Downtown Revitalization PlanUpdate

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Introduction – The Team

• David Schreiber, PLA | Revitalization Strategy

• Ryan Garcia, AICP | Contextual Analysis Implementation Strategy

• Geoff Dickinson, AICP | Market AnalysisRevitalization Strategy

• YOU!

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Introduction – The Study Area

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Introduction – The Agenda

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Introduction – The Update• Review 2006 plan

recommendations in current context

• Confirm community goals and vision

• Engage stakeholders• Leverage community

investments and assets• Refocus priorities • Identify 5-year action

plan

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2006 Plan – Goals and Objectives

• Primary Goal: Restore Downtown as the centerpiece of the community.

• Objectives:Significantly improve downtown’s image.Provide a variety of destinations to serve the community and to attract visitors.

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2006 Plan – Principles• Plan Principles:

Create a compact, walkable core.

Create distinctive amenities that reflect DeKalb’s unique character.

Create a Downtown that is comfortable, easy to access and easy to circulate within.

Create a Downtown that is sustainable environmentally, socially, economically and culturally.

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2006 Plan – Accomplishments

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2006 Plan – Accomplishments

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2006 Plan – Recommendations (to do)• Expand parking• Re-open Oak to two-way traffic• Screen/buffer railroad tracks• Relocate City Hall• Promote residential development• Foster redevelopment of vacant,

underutilzed sites

QUESTION:In your mind, which of these

recommendations are still valid?

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Downtown – Regional Context• Excellent visibility

and access• Almost all of

downtown’s potential market capture is 5-mile

• Essentially, the same can be said for Sycamore

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Downtown – Local Context• It’s “Everybody’s

Business”• In the midst of

great public open spaces and amenities

• Geographic epicenter of community

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Downtown – How do I get here?• Limited

connectivity to bicycle network

• Periodic transit service

• Lincoln, 1st, 4th are primary gateway corridors – primarily auto-oriented

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Downtown – Parking/Circulation

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Downtown – Destinations/Events• Breakfast with

the Bunny• Farmers Market• Go Red for

Women-Girls Night Out

• Trick-or-Treat Spooktacular

• Hollydays

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Downtown – Open Space

• Small spaces interspersed

• Large space for program currently lacking

• Kishwaukee provides a “greenway” element

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Downtown – Market

• Primary market area within the 1 and 5 mile radius

• DeKalb - more lower income households than neighboring cities

• Highest incomes on the northern side of DeKalb

• Chicago’s western suburbs - generally higher income

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Downtown – Study Area & TIF

• Study Area boundary largely avoids residential uses and considers 2006 Plan

• Downtown is primarily within TIF 1 and is adjacent to additional TIF districts in adjoining neighborhoods

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• Regional accessibility and visibility Highway 38 -- approximately 9,000 average daily trips

First Street -- approximately 7,000 to 15,000 average daily trips

Source: Illinois Department of Transportation, 2011 Average Daily Traffic Counts

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1st S

t

Downtown – Characteristics

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Downtown – Characteristics

• Major Adjacencies

University provides a steady student population and activity driver

The Union Pacific Railroad tracks cut through downtown with approximately 60 freight trains per day

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Downtown – Characteristics

• Key Traffic Generators

Egyptian Theater

Library (averages 1,000 visitors per day)

Van Buer Plaza

Municipal Buildings

Unique Restaurants & Entertainment

Egyptian Theatre

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Downtown – Characteristics

• Urban Form

Buried power lines & improved streetscape

Historic buildings add to the overall appeal and charm

Continuity from 1st – 4th street

A fragmented street wall reduces continuity from 4th – 7th street

Six at-grade rail crossingsContinuity and character from 1st – 3rd street

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Downtown – Tenant Mix• Retail and service uses

predominate• Lincoln Highway - epicenter

of activity & vacancy • Professional/personal

services - 2nd, 3rd and 4th

• Limited entertainment options

• Limited cultural, institutional, and public use options

DeKalbRetail Stores 29%Professional/Financial Services 16%Bars & Restaurants 15%Vacant Storefront/Business 13%Personal/Household Services 11%Auto-Oriented Uses/Services 5%Entertainment/Recreation 3%Cultural/Institutional 2%Food & Liquor Stores 2%Restaurant & Entertainment 3%Offi ce 1%Public 1%Hotel / Bed & Breakfast 0%Total 100%

Source: SB Friedman fieldwork as of January 2013, updated from City of DeKalb Central Business District Listings . Includes ground floor tenant uses only along Lincoln Highway, 1st, 2nd, 3rd , and 4th street

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Downtown – Market Characteristics

Source: ESRI/Infogroup as of June 2011. Infogroup relies on several data sources including: directory listings such as Yellow Pages and business white pages; federal, state, and municipal government data; business magazines; newsletters and newspapers; and information from the US Postal Service. To ensure accurate and complete information, Infogroup conducts annual telephone verifications with each business listed in the database.

Downtown DeKalbYr 2011

Number of Businesses 202

Sales Volume 158,376,000$

Number of Employees 1,623

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Summary - Observations

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Engage – One Word Activity• When you hear “Downtown

DeKalb”, what is the first word that comes to mind to describe it today?

• When you think ideally of Downtown DeKalb 10 years from now, what one word would you to use to describe it?

1word

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Engage - Purpose

• Next exercise – going to breakout

• Purpose is to zero down in specific categories, with the core question being:“How do we get from where we are today to where you want to be tomorrow?”

• Business Mix• New Development• Aesthetics• Transportation• Parking• Events/programming• Public space

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Engage – Break-out Groups• Count-off• Take 5, then return to the

appropriate table• Table captains – scripts at

table• Two Rules:

1) There are no bad/wrong answers2) Everyone contributes

2rules

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Here’s What we’re asking you to do

• Select a table captain• Discuss the questions at

heading of each page• Record responses in

workbook• Where helpful, use maps

to notate issues/opportunities

• At 4:30 – we’ll do group reporting

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Engage - Summary & Priority Voting

• Table Captain reports• We’ll generate some

“theme” posters• “Sticky Dots” – vote for

your priorities

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Business After Hours

• Enjoy!

• Don’t forget to vote!

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Next Steps

• Draft recommendations• Prepare Action Plan

strategy• Review Meeting with

steering committee• Public Open House• Finalize plan

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THANK YOU!!!