20 percent of a project worth the value of the

building, but only for properties that produce income (Van Dyke). Below are screenshots of

the proposed downtown regions as well as details on them from the Topeka Capital Journal:

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■ The South Kansas Avenue Commercial Historic District, defined as 10 city blocks flanking

Kansas Avenue between 6th Street on the north and 10th Street on the south, with S.W.

Jackson on the west and S.E. Quincy on the east. The nomination reflects the components of

commercial, social and civic function that comprise a central business district, as well as a

variety of architectural styles reflective of Topeka's history.

■ The Mill Block Historic District, 101-129 N. Kansas. This five-building, light industrial district

just north of Topeka’s central business district between 1st Street and Crane illustrates the

warehouse development that occurred along the Kansas River during a period of extensive

railroad operations in Topeka.

■ The Church of the Assumption Historic District, 204 and 212 S.W. 8th and 735 S. W.

Jackson. Assumption Church, built in 1924, and its rectory (1929) were listed in the National

Register of Historic Places in 2008 for their architectural significance. The new nomination

expands the boundaries to include the original Hayden High School (built in 1939) and

Assumption School (1954), which are historically significant as the first Catholic elementary

school and high school in Topeka (Three).

Economic Development

i) The Importance of Incentives

Briefly mentioned in the previous section was the idea of credits that would come from

the Historic Site District. Essentially these credits are referred to as incentives. These

incentives play a major role in economic development and urban revitalization and also can be a

challenge to implement. What exactly is an incentive in this context and how does it play a

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role? The definition of an incentive is something that motivates or encourages someone to do

something. In this sense, an incentive is a payment or concession to stimulate investment in

certain areas to enhance development and induce growth. The most common form of

incentives usually come in the form of tax incentives and infrastructure improvements. The City

of Topeka awards grant money to DTI to offer money to business owners who make permanent

improvements to their buildings. The most DTI can give is $50,000 for downtown business

building improvements, and $10,000 for loft apartments. While it is something, this amount

does not go very far. Frye says to owners ‘You are going to have to be the incentivizer because

the money we have to offer is not plentiful and we don’t have many incentives to offer.” Frye

has reached out to many restaurants including ones from Lawrence and the first question he

gets is, what kind of incentives do you have?

An item that got brought up during legislative sessions that was interesting was the concept of

urban opportunity zones. Governor Brownback unveiled a new plan to help economic

development in struggling metro areas in Kansas, including parts of downtown Topeka. This

initiative would offer tax breaks and other incentives to small businesses and even potentially

include affordable housing (Governors). While the status of this may be up in the air, it still

seems like a good idea to help boost downtown development.

ii) Who is involved?

Speaking of incentives, this is a good segway into economic development in Topeka as

a whole. For any Topeka resident who has read the newspaper or watched the local news on

TV, the subject seems to be one that often draws attention and even criticism from the

public. What does the term exactly mean? When trying to analyze processes for economic

development, it became apparent in research that there really isn’t one set way, as every city

seems to have a different approach. Economic development in a small town may consist of

something as adding a new local grocery store. Cities have their own priorities about what they

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want. Traditionally, success in economic development could be summed up by measuring

things such as the number of jobs created and capital investment.

Often times when projects like the downtown one or the riverfront get mentioned in the

news, many people assume all kinds of things on how the funding is set up and so on. So,

some simple question some may want to know are, who exactly is involved and how is the

money funded? First off, the group that really has the final say in how money is spent is JEDO.

JEDO, short for the joint economic development organization, is comprised of a body of city and

county elected officials who oversee the use of revenue from a countywide, half-cent sales tax.

A portion of this bucket of money is assigned to economic development, and in the past several

years the group has been Go Topeka, which amounts to around $5 million a year, (around

$700,000 comes from a year through a private donation campaign). Go Topeka is the main

body involved in economic development and it is important to note that while Go Topeka is

considered to be an extension of the Chamber of Commerce, it is a distinct separate entity. The

Chamber of Commerce is purely privately funded and a non-profit, whereas Go Topeka has a

mix of public and private dollars and is a for profit organization. Both of these organizations

have separate budgets, etc. JEDO essentially is the group that basically tells Go Topeka on

what they should be focusing on regarding overall economic development plans. In Topeka, the

focus is on four targeted industries to drive marketing for: food processing, financial services,

logistics, and advanced manufacturing. They do not work on retail, but mainly focus on primary

jobs. In the past, Go Topeka has been focused on small business development. They have

three main departments: business attraction, existing business & workforce development, and

small business & entrepreneurship.

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iii) In the News: Recent Challenges

As mentioned previously, there has been a lot of talk in the news about Go Topeka and

JEDO. Recently, JEDO put out a request for bids from consulting companies to come in and

study economic development processes in Topeka. 2 firms were selected to come in and

present their bids to the board, Avalanche Consulting out of Austin TX, and Garner Economics

out of Atlanta GA. JEDO awarded the contract to Jay Garner of Garner Economics, but the

results of both presentations may have opened some eyes to officials. Garner basically said

their research showed that the public doesn’t trust JEDO. “I haven’t been involved with an

organization that has communicated its message as poorly as JEDO” Garner said. He said the

community needs to improve its image to outside companies and consultants and that we “still

have some issues where the community doesn’t show well aesthetically” (Hart).

Avalanche Consulting showed that while Topeka is still seeing rising median incomes and that

the education infrastructure is very good there are many challenges that should be looked at

harder. Declining population and losing young professionals to other cities are major issues.

The US Census Bureau in June of this year said that Topeka’s population has dropped for the

third straight year and dipped below the estimated 127,473 in 2010 and 127,215 in 2014.

Despite more births than deaths, Shawnee County’s population fell by 168 from 2013 to 2014.

Population migration is the main reason for offsetting that number (U.S. Census). One key

issue with population issues is not only people who have left the city but also those that work

here yet live in other surrounding cities or counties. The increasingly mobile workforce is a

problem. According to the 2002 Topeka and Shawnee County Economic Development plan,

“as more and more people continue to work in Shawnee County and live elsewhere, the

incomes earned by those employees are exported after each work day This significantly

diminishes the consumer buying power within the county, as well as reduced the property tax

base when a growing number of employees live outside the county and also places a heavier

burden on Shawnee County residents to support the property taxes” (The Economic

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Development Plan). The other issue is the previously mentioned concept of low density

development. According to the latest City of Topeka’s Land Use and Growth Management Plan

report, much of Topeka’s growth has been occurring outside the city’s core in the form of low-

density residential development instead of the higher density typically found within the city. As

stated before, this urban sprawl, when growth of a city slowly over the years creeps out and

further away from the city’s core can really have its negative effects. According to the report,

when development is compact and supports a higher population density, the cost of

infrastructure and the benefit of services are both spread out over the higher population which

can help keep a lid on taxes. Fire and police stations, which have coverage areas based on

distance can cover and protect more people without having to create new stations. And, more

people are adjacent to or could benefit from new or improved infrastructure projects. With

lower population densities, the benefits and impacts from these services or improvements are

spread out and the impact is lost; net operating costs, however, remains the same and

revenues are lower. There are fixed on‐going operational costs that must be paid by taxpayers

whether a fire station has 10 or 100 calls, or if a water line built for 100 people serves only 10

(City of Topeka).

Further, the overall city population density has decreased while the total land area

increased dramatically (a 7% increase in population compared to 65% increase in land area).

Also, the report shows that Manhattan and Lawrence have both surpassed Topeka in density

compactness in the past 30 years. See next page for charts taken from the report.

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What exactly causes this urban sprawl? This migration outward can be caused by many things

such as lower cost of land, perhaps lower taxes, increases in standard of living, for instance

people with better paying jobs may be more willing to build a bigger house where the land is

available and be willing to drive farther to work because they can afford it. Some people like the

suburbs simply for personal reasons like maybe because there is less traffic congestion or they

don’t want to walk everywhere. (Causes and Effects).

Along the same lines of this topic comes the more general layout of the city. Many that

travel through our city or briefly stay common say, “nearly everything is on Wanamaker.” This

has always been the statement, but the question is “why?” What gives private developers

incentives to build a new strip mall out there versus downtown? “I believe it is mostly

demographics, which is why it makes it difficult for us to justify going after retail. Retailers or

developers come in and want to know, how many rooftops there are, what is the average wage,

what is the distribution of age, etc. so it can meet their target market. It is tough in downtown

because there are no rooftops in an immediate radius, and the ones there are lower income, so

this makes it hard for an outsider coming in; they just want to look at the numbers.” ~Molly

Howey, new business attraction & marketing with Go Topeka says.

The other issue that really is something that could become a major emphasis point is the

idea of losing young professionals to other cities. Avalanche reported to JEDO that there is a

perception that Topeka has fewer cultural amenities for a city its size, to provide a better quality

of life for the young professional Topeka wants to keep” (Topeka Market Study) . So the next

question becomes, why are young professionals important and what can be done about this

issue….

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Quality of Life

i) Importance of Quality of Life

Taking into account everything mentioned above, ultimately it comes down to the bigger

picture and not only bringing people to Topeka but getting them to stay here. This leads into the

idea of quality of life. Why is it so important? As mentioned previously, development moving

away from the core over the years, declining populations, the layout of the city and losing young

professionals are major challenges that the leaders of Topeka need to address. This section

will really be future focused, looking at losing the young professionals, aka millennials to other

cities. Some may wonder why this is a problem. Why should we care so much about the

millennial generation? This age group, commonly referred to as people born between 1980 and

2000 is now the largest generation with over 80 million people, and it is expected by 2025 they

will make up 75% of the global workforce (Schawbel). Now for the baby boomers and early

Generation X-ers that live in Topeka and have settled down here for many years, they may be

fine and comfortable with the way things are. However, city planners may need to start looking

toward the future if they haven’t been already. Millennials are the future and if the trend of losing

these young, educated employees continues, then the future of Topeka could potentially have

some issues.

To help address this issue, a common approach is to address the city’s quality of life. When

we throw around the term quality of life, what does that even mean? A growing body of

research suggests that highly-educated individuals in many knowledge-based occupations are

“consumers of place.” That is, these individuals are attracted to places with a high quality of life.

Again, like the concept of economic development, there can be different varying viewpoints on

the topic. According to the University of Wisconsin extension department Downtown Market

Analysis, there a few measuring sticks cities can go by:

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Education. Because everyone wants their children to have access to high-quality schooling, quality of life often includes information about high school graduation rates, standardized test scores, and post-graduation plans.

Health. Health has become important to many people in the U.S. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has a program to develop Community Health Status Indicators for each county in the United States.

Recreational Opportunities. Promoting recreational area creates an attractive image of your community. Information about recreational opportunities can be found on state park websites. Also, many local communities have information about local parks and other recreation on their websites as well.

Unemployment Rates. While often considered an economic indicator, unemployment rates can affect the perception of a community.

Crime Rates. When starting new families, most people look for a safe, friendly neighborhood. For this reason, low crime rates are an excellent selling point for a community. Crime statistics can be received from local police departments, FBI.gov, and the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

Household Income. Many people look for a satisfactory level of household income when determining quality of life. It must also be noted however, that affordable housing is an important factor to many. For more information about household income, please review the information in the earlier sections of this toolbox. (Local & Regional).

A few other common factors in quality of life that may be the more well-known are entertainment

and cultural activities. For those wondering, Topeka has an organization that is committed to

improving quality of life in the community. Heartland Visioning, is a convening organization who

brings people together to improve community engagement, collect information to management

and steering committee to improve the quality of life in Topeka. Led by John Hunter, the

Executive Director, the group is funded by a mix of 70% private dollars and 30% public dollars.

The public dollars amount to $60,000, half from the city and half from the county, but is not

associated with the normal budget process, rather through the Go Topeka budget that JEDO

approves. Heartland Visioning has steering committees that are centered around the dynamic

core. They currently have put together 5 groups are that are all comprised of community

volunteers. These groups are all focused on improving quality of life initiatives in Topeka and

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around the county. The groups are: entertainment, community and pride services,

transportation, parks and recreation and these 4 are centered around the last one the dynamic

core. More detailed information can be found on their website:

http://www.heartlandvisioning.com/2015-04-02-15-21-00/2014-2016-priorities. In 2008,

community feedback wads requested, and one of the things people wanted to see was an

improved arts district. Fast forward to today and the NOTO arts district has become an

attraction for people to visit, particularly on Friday nights during the summer for First Friday Art

Walks. Then again in 2013, community feedback was requested, and what came about was the

creation of these 5 areas to focus on. The Washburn marketing research department is also

working with the group to find more about entertainment options across the community through

a survey.

ii) The Case for a Revitalized Waterfront

Perhaps the big talking point with what Heartland Visioning has been involved with and

in the news recently is in regards to redevelopment/revitalization on the proposed work on the

riverfront in Topeka. There will be plenty of critics who claim this would be a waste of money,

but a revitalized waterfront could be a crucial part for a city’s rebirth. Not all cities can say that

they have the luxury of being along a major river. And, water tends to be an attraction for

people of all ages. Detroit, Michigan has recently seen success with its riverfront and they put

out an economic analysis report discussing findings from the project(s). An excerpt from the

report reads:

“The Detroit riverfront improvements have had an impact on many of the major

development projects in the downtown area over the past five to 10 years. This impact

will continue to extend to projects that are in the planning stages and to be developed

into the future. The riverfront creates a vital “sense of place” that significantly benefits

the development of residential units in the downtown area, enhances the ability to attract

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businesses, creates a more desirable convention and visitor environment, and provides

a staging ground for hundreds of entertainment events enjoyed by visitors and residents

of the Detroit area. The riverfront, as currently developed, has been referred to as a

“game changer” in terms of helping to form opinions of Detroit from the perspective of

the visitor and residents. The riverfront has evolved beyond a physical asset, and is now

both a community in itself, and an asset to the entire downtown area” (Economic Impact

Study).

It isn’t hard to see by googling the term “riverfront” that many cities across the country are

reclaiming their rivers and enhancing their cities images.

d) Riverfront Project

In Topeka, the argument can be made that the city wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the

river, as it is what an area that early people utilized and the Oregon Trail ran through. The river

had been used for many recreational activities dating back into the 1940’s. However after the

major flood in 1951, levees were installed, and while these definitely were beneficial from

preventing major flood damage in the future, this would change the river use in Topeka for a

long time. “When the river flooded in ’51, the levees were designed to get water flowing through

Topeka as fast as possible, to prevent a major flood; however, at the times during the year

when water levels were low, you get what most people know the river to be now, and that is

typically low and lots of sandbars” said Hunter. Almost 70 years have gone by and the river has

seen little if any recreational use, at least by the downtown area. Another reason is the safety.

Multiple people have drowned while either kayaking or fishing near the weir area by the City’s

intakes as the flow can be very strong at that point. The good news is that there has been some

progress regarding this in the news recently. In April of this year, Mayor Larry Wolgast

announced that $30 million had been approved to begin construction to improve the city’s levee

system. The levee upgrades will attempt to eventually solve this problem by making it a safer

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area, providing more access and encouraging recreational activities. The U.S Army Corps of

Engineers has lined up $2 million for the first phase of work, which will include 10 miles of levee

along the river and Shunga Creek, as well as $5 million for future work. The city is expected to

cover around 35% of the work with the federal government covering the rest. This came as a

pleasant surprise to consultant Pat Downes and people involved that it was approved this

quickly. “I can’t overemphasize the importance of this,” said Beth Fager, of the Topeka-

Shawnee County Riverfront Authority. “Before any additional riverfront development happens,

the levees have to be repaired, they have to be brought up to standard and they have to be

effective” (Topeka Unveils).

Now that work and money have been approved, the next thing that will start to progress

is the design of a Riverfront park. Back in 2003, the transient guest tax was used and money

was set aside for this park. This guest tax, also called a bed tax is essentially a tax collected

from transient visitors. 7 cents of every dollar from hotels and other lodging providers in Topeka

goes to this fund which is used for tourism purposes. 5 of the 7 cents goes to Visit Topeka, Inc.

1 cent goes to the Sunflower Soccer Association and the final cent is normally allocated to

various projects. Of the proposed projects, one of them is the Riverfront Park. Another project

is the downtown Plaza, which is part of the Visit Topeka branding effort. This would be a multi-

use facility to attract people downtown, with potential uses such as ice skating in the winter and

concerts in the summer. The debate may come on which project should see priority. Kurt

Young, president of the Topeka Lodging Association wished to see a majority go towards the

downtown plaza. Beth Fager, chairwoman of the Topeka-Shawnee County Riverfront Authority,

and Pat Downes, the authority’s consultant, urged the committee to invest more in their effort to

finish a riverfront park. Downes said the park was vital to economic and cultural development in

the NOTO Arts District, anchors the neighborhood and highlights the city’s connection to the

Oregon Trail. A completed park, he said, would attract visitors interested in history, water

enthusiasts and others (Topeka Tourism Leaders).

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A common conception on the north side is that the Rescue Mission being where it is (by

Overland Station and NOTO) casts a negative image. According to Hunter though this is a false

conception. “It was initially thought that the Rescue Mission would be the number one problem.

We said why can’t they be our number one friend instead? The Rescue Mission has been a

great partner for NOTO, they let us use their trucks, clean up the area, etc. And, the more

NOTO developed, there has been less concern for people living in vacant buildings.” Regarding

the park, Hunter says the people of the rescue mission can be used to help clean up the park.

He also said that Barry Feaker, Executive Director of the Mission, will be the first one to make

sure people don’t sleep in the park. “Nobody’s cars have ever been damaged or keyed, no

one’s been assaulted, no purses have been snatched, etc. Barry runs a very tight ship there

and it is a complement to our community” said Hunter.

Now regarding development on the south side, this area isn’t as far ahead as the north

side, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plans. According to the city planning document, there is

development of more intense uses. A goal mentioned in the city’s revitalization plan is to

establish high-density office and residential uses along the river, as well as develop warehouse

space and adjacent property overlooking the river and condominiums and office space on the

south bank. If one drives between the Kansas Avenue and Topeka Boulevard Bridge on 1st

street, they may wonder what a lot of those buildings are. “There is a lot of small blue collar on

the south city of the river, some buildings have been purchased, any many are in use; the big

area is the impound lot where they keep cars the city picks up. Working with the Chief of Police

and moving it, you would have an extensive piece of property that you could sell to a private

developer or the city could potentially do something with. Then many of the remaining areas it

would be whether they would remain small industrial shops or how many would be purchased

for further redevelopment” said Hunter. Also, the city’s transit authority sits there as well, and

that is something the city would have to decide if they wanted to move it. Some ask, what about

that tall building on the east side of the Kansas Avenue Bridge that looks to be empty? Hunter

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said a private owner has been holding this for future development, although it remains to be

unseen what may become of that. Nonetheless, progress is finally being made, and hopefully is

the start of things to come.

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Conclusions-My Take

After my research, I have learned that redevelopment is a very complex and evolving

process with so many parties involved, and it doesn’t happen overnight. I also learned I am not

expert and there are people who are way more experienced in these areas of redevelopment,

but I also learned a lot about several different groups and what all they do. I think that there are

some good things going on in Topeka and some things we still need to improve. I think

comparing to other cities is a good approach to see what worked and how that could translate

here.

Challenges and opportunities

Sometimes, it takes a high level overview to make changes or see what needs changed.

The current image of Topeka isn’t exactly bringing people in by the truckloads. Building nice

things to look at are great, but as Vince said, will they come back? The goal of the Kansas

Avenue project is to make the Avenue more pedestrian friendly while at the same time bringing

in more dining, retail and entertainment options. The walkability factor is very important I

believe. Some criticize the fact that we are removing a lane of traffic both way, but I believe

wider sidewalks will be a positive in the long run. The infrastructure work has to be done, but

unfortunately, it is all people see and base their opinions on. Obviously it isn’t what is going to

draw people downtown. The pocket parks, statues of historic Topekans and streetscaping will

look nice, but they also aren’t going to draw and keep people downtown. Now the question

comes what will? As mentioned above, a strong core is essential for many things. This sort of

leads into the chicken or egg argument, what came first? For downtown redevelopment, what

needs to happen first, do people need to live here then events, attractions and retail will come?

Or do you need events, attractions and retail to get people to come? When Topekan residents

were surveyed, the predominant things people wanted were more retail, shopping, dining and

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entertainment. The common complaint with downtown Topeka there is nothing to do, nowhere

to shop, and nowhere to eat (unless you like sandwiches). Back to the argument question of

what needs to happen first, I personally believe you have to have a balanced mix of both. I

believe that in order for anything to be successful downtown and be sustainable, there is going

to have to be an emphasis on getting people living down here. The key word here is

sustainable. Downtown does have concerts on Friday nights during the summers, but I don’t

know anyone who goes. Compare to Kansas City and the Power & Light District, they have

concerts on Thursday nights and they are normally packed with people. I believe this is the

case because there are more young people who live in that area. It certainly helps that there

are plenty of restaurants and bars in the area too. Topeka also has annual events such as Tap

That” a brew festival and the St Patrick’s Day Parade, as well as weekly farmers markets.

Again though, people come then leave. This is not a sustainable model. You have to have a

consistent base of people down here every day and night. Perhaps a new apartment complex

using the downtown opportunity zone credits (if they pass) to business owners or young

professionals out of school to afford housing may be a good starting place. Another common

complaint is well such and such restaurant would do great during the week in downtown, but the

lack of weekend traffic would just kill it. Again, people living downtown would help this issue.

Then, it gets into the argument, how do you get people to commit living downtown when there is

no shopping or retail? Again, with the incentives on housing, this is when quality of life comes

in. Having a revitalized riverfront with abundant recreational opportunities that previously didn’t

exist for Toepkans could be a big stepping stone.

A major issue in my personal opinion is the overall layout of our city. I believe you have

to have a main catalyst or something to draw people to your downtown. The Kansas

Expocentre to me could be that catalyst, as it has many activities throughout the year.

However, its location in relation to downtown is bad. Most downtowns that have recently

undergone redevelopment projects have an entertainment district within walking distance of

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their downtown or river. And, they all have some sort of anchor that acts as a major attraction.

Wichita has Intrust Bank Arean, Des Moines has the Wells Fargo Arena, Springfield MO has a

downtown ballpark, etc. The Expocentre could be much better utilized if it was closer to

downtown. It seems curious why the Expocentre is where it is. I learned that prior to Landon

Arena being built, on the same site was the county fairgrounds and also a dirt race track. When

all of that closed down, rather than purchasing property from anywhere they decided to build the

Expocentre there despite there not being any restaurants surrounding the area because the

county owns the property and it was free. This leads into the problem of city versus county

government. To me, the Expo is underutilized and it would be more serviceable and an asset to

the city to move it or build a new arena downtown. With all of the weekend events they have

there: concerts, high school tournaments, sporting events such as hockey and football,

attractions such as Cider Days, the Boat & Outdoor Show, etc. can you imagine having all of

this traffic come to your business on a weekend downtown? When people from out of town or

state come and stay while they are participating in say a state volleyball tournament or the

Sunflower State Games, where do they go to eat and stay at? Wanamaker. How sad this

reality is. This gets me into the idea of renovating the Expocentre. I understand it needs to be

done, but how realistic would it be to build a whole new complex downtown? I’d be curious to

know the financial analysis (ROI, NPV, etc.) of renovating it versus building a new arena.

Perhaps a new downtown with more restaurants and retail will draw some of these people away

from Wanamaker, but still the idea of walkability is huge and frankly, we just don’t have it here.

Maybe I have no idea what I am talking about, but it just doesn’t seem to work the way it is.

Adding to the walkability, I love the idea of a nice walking trail or boardwalk along the river

between the bridges. However, I would have to drive there, because working at Westar, it

would take me what a good 20 minutes to walk from 8th and Kansas down to the area. Again,

walkability is an issue. However, that doesn’t mean a riverfront can’t work. (Kitsinger).

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There are other things that I came across during my research that seem to be things that

may inhibit future growth unless addressed. Some residents believe that Go Topeka should be

under the city or the county and away from JEDO. The report from Garner on JEDO was

alarming, on the fact that a majority of the community doesn’t trust economic development in

Topeka. Another thing, when talking about the layout of our city, the structure of our city groups

and their roles is a little strange too. One I can’t quite understand is why JEDO doesn’t want Go

Topeka involved in retail. I feel that DTI is really doing all of the grunt work attracting retailers

and I wonder if Go Topeka had their strategy shifted a little bit. I’m not sure if our city leaders

truly understand how important incentives are for downtown revitalization. I know Vince Frye

does and I believe DTI is doing everything they can to improve our downtown, but they need

help. Frye said they visited Fargo North Dakota officials who also are embarking on a

downtown revitalization project, and a leader there said that is it impossible to have a successful

economic development program without a vibrant downtown. With that said however, the public

dollars can only go so far. Eventually, you have to have private investment and some cities

frankly have the luxury of having people with deeper pockets than others. The corporate

partners stepped up with the donations for streetscaping and pocket parks which were definitely

a positive thing, and something in my mind that they should have done a long time ago. Again

though, having a few private investors with deeps pockets goes along way as well.

A big underlying issue that I knew would come up is the idea of separate agendas.

There are so many parties involved in the complex redevelopment process that certain people

want certain things. City Council members may want what is best for their district and not for

the city. And, just when DTI and Heartland Visioning get the councilmembers understanding

and agreeing on the direction, new councilmembers get elected and it halts a lot of the progress

made. “The changeover in local government is a problem, once you get 4 people who know the

process, then next year you get 4 new people. Getting everyone on the same page and to

understand what economic development is and agree on a path to go with is a constant battle”

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said Molly Howey with Go Topeka. Some want a new downtown and others don’t care. Some

would rather focus on improving roads on Wanamaker vs. improving 100 year old pipes under

Kansas Avenue. It’s politics and it is inevitable. It is really amazing to me that people have so

many different viewpoints and not everyone wants what is best for their city. But beyond that

the biggest issue of all are the naysayers and detractors. Instead of griping about your city, why

not work to make it a better place, somewhere you are proud of? Instead of bitching about

there being nothing to do and our downtown being embarrassing, why not help fix the problem

instead of adding to it. John Hunter told me that he believes that sometimes for every negative

comment, you have to have around 100 positive ones to match it and I agree.

Overall though, the biggest challenge in my mind is improving our Image. City leaders

need to understand people have a very negative perception of our city and it will take a huge

effort. Getting back to the book: The Seamless City, the author states: “In a seamless city, when

you go from one part of town to another, you never cross a seam—whether a street, interstate

overpass, or railroad track—and enter a place where you do not want to be, where you feel the

need to reach over and lock your car door; an area with boarded-up buildings, broken windows,

and large tracts of urban blight, with drug dealers on the street corner.” Whether leaders of our

city want to argue this or not, much of it is true, in that we have a major image problem.

Whether the problems are actual or simply perceived, it still needs to change.

Impact of Millennials

The importance of millennials was briefly discussed in the quality of life section. We

know that this group is now the biggest. But how exactly do they play an important role in urban

development? First off, millennials want to be active. Giving them the opportunities to do

recreational activities down by the river could be a major attractant. It is a common assumption

that this generation is more apt to live downtown or in an urban setting. An interesting stat

according to a new study by the Urban Land Institute revealed that only 13 percent of

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millennials live in or near downtowns and 63 percent live in other city neighborhoods or in the

suburbs. However, the common thought for this is only some can afford expensive housing in

central business districts for a variety of reasons, one being many are in large debt from school

and can’t afford to buy a house or expensive place downtown. It doesn’t mean they don’t want

to though. The same study provided research that showed Millennials greatly value walkability,

mixed-use neighborhoods, public transportation, and retail and entertainment options.

Millennials expressed a higher level of dissatisfaction with their communities and local housing

options than did [people in] other demographics. They say that neighborhoods lack convenient

outdoor spaces to run, walk, bike, and exercise. In addition, they believe that both traffic and

crime make it unsafe to walk.” The most telling statistic perhaps however is that more than 60

percent of millennials want to live in areas where they can use their cars less. “Though they are

living wherever they can afford, the report found, millennials “remain steadfast” in their

preference for an urban lifestyle. While 83 percent said they own a car, many said they

preferred walkable communities, different options for getting around and easy access to

shopping and entertainment” (Most Millennials) (The Evolving Preference).

A couple things that have been implemented in Topeka and seem to be things worth

applauding are the Topeka metro bike share program and NOTO district. The bike share

program is a great way to get people active and about. The NOTO Arts District has been a

great success in attracting younger people and improving the cultural amenities that our city

lacks. Also, perhaps knowing that younger people are migrating to this area more will attract

new businesses and restaurants.

The Future: Strategies to work towards

So, combining all of the negative talk with the importance of the millennial generation, it’s

time to move to the future and what look at some strategies will make these projects work in

enhancing the image of Topeka? What do experts say can lead to successful revitalization

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projects? According to John Karras with Urban Scale, he gives a list of 12 strategies that will

transform your downtown. Among them are things like having 2 way streets instead of one way

streets, a regularly occurring public event like a Farmer’s market, creating a playground that is

kid and family friendly and setting up a downtown bike share program. Topeka’s downtown has

implemented all of these, and the playground will sort of be implemented with some of the

pocket parks. Other strategies he mentions that help include better utilizing public land and

making it available for private sector development, opening a downtown satellite campus of a

local university, and adding some sort of streetcar/trolley system (Karras) I am not sure how

realistic this last one would be, yet it could be very beneficial in helping with walkability issues;

people working in downtown could take it to the riverfront on their lunch break, and you could

even run it to the Expocentre area (provided the Expo is renovated and no downtown arena

gets built) from downtown. Other attractions that could be options for the area would be a new

movie theater, perhaps an Aquarium or even consider moving the Kansas Museum of History

downtown? We have 2 movie theaters in Topeka both on the Wanamaker district. Why not

close the old West Ridge 8 and build a new IMAX theater downtown, something that we do not

have anywhere here? Some other important revitalization factors from experts are: Libby Seifel,

President of Siefel Consulting says the key is to creatively leverage public assets and build on

them, whether they are properties, streetscapes, or parcels that might be developable. Some of

them are pocket parks, reclaimed streets with landscaping or outdoor café seating areas linked

to an event space or major public park.” Charles Werhane, CEO of Enterprise Community

Investment says that “to build affordable housing in urban cores, we see a potential future pool

of capital in impact investors—groups that are interested in investments that don’t just have a

financial return, but also a social return. In the past, a lot of that money has gone to medical aid

and environmental projects, particularly international, but we are beginning to see funds that

bring that money into redeveloping urban areas in the U.S.” And Janet Protas, principal, JP

Ventures in Dallas says “it really comes down to innovative ways to get funding and to build

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public/private partnerships”(Revitalization Outlook). All were in agreement too that millennials,

many upscale young professionals are the main demographic to be attracted to urban areas,

but also many people in their 50s and 60s with kids who have moved out are also seeking some

of the same things.

As far as other cities who have embarked on successful, there are plenty of examples.

While the city of Topeka has used the Oklahoma City riverfront as something to compare to, I

have decided to look at other cities around the same size as Topeka, because the Oklahoma

City metro is much larger and not on the same scale in my opinion. One city that is closer to

Topeka’s size is Lakewood, Colorado, a population of around 147,000 people. Lakewood built

a district called Belmar that has turned into being a huge economic engine for the city. Larry

Dorr, finance director for the city says he recalls residents clamoring for a downtown and a fresh

identity, which led to Belmar’s creation. Belmar is a high-density, mixed use development that

has generated $200 million a year in retail sales and contributed more than 2.5 percent of the

city’s total sales tax revenue. The district includes retailers, boutiques, restaurants, cafes,

theaters, offices, luxury condos, artist studios, parks and plazas, and structured parking; all

within 22 city blocks. There are over 80 shops and restaurants open in the development

including anchors Target, Best Buy, Nordstrom Rack, Dick's Sporting Goods, Whole Foods

Market and Century 16 theaters (Briggs). Des Moines Iowa, population of around 208,000

recently initiated a downtown improvement project and revitalization of their river, and they have

seen the benefits (Des Moines). Also, Council Bluffs expected developers to invest $100 million

in building corporate offices, apartments and condos along the Missouri River. What seems to

be sparking this development is the city building an $8 million park, which will be home to

concerts, festivals and community events (Council Bluffs).

A final thing to look at, is what is the return on investment for a large redevelopment

project in a downtown or on a riverfront? Some may have differing viewpoints, but Mitchell

Silver, planner in the city of Raleigh North Carolina is a firm believer that the ROI on the

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downtown area is huge. According to him, the numbers in regards to urban ROI may surprise

some. “People never thought of it that way,” he said. “They thought 'oh we have a Wal-Mart,

great deal, jobs.' But they never look at the financing of how the deal is actually put together or

what's the long-term cost, what is actual return on investment. So now it's a growing movement

in our profession where people are looking more and more at return on investment. “Downtown

just has a better return on investment because the infrastructure is built,” Silver said. “You don't

need the same level of schools and police facilities and community facilities to support that

growth, so when you compare suburban development to downtown development, the ROIs are

not even close in comparison. Downtown just is a better return on investment because the

infrastructure is already in place” (Suarez). Joseph Minicozzi, of Principal of Urban3, LLC is

also a firm believer in downtowns. He utilized the example of Asheville North Carolina and how

they are reaping the benefits of mixed used development projects in their downtown. He stated

that a typical acre of mixed-use downtown brings in around $360,000 more in tax revenue to city

government than an acre of strip malls or big box stores” (see below). Now I don’t know what

West Ridge Mall or the 4 Wal-Marts bring in, but this is definitely an eye opening comparison to

me and I wonder if our city leaders have looked at it like this? (Minicozzi).

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I never understand when people at work tell me, that this project will never do anything

for downtown and it is a waste of money. My opinion is that if I am going to be working

downtown for my career, then I want a place that I am proud of, a place where there are

abundant places to eat, shop, take a leisurely stroll and be proud to call it my downtown.

Topeka residents need to take pride in their city and make it a better place. People need to

understand that revitalization is a process and takes time. That is hard for people to

comprehend, particularly in today’s society and culture filled with social media and instant

gratification; people expect things instantly. Ultimately it is up to the leaders of our community

to the have the vision, the big picture of where they see Topeka 15 years from now. They need

to stay consistent in their efforts and not change plans every couple of years. They need to

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engage the community, which I think that Heartland Visioning is doing a great job at. I believe

the downtown project, as well as construction on the levee system can be momentum starters

that get that ball rolling and get city officials to say, “hey look at what we accomplished, let’s

keep it going.” I tell people at work this project alone isn’t going to bring people downtown, but it

is a start and you have to start somewhere. Momentum in these types of things is really a big

thing in my opinion. We are making progress, they key is to keep it going and combine efforts

to make Topeka a better place, one we are proud to call home.

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