Performance Measures

for

The Silver Spring Civic Building and Veterans Plaza

By David Zuckerman

Master of Public Policy Candidate University of Maryland, College Park

Produced for Reemberto Rodriguez Director of Silver Spring Regional Service Center

May 7, 2011

1

  2  

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTIONS PAGE Table of Contents 2 I. The Silver Spring Civic Building and Veterans Plaza 3

A. The Redevelopment Plan 3 B. What Are the Civic Building and Plaza? 7

II. Organization and Management of the Center and Plaza 8 A. The Silver Spring Regional Service Center 9 B. The Community Use of Public Facilities 10 C. Round House Theatre 11 D. Silver Spring Town Center, Inc. 12 E. Other Stakeholders 13 III. Program Theory and Logic Model 14

A. The Program Theory 15 B. Year One Accomplishments 17 IV. The Need For Performance Measures 19

A. Methodology 21 B. Limitations: Cost Restrictions 21

V. Silver Spring Civic Building and Plaza Performance Measures 22 A. Program Outputs – Reasoning and Implementation 23 B. Program Outcomes – Reasoning and Implementation 30 VI. Conclusion: Positioning for the Future 40 FIGURES PAGE Figure 1: Silver Spring Central Business District 6 Figure 2: First Four Steps of the Logic Model 16 Figure 3: Last Four Steps of the Logic Model 20 Figure 4: Output Categories and Performance Measures 24 Figure 5: Project for Public Spaces’ Place Diagram 30 Figure 6: Outcome Categories and Performance Measures 31 Figure 7: Downtown Silver Spring’s Lease Plan (December 3, 2010) 37

  3  

I. The Silver Spring Civic Building and Veterans Plaza

The Silver Spring Civic Building and Veterans Plaza (Civic Building and Plaza)

opened on July 8, 2010 as another successfully completed project in the multi-decade

process to redevelop downtown Silver Spring. However, the Civic Building and Plaza

have a unique role in the successful revitalization of the downtown area, having already

become the center of community activities in Silver Spring. As the milestone one-year

anniversary approaches, this report examines the background of the Civic Building and

Plaza in order to develop performance measures that can evaluate the Civic Building and

Plaza’s effectiveness in accomplishing their mission. These performance measures are

essential to connect the everyday activities and events conducted by multiple

stakeholders to the long-term impacts that the Civic Building and Plaza hope to achieve

within the community.

These recommendations have been proposed within the context of a tight budget

environment in which resources for data collection are limited. However, this fact does

not diminish the importance that this information will have in guiding the operations and

strategy of the Civic Building and Plaza in the future.

A. The Redevelopment Plan

Silver Spring’s prosperity that originated after World War II and continued

through the 1970s began to disappear in the 1980s when the major department stores such

as Sears, J.C. Penny and Hecht left after several decades of residence. The mall that took

over the Hecht site was called City Place but because it could not secure prominent

  4  

anchor retailers, the decline of the area continued through the mid-1990s.2 During this

time efforts began to significantly revitalize the downtown area; County Executive Doug

Duncan convened the Silver Spring Redevelopment Advisory Committee to seek

community input since nearly $400 million was being discussed for this massive

redevelopment.3

Originally, Triple Five Group of Companies (Triple Five) was the unanimous

choice of a 14-member, county executive appointed panel to construct a 1.25 million sq.

ft., enclosed mall in downtown Silver Spring on land that had been public land or had

become public land through eminent domain.4* The Silver Spring community reacted

harshly to this proposal and a new approach to the revitalization of downtown Silver

Spring began; a request for a new developer was issued after Triple Five could no longer

secure financing for the project and Folger Pratt was then brought in.† This new approach

involved creating sector plans in which Folger Pratt worked with the community to

incorporate their voice.5

Initially, the Silver Spring community strongly sought to preserve the old Silver

Spring Armory, which had been constructed in 1927, because of its historical significance

and its importance as one of downtown Silver Spring’s main community spaces.6‡

However, the developers believed that the space where the Armory stood was vital to the

overall redevelopment project. Although nearly thirty civic organizations provided

community input that the Armory should be protected, the Armory was not included in

the final plan. In its place, the sector plan proposed the Civic Building and Veterans                                                                                                                * Triple Five Group of Companies was minority partner in Mall of America and lead developer in what was then the world’s largest mall in West Edmonton, Alberta. † Folger Pratt is a prominent construction, development, and management organization in the Washington, D.C. region. ‡ The site of the Silver Spring Armory is now the Wayne Avenue Parking Garage.

  5  

Plaza. However, despite this departure from what the community had advocated for,

within a very short period of time, a large majority of the community and veterans

supported this compromise. Many felt that it would adequately replace the lost public

space and pay homage to local Veterans, who had an important connection to the

Armory, while not prohibiting the redevelopment project.78

The result was that at the beginning of the 21st century, nearly $1 billion in public

and private funds were injected into the downtown area with a strong focus on arts and

entertainment. The American Film Institute rejuvenated the old Silver Theater and

Discovery Communications (home to the Discovery Channel) opened its new

headquarters. New restaurants, Whole Foods and an open-air mall “anchored” by a 20-

screen megaplex Regal Cinema and a Borders Books and Music soon followed.

Intermixed in all this development were several fine dining and retail establishments.

Finally, just last year in 2010, the Silver Spring Civic Building and Veterans Plaza

opened its doors and the Fillmore-style music hall is expected to follow suit this year in

the historic J.C Penney building.9

By June 2010, Montgomery County had invested approximately $188 million into

the redevelopment of downtown Silver Spring and an additional $262 million in other

public investment, such as the District Courthouse, Montgomery College, Fire Station,

Housing, and Streetscape, etc. From private investment, there has more than $1.2 billion

financing 29 real-estate projects, including 2,550 units of housing, 336,000 sq. ft. of

offices, and over 600,000 sq. ft. of retail. The redevelopment plan also contains future

projects, including more than 3,500 units of housing and 3 proposed offices projects.10

  6  

Figure 1: Downtown Silver Spring is bordered by 16th Street and Eastern Avenue to the west, Spring Street and Cedar Street to the north, Grove and Fenton Streets to the east, and Jessup Blair Park to the south. The Civic Building and Plaza are both labeled 37 and marked in green and blue at the intersection of Veterans Place and Ellsworth Drive.

  7  

B. What Are the Civic Building and Plaza?

The Veterans Plaza’s primary use is as a large public open space that can be

programmed for festivals and concerts. Examples of this include the annual Silver Spring

Jazz Festival, which is held under the portico at the front of the Civic Building, and the

pavilion on the plaza where the Silver Spring Swings summer concert series is

held.11 During the winter, the pavilion area is for a seasonal ice skating rink. In addition,

the Plaza is open to the community for daily use and smaller events that may occur on a

regular basis, such as the new “Plaza Evenings” and the Fenton Street Market on

Saturday mornings.12

The name carries on the legacy from the old Armory that was torn down to allow

for the current redevelopment. However, the name has another meaning too, helping to

contribute to the sense of space by representing how the community has strived to make

the plaza a “dignified place to gather, a place to honor our veterans, and a place for civic

discourse.”13 As such, Veterans Plaza will include a memorial commemorating the

service of veterans of Silver Spring and Montgomery County. 14§

The other component of this public space is the Silver Spring Civic Building,

which has emerged as one of main centers of community activities in Silver Spring.

Private businesses, community organizations, local residents or County officials can rent

the different rooms in the building through Community Use of Public Facilities, which

sets the rates. The largest space is the Great Hall, which can hold a maximum of 725

people and be subdivided into multiple spaces and can be rented for banquets,

                                                                                                               § The memorial will be a free-standing sketched glass art piece by Toby Mendez, a Frederick County artist who created the Thurgood Marshall Memorial at the State Capitol.

  8  

performances and other meetings and presentations. Additionally, there are five other

community use rooms and a gallery space that houses both local art or small museum

exhibits. There is also a warming kitchen and indoor Courtyard. Other amenities include

free wireless Internet access and “state of the art” multi-media capability.15

Although most of the space needs to be rented in order be used, the public does

have access to the building itself when it is open and the atrium area when it is not rented.

In these spaces there are couches and chairs that can be used by the community.

Additionally, located on the upper floor of the Civic Building is the Silver Spring

Regional Center, while Round House Theatre has administrative offices and a practice

space on the lower level of the Civic Building.16

II. Organization and Management of the Center and Plaza

Although the Civic Building and Plaza are considered County Facilities, operation

and management of the entities are diffused among a variety of stakeholders. As such,

the County has taken a “collaborative, cross agency approach” that includes the Silver

Spring Regional Service Center, the Community Use of Public Facility, the Department

of General Services, and the Department of Police.17 At the same time, community

entities also have a principal role in managing and programming the space. For instance,

Round House Theatre is housed in the lower level of the Civic Building, and Silver

Spring Town Center, Inc. is striving to take a more active role in programming events for

the space. Therefore, in order to better understand the Civic Building and Plaza, it is

imperative to understand the important players who activate the Civic Building and Plaza

through a variety of activities.

  9  

A. The Silver Spring Regional Service Center

One of five regional service centers located throughout Montgomery County, the

Silver Spring Regional Service Center (Regional Center) was originally formed in 1975

as the Silver Spring Government Center. Since many large urban areas within

Montgomery County are unincorporated, the County Council created these regional

service centers because they “ascertained that coordination of community needs with

government services in Silver Spring could best be accomplished through this

expansion.”18 Housed within the original Regional Center in a high-rise office building

several blocks away from today’s Civic Building and Plaza was a multitude of

government services, including the Housing Opportunities Commission, Office of

Landlord Tenant Affairs, Recreation Department of Motor Vehicles hearing Examiner,

Print Shop, and the Administrative Office.19

Today, the Administrative Office, which represents the County Executive's Office

in Silver Spring, is all that is located in the current Civic Building, as the role of the

Regional Center has evolved over the years. Its principal mission today is to help

connect individuals in Silver Spring to Montgomery County government through

“effective and timely liaison.” The staff works with residents, community groups,

businesses, regional Citizens Advisory Boards, and other public agencies to identify,

assess and help find solutions to regional problems or issues by catalyzing “cooperative

efforts, including public private partnerships.”20

Changes to the regional service centers are ongoing, especially in the current

tough fiscal environment in Montgomery County; the most recent budget makes

significant changes to the current structure. As part of a significant reorganization, “the

  10  

Office of Community Engagement will be created in FY2012 by consolidating the

staffing of the five Regional Service Centers, the Office of Community Partnerships…,

the Gilchrist Center…,the office of Human Rights, and the Commission for Women.”21

The goal of this reorganization is to produce savings for the County and create a more

“effective model for engaging the community.”22 Overall the budget for the five regional

service centers has declined from 29.6 work years in FY2009 to a proposed 7.1 work

years in FY2012.2324**

At the same time that the Regional Center is facing this restructuring, it is the

primary County entity “intentionally activating” the Plaza.25 In order to manage this

responsibility since the resources do not exist to provide programming all of the time, the

Regional Center is taking a two-prong approach that includes “(a) instituting a ‘Plaza

Evening Series;’ and, (b) bringing the Fenton Street Market to the Plaza every Saturday.”

Both of these approaches are low-to-no cost activities that will allow the Regional Center

to successfully engage the community.26

B. The Community Use of Public Facilities

The Community Use of Public Facilities (CUPF) “provides a centralized point of

entry for community use” of public schools, libraries, athletic fields, regional service

centers and other county facilities.27 With one of its three offices in the Civic Building,

CUPF is the scheduler of all rental space events that occur in the Center or on the Plaza

on a first come, first serve basis. It makes no judgment regarding the type of the event;

for example, a non-profit or county event would not receive preference over a private

                                                                                                               ** One work year equals the amount of work done by one full time staff person. It could also represent that amount of work done by multiple part time staff members.

  11  

affair if it had already been scheduled.††

Furthermore, since CUPF receives no monies from the County General Fund,

“user fees are its sole source of funding for the operating budget.”28 Prices for the

different spaces are annually reviewed and differ based on the type of organization using

the space. “Commercial & Out-of-County” rates are the highest, whereas

“Community Service” rates are the lowest. “Personal & Small Enterprise” are only

slightly more than “Community Service.” These rates created controversy when the Civic

Building and Plaza first opened, which still exists to some extent, as many community

members believed that the prices were too steep and would price out many of the

community organizations that hoped to use the space. However, CUPF’s role is to

maximize revenue intake for the Center and Plaza through space rentals and decisions to

approve the rates came after an “in-depth analysis of what comparable county buildings

are charging.”29

C. Round House Theatre

Round House Theatre (Round House) is the third primary entity housed within in

the Civic Building. Originally called Street ’70, as a program of Montgomery County’s

Department of Recreation, Round House separated and became a formal non-profit in

1993. At that point, it became an independent professional theatre company with

productions at a 200-seat theatre in Silver Spring. In 2002, Round House opened a 400-

seat theatre in Bethesda and, the following year, it opened a 150-seat black box theatre in

                                                                                                               ††There is; however, a rank priority order for forms received simultaneously based on type of organization and place of residency (CUPF, Policy and Procedures).

  12  

downtown Silver Spring. Finally, in 2004, Round House’s new education center opened

in Silver Spring, also.30

Although Round House receives “major support” from Montgomery County, the

Maryland State Arts Council (an agency funded by the State of Maryland and the

National Endowment for the Arts), and the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery

County, the theater is independent from the County, and as such, its status within the

building has not occurred without criticism from the community.31 When County

Executive Doug Duncan was handling the redevelopment, Round House was promised

free space in the new Civic Building because the “county needed a reliable tenant to

occupy the building's basement.”32 The County has leased two rehearsal spaces and

several offices to the theatre company free of charge, in addition to its other locations in

Montgomery County in which it does not pay rent.‡‡ In return, the theatre would provide

a cultural anchor for the new building by providing “arts and entertainment services to a

redeveloping Silver Spring.”33

D. Silver Spring Town Center, Inc.

Although there are many community organizations actively working to engage the

Civic Building and Veterans Plaza as part of their larger goals, Silver Spring Town

Center, Inc.’s (SSTCI) primary mission is to activate the Civic Building and Plaza area

and to create a “community gathering place that enriches the lives of residents of the

Greater Silver Spring area” through encouraging and supporting local arts, fostering civic

engagement opportunities, and marketing and promoting programs and services that are                                                                                                                ‡‡ After outcry from upset community members to both the County and theatre company, Round House gave up its plaza-level rehearsal space in order to appease residents by increasing the amount of space available to the community (Der Bedrosian, Jul 21, 2010).

  13  

happening.3435 At the same time that Round House relinquished the additional practice

space, there were many questions regarding what would happen to that area. Certain

community members voiced that this space should be turned over to SSTCI so that it

could host community programs, and actually achieve a space that would be “dedicated

to the community at a very low-bar rate.”36 Although that space was eventually

reincorporated into rental space and not allocated to SSTCI, they are still working to

create an arrangement that would allow them to better achieve their mission of activating

the Civic Building and Plaza.

E. Other Stakeholders

There are many other stakeholders that have important roles in helping activate

this public space. The Silver Spring Citizen Advisory Board (CAB) and its many

subcommittees use the space on routine basis. CAB represents residents living in eleven

square miles in North Silver Spring, West Silver Spring, East Silver Spring, Four

Corners, Takoma Park and the Central Business District. Appointed by the County

Executive and confirmed by the County Council, the 18-member board serves as a link

between the community and the County, helping to identify neighborhood and business

concerns and making recommendations to county officials. Additionally, it provides

advice to the Regional Center’s director “on area needs and priorities” such as economic

development, transportation, housing, education, human services and downtown

redevelopment.37

Additionally, the Department of General Services is responsible for maintaining

the premises, providing a clean, working environment for those entities housed in the

  14  

Civic Building and those community members and organizations that are utilizing both

the space inside the Civic Building and outside on the Plaza.38 Funded through a variety

of methods, including an Urban District Tax, Parking Lot District fees collected by the

County, maintenance charges on optional method developments, transfers from the

General Fund, and other miscellaneous revenue such as contributions and charges for

services, the Silver Spring Urban District also works to maintain a “clean, safe and

attractive manner” in the downtown Silver Spring area.3940 Its services include security,

streetscape maintenance, tree maintenance, sidewalk repairs, marketing, and promotions

and events.41 Although more of its focus is the commercial district (Downtown Silver

Spring), its operations extend to the Plaza. Furthermore, the Montgomery County

Department of Police also provides security for the Plaza and surrounding area, and has

at times, provided overtime officers specifically for this purpose.

There are also other community actors that work to engage the space, including

the many non-profits in Silver Spring, private businesses, other County activities, and

community residents. All of these groups contribute to the long-term impacts that the

Civic Building and Plaza will have on the Greater Silver Spring community.

III. Program Theory and Logic Model

“Logic models are written or graphic representations that describe how a program

or policy is expected to bring about the desired immediate outcomes and longer-term

impacts, that is, they articulate the links between program activities and what they are

expected to achieve” through a “preestablished format.”42 The performance measures this

report proposes are derived from the outputs and outcomes that are part of this model. It

  15  

is therefore useful to understand some of the earlier steps in this model in order to

understand how these outputs and outcomes were developed.

A. The Silver Spring Civic Building and Veterans Plaza’s Program Theory

In order to move forward with the redevelopment of downtown Silver Spring, the

old Armory needed to be torn down. The Armory had been the center for gathering and

community activities, and Silver Spring residents demanded a new public space to

replace what would be loss. The Civic Building and Plaza served as the compromise;

although many residents thought it be one of the first projects to be constructed during

the redevelopment, it took nearly a decade.

Following in the footsteps of Armory before it, the Civic Building and Plaza’s

mission is multi-layered because it is drawn from the many stakeholders – explored in the

previous section - that are responsible for managing and operating the space. From these

different groups’ activities and their stated goals, the program theory for the Civic

Building and Plaza is developed. If the Civic Building and Plaza can be effectively

activated by a variety of stakeholders including the county and the community, then the

Civic Building and Plaza can improve community cohesion through community

engagement, act as a catalyst for local economic development, and be a sustainable

revenue generator.

  16  

Figure 2: First Four Steps of the Logic Model for the

Silver Spring Civic Building and Veterans Plaza

Problem

Identification

How to effectively replace the Armory as the community’s center while sparking economic development as part of the overall redevelopment of downtown Silver Spring.

Program Theory

If the Civic Building and Plaza can be effectively activated by a variety of stakeholders including the County and the community, then the Civic Building and Plaza can improve community cohesion through community engagement, act as a catalyst for local economic development, and be a sustainable revenue generator.

Program Design

Through a collaborative, cross agency approach that includes the Silver Spring Regional Service Center, the Community Use of Public Facility, the Department of General Services, and the Department of Police, the county will manage the Civic Building and Plaza, while partnering with community groups, such as Silver Spring Town Center, Inc, and Round House Theatre, to develop ownership over the space.

Inputs

County Inputs Direct inputs include:

• Civic Building and Veterans Plaza • County funding • Staff from Silver Spring Regional Service Center, Community Use of Public Facilities,

Department of General Services, Department of Police, and Round House Theatre. • Rentable spaces, free wireless internet, a warming kitchen and public space

Indirect inputs include:

• Silver Spring’s downtown commercial district • Access to public transportation (both metro and buses)

Community Inputs Direct inputs include:

• Volunteers at programmed events and at the front desk • Volunteers for the various Advisory Boards • Non-profit and business resources for various events and programming

  17  

B. Year One Accomplishments

As the Civic Building and Plaza approach their one-year anniversary, recent

activities by the community and County stakeholders help demonstrate elements of the

program theory. The Civic Building continues to be rented for private activities at a

“brisk pace”, helping the facility meet its revenue projection. Additionally, the facility is

also being used extensively by County agencies and committees, including code

enforcement public hearings, advisory board meetings, town halls with elected officials,

etc. Furthermore, there are an increasing number of “public, community engagement

activities that provide opportunities for community members to connected;” in March

2011 alone, some of these included: a local church public event on the Plaza; IMPACT

Silver Spring's awards program; a highly successful youth job fair (41 employees and

nearly 1,000 youth attending); and, a Vietnam Veterans Welcome Home event.43

Also unveiled was the new Arts & Humanities exhibit at the Betty Mae Cramer

Gallery, "Between Fences" and some of the public affairs programming highlights for

April 2011 include: Gilchrest Center's movie night; youth Freedom School; Muslim

Women in the Arts; a housing forum (hosted by DHCR); an urban planning conference

(hosted by the University of Maryland and the Planning Department); and the season start

of the Fenton Street Market at Veterans Plaza on Saturday mornings.44 An Economic

Impact Report conducted in June 2010 reported that market traffic as a result of the

Fenton Street Market helped generate an additional $338,600 in revenue for businesses in

the vicinity.45

For May 2011, two public official events have just been finalized - one with

Congresswoman Donna Edwards, and the other with Congressman Chris Van Hollen. In

  18  

addition, the Regional Service Center is experimenting with "no cost, community driven

Plaza Evenings" for Sunday through Thursday nights. According to Director Reemberto

Rodriguez,

“The purpose of these small, organic, self-started gatherings is to intentionally establish Veterans Plaza as welcoming of all community members not only as a 'special events' place, but a true public square where people come by chance and by choice. While the Plaza (and downtown Silver Spring in general) has become 'the place to be' for the younger generation - particularly on Friday and Saturday nights - it is critically important we establish this public space as family friendly for all community members. It is towards this end that we are experimenting with these "Plaza Evenings".46

The line-up consists of Sunday Drum Circles; Monday Conversations, Tuesday Exercise,

Wednesday Games, and Thursday Performances. In order to be successful, these events

require both community buy-in and community initiative.47

Additionally, potential staff changes for FY12, most likely related to budget cuts,

have prompted County staff to transition the Civic Building’s Welcome Desk to 100

percent volunteer-operated more quickly than anticipated. Additionally, staff are

providing advanced training for volunteers and increasing their recruitment efforts in

nearby senior communities. Customer Satisfaction Surveys will hopefully provide some

valuable information regarding where improvements are needed as well as information

for marketing purposes; “the data clearly indicates by far that [the Civic Building and

Plaza’s primary referral source is from word of mouth.” The most common criticisms

relate to staff shortages.48

All of these activities are in line with the inputs and activities highlighted in the

logic model above. Many of them are working towards the long-term vision that the

program theory hopes to realize. As Rodriguez further explains,

  19  

“Indeed, as we close 'year one' of operations, we feel increasingly comfortable that we have established this facility as a well run, marketable, fiscally responsible, and community serving facility. The strategic direction for 'year two' will be to position this facility as a 'community engagement hub', intentionally connecting programmed events and organic 'happenings' to our traditional and non-traditional civic infrastructure. Practically, this means simple things like sharing marketing efforts among event sponsors; capitalizing on the growing list of renters for promotional purposes and civic engagement opportunities; and, engaging participants of public affairs programming more intentionally with information about what else is going on in the facility and Silver Spring in general. At the same time, we will focus more on the economic impact of the facility. It is critically important that this facility realizes its full potential as a spark for economic activity in downtown Silver Spring. This means being more proactive in ensuring people coming to the facility know of the wonderful culinary, art, entertainment, and other opportunities within easy walking distance of the facility.”49

IV. The Need For Performance Measures

During this first year of operations, the focus has been on introducing the Civic

Building and Plaza to the wider community. Housed within this building, the Regional

Center has worked hard to activate the space so that it can help build community while

beginning to generate economic development in downtown Silver Spring. Helping to

connect the activities performed on a daily basis by the employees of the Regional Center

and other community and County stakeholders and the long-term vision is necessary to

ensure that these activities are the right ones to realize the long-term goals of the Civic

Building and Plaza. The part of logic model illustrated below shows how performance

measures fill this gap; between the daily activities and the distal impacts are outputs and

outcomes that are vital steps in ensuring that the Civic Building and Plaza are successful

in accomplishing their mission and realizing the program theory.

  20  

Figure 3: Last Four Steps of the Logic Model for the

Silver Spring Civic Building and Veterans Plaza

Activities Silver Spring Regional Service Center • Anticipate, identify, and assess community problems and needs and suggest solutions to

County departments and offices • Act as liaison between community and County Executive • Provide information and connect services and programs offered by departments and offices

to community needs. • To fill service gaps, and where possible, facilitate partnership between

departments/communities/businesses. • Create an effective model for community engagement

Community Use of Public Facilities • Schedule rental space on first come first serve basis • Generate revenue through rentals

Round House Theatre • Provide arts and entertainment services to the Greater Silver Spring community • Act a reliable tenant to cultural anchor the new Civic Building • Contribute it services to help a redeveloping downtown Silver Spring

Silver Spring Town Center, Inc. • Activate the Civic Building and Plaza area • Create a community gathering place that enriches the lives of residents of the Greater

Silver Spring area • Encourage and support local arts, foster civic engagement opportunities and market and

promote programs and services that are happening Silver Spring Citizen Advisory Committee and Subcommittees

• Link community and County by helping identify neighborhood and business concerns • Provide advice to Silver Spring Regional Services Center “on area needs and priorities”

such as economic development, transportation, housing, education, human services, and downtown redevelopment

Department of General Services • Maintain the premises, providing a clean working environment

Silver Spring Urban District • Maintain a clean, safe and attractive manner in the downtown Silver Spring area through

security, streetscape maintenance, tree maintenance, sidewalk repairs, marketing and promotions and events

Department of Police • Provide security for the Plaza and surrounding area

Other Community Residents, Private Businesses and Non-Profit Organizations • Activate the Civic Building and Plaza through rentals and programming

Outputs Outputs include: • Operations and Management • Financial Operations • Community Involvement

Immediate/ Mid-range Outcomes

Outcomes include: • Improved “Access and Linkages” • Improved “Comfort and Image” • Improved “Uses and Activities” • Improved “Sociability”

Distal Impacts

Distal impacts include: • A self-sustaining Civic Building and Plaza through revenue generation • A Silver Spring with greater community cohesion and standard of living • A vibrant, thriving downtown Silver Spring and commercial district • Individuals and businesses viewing the Center as public, community asset

  21  

A. Methodology

Research for this project consisted of three months working as an intern at the

Civic Building for the Regional Center. During this time, interviews with community

members, literature review, and the time spent observing those working in the Civic

Building provided the foundation for the proposed performance measures in this report.

Many of the community members interviewed are involved or part of the County or

community stakeholders that provide the activities for the Civic Building and Plaza. The

literature review focused on work by planners, academics, and non-profits in their efforts

to create successful public spaces. Finally, the time spent in the Civic Building and Plaza

contributed to understanding how the spaces are being used on a daily basis.

B. Limitations: Cost Restrictions

The primary limitation to collecting this data is the cost associated with it. In an

environment, of “shrinking government” and overall consolidation and redeployment of

resources, data collection that involves the spending of additional resources is difficult to

justify. Other times it is simply not possible because the resources simply are not

available. This report recognizes these limitations to data collection when proposing the

following performance measures. Even though cost does restrict some of the measures

that can be proposed, the outputs and outcomes provided in this report help those

working towards realizing the Civic Building and Plaza’s mission begin to connect the

daily activities to the long-term goals they hope to achieve.

  22  

V. Silver Spring Civic Building and Plaza Performance Measures

Performance measures are divided into two categories – outputs and outcomes.

Outputs refer to what is directly produced from the program’s activities. In this case,

outputs were created to measure different elements that were accomplished based on the

different groups who sought to activate the plaza. Additionally, the outputs should relate

to the program theory and help connect the activities to the outcomes.

Outcomes are the immediate changes that occur as a result of the program’s

activities, and the outputs that those activities produced. In this report, outcomes will

refer to both immediate and mid-range changes. Mid-range changes are sometimes called

proximal impacts as they require more time before they can be observed. If the desired

changes do not appear then the program theory or design should be reevaluated, as it is

unlikely that the long-term impacts will happen.

Outcomes also require a counterfactual – a comparison to what would have

occurred if the Civic Building and Plaza did not exist. During the research stage of this

report, the author encountered questions about the purpose of performance measures

because it seemed to some individuals that the impacts of the Civic Building and Plaza

were not disputed. This author believes that the research shows that impacts in downtown

Silver Spring and the Greater Silver Spring area would be different had the Civic

Building and Plaza not been built; however, it is these outcome indicators that will help

demonstrate these changes over time through an empirical process. With some of these

indicators it is not possible to compare them to the situation before the Civic Building

and Plaza were created; in these cases, the counterfactual will often be represented by

  23  

different time periods. For instance, comparing data collected from year two to year one,

in order to better evaluate the overall success or failure of specific strategies used to

activate the Civic Building and Plaza.

The data for output and outcome measures should be collected separately for the

Civic Building and Plaza because they are separate entities with specific nuances and

characteristics. However, they are both part of a larger program theory that hopes to

achieve specific long-term impacts. So while the data collection method for the Civic

Building and Plaza may vary for each indicator, the performance measures themselves

are the same for the Civic Building and Plaza. If the data collection method differs

between the Civic Building and Plaza for a specific measure, then it will be noted under

that measure in the following section.

A. Program Outputs – Reasoning and Implementation

In following the logic model outlined earlier, the outputs in this section will be

divided into three categories – operations and management, financial operations, and

community involvement. Each of these categories is an essential output from the

activities done by the different stakeholders who activate the Civic Building and Plaza.

  24  

Figure 4: Recommended Output Categories and

Specific Performance Measures

Operations and Management

The following indicators reflect the outputs from activities relating to the

operations and management of the Civic Building and Plaza.

Percentage of total hours rented

This output measure captures a variety of relevant information – most

importantly, the level of demand for this space in the community at the current price.

There are lot of variables that affect this number including rental prices, knowledge about

OUTPUT PERFORMANCE MEASURES

Operations and Management

• Percentage of total hours rented

• Number of hours of security provided

• Number of hours of maintenance completed

Financial Operations

• Ratio of building revenue to operational costs

• Revenue generated as a percentage of maximum

possible

• Percentage of totals hours rented that are non-

revenue generating hours

Community Involvement

• Number of activities organized

• Number of volunteers

• Average hours per volunteer

  25  

the space, and overall general interest to use either the Civic Building or Plaza. Since

both the Civic Building and Plaza are evaluated separately, this indicator provides useful

data about how the two spaces compare. Both the Civic Building and Plaza have unique

qualities that attract different uses but, overall, the goals for the both spaces are the same.

Therefore, if there was a significant difference between the two in terms of percentage of

total hours rented, those assessing the data can look to the factors mentioned above to

understand why this may be happening and how to change specific activities or

restrictions in order to better achieve the desired goal.

Number of hours of security provided

Security obligations are divided among a variety of stakeholders. With regard to

the Civic Building, it refers to the amount of hours provided by the security guard. When

referencing the Plaza, security hours by both the Urban District and Montgomery County

Police Department are important to count. The security services provided by these three

different groups are instrumental to the operation and management of the Civic Building

and Plaza; therefore, the total number of hours should be considered, especially as

resources for these services are cut or expanded.

Number of hours of maintenance completed

Similarly to the number of hours of security provided indicator, this measure is

useful in illustrating the amount of time and resources needed to create a Civic Building

and Plaza that are marketable and desirable to the community. If these services are

  26  

overlooked or underfunded, this indicator will help capture whether a decline in use can

be attributed to the decrease in this output.

Financial Operations

The following indicators reflect the outputs from activities relating to the financial

operations of the Civic Building and Plaza.

Ratio of building revenue to operational costs

One of the primary goals of the Civic Building and Plaza is to at least generate

sufficient revenue to cover their costs. A ratio that compares building revenue to

operational costs would provide a useful, concise measure that captures this fundamental

obligation. It will provide essential information regarding the effectiveness of the current

strategy to activate the Civic Building and Plaza and whether it should be reevaluated.

Revenue generated as a percentage of maximum possible

The indicator for ratio of building revenue to operational costs helps provide

information regarding the ability for the Civic Building and Plaza to cover costs; this

indicator helps characterize the potential that the Civic Building and Plaza have to

generate additional revenue. Together these indicators work together to create a more

robust picture. For instance, if the previous indicator demonstrates that revenue exceeds

costs and this indicator demonstrates additional revenue generation capacity, then this

data may influence a strategy that involves lowering costs so that the community can

better access the facility. However, if the alternative is recorded, then a different strategy

  27  

has to be developed that increases prices because covering costs through additional

rentals would not be possible in this scenario.

Percentage of totals hours rented that are non-revenue generating hours

Since one of the primary goals of the Civic Building is that it generates sufficient

revenue, it is important to capture to what extent revenue is not be collected because of

rentals by public officials or committees. For instance, the percentage of total hours

rented indicator may show that the Civic Building and Plaza are at close to 100 percent

capacity. However, if the revenue generated as a percentage of maximum possible shows

that only 50 percent of the maximum possible revenue is being collected, this measure

would explain the difference because the loss of revenue is a result of distribution of

space within the building to those who do not pay for the space, such as public officials,

advisory committees, or non-profit entities that have free access to the space. This

measure helps provide context for the difficult question over how to balance revenue

generation and community and County access to the space.

Community Involvement

The following indicators reflect the outputs from activities relating to community

involvement aspects of the Civic Building and Plaza.

Number of programmed events organized

One of the easiest and most informative measures about how the space is being

used is the number of programmed events that are organized. This indicator should be the

cumulative sum of all of the events programmed in either the Civic Building or Plaza by

  28  

all of the various entities responsible for activating the space; this includes both County

and community groups. It is a useful measure of the diverse interest in the space,

specifically if this data was collected while noting who was conducting the specific

activity. For instance, community organizations such as Silver Spring Town Center, Inc.

or Round House Theatre might each activate the various spaces with a certain number of

programmed events. However, their use of the space has different implications than if ten

different community organizations each utilized either the Civic Building or Plaza for one

programmed event. This indicator provides information regarding how extensive the list

of stakeholders is that activate the Civic Building or Plaza and the depth of their

involvement.

Number of volunteers

The Silver Spring community is an important stakeholder in activating the Civic

Building and Plaza. Steps are already being taken to transition the Civic Building’s front

desk to being staffed by 100 percent volunteers. Noting how many volunteers are being

recruited is an important output in demonstrating community input apart from the

activities generated by community organizations that hold events in the Civic Building or

on the Plaza. Additionally, as certain stakeholders seek to activate the Civic Building or

Plaza through low- to no-cost methods, volunteers become more essential to the success

of these initiatives, while also providing a tangible demonstration of community “buy-

in.”

  29  

Average hours per volunteer

This indicator helps provide additional context to the previous one listed. While

the number of volunteers describes the quantity, the average hours per volunteer strives to

describe the quality of their involvement. For instance, information that only states that

there are ten volunteers or information that states that volunteers on average commit four

hours each week does not provide a lot of useful data. However, together, information

that says there are ten volunteers who commit on average four hours a week would

provide valuable information if the alternative was twenty volunteers who could only

commit one hour each week. Together these two indicators provide helpful information

regarding the community’s direct output at the Civic Building and Plaza.

B. Program Outcomes – Reasoning and Implementation

The outcome indicators recommended below are presented within the context of

low- to no-cost measures of the immediate to mid-range impact the Civic Building and

Plaza are having on the Silver Spring community. They are crafted with the goal of

aiding those from the County and community that are activating the Civic Building and

Plaza to better guide its operation and ability to achieve its long-term impacts. Many of

these indicators capture “snapshots” in time; in order to capture and measure the actual

outcome, it is important to focus on the change in these indicators over a period of time.

Choosing the Categories

Improvements in four outcome categories are the best way to evaluate the Civic

Building and Plaza: “Access and Linkages”; “Comfort and Image”; “Uses and

  30  

Activities”, and “Sociability.”50 Within each of these outcome categories, this report

proposes specific performance measures the help illustrate the change that has resulted

from these spaces.

Figure 5: “The Place Diagram is one of the tools PPS has developed to help communities evaluate places. The inner ring represents key attributes, the middle ring intangible qualities, and the outer ring measurable data.”51

These four outcome categories were specifically chosen from research conducted

from the Project for Public Spaces (PPS), a nonprofit planning, design and educational

organization that strives to help people create and sustain public spaces that build

stronger communities. Since their inception in 1975, PPS has completed projects in over

2500 communities throughout 40 countries and in every U.S. state.52 In addition, they

train more than 10,000 people each year in how to create more successful public spaces.

Using a variety of techniques including time-lapse filming, systematic observation,

surveys, and town meetings, their research has shown that these four qualities describe

successful public spaces; “every great public space has access and linkages, comfort and

image, uses and activities, and sociability.53

  31  

Figure 6: Recommended Outcome Categories and

Specific Performance Measures

OUTCOMES PERFORMANCE MEASURES

Improved Access and Linkages

• Ratio of unique customers to repeat customers

• Amount of traffic through the Civic

Building/Plaza

• Change in number of people who ask for

information at the Welcome Desk

Improved Comfort and Image

• Change in the number of security incidences

• Ratio of number of security incidences during

programmed activities versus non-programmed

activities

Improved Uses and Activities

• Percentage of rentals that use services from

local businesses

• Ratio of changes in sales growth for business

immediate around Civic Building and Plaza

compared to others in downtown Silver Spring

Improved Sociability

• Changes in distribution of types of

individuals/groups who rent the rooms (e.g.

non-profits, private business, public officials)

• Changes in distribution of demographics who

rent the rooms (e.g. age, race, gender)

  32  

Improved Access and Linkages

Ratio of unique customers to repeat customers

This outcome indicator explains important information about who in the

community is using the Civic Building and Plaza. It aims to capture the ratio of new

customers to repeated users in a period of time. By collecting this information, a more

accurate picture of whether a select portion of the community are the only ones using the

space or whether access is spread throughout the Greater Silver Spring area.

Since data collected by customer satisfaction surveys demonstrated that

knowledge of the Civic Building and Plaza is overwhelming spread by word of mouth, it

is probable that those currently using the space are still a small portion of the Greater

Silver Spring population. This likelihood has been strongly confirmed by anecdotal

questioning of residents who live in Silver Spring but who have little to no knowledge

about the Civic Building or Plaza. Over time this indicator can help provide support for

or against advertising and other outreach efforts based on the information it provides.

Data collection of this information is relatively simple. An additional question can

be added to CUPF’s rental applications, asking whether that individual or organization is

a first time user or a return customer.

Amount of traffic through the Civic Building/Plaza

Counting foot traffic through the Civic Building and Plaza is essential to

understanding whether the community is utilizing the space and whether the spaces are

successful. Central to the mission of the Civic Building and Plaza is community usage

and activity. This indicator provides information that helps inform about how many

  33  

people are showing up during certain periods of day and during certain events. It can

provide information regarding whether programmed events are always necessary to draw

people during a given time. This data is vital to the success of the space as “public.”

Unlike many of the other indicators, data collection of this information is different

for both the Civic Building and Plaza. Collecting this information for the Civic Building

is easier and less costly. Since there is one main entrance and since traffic is not

overwhelming, the person at the front desk with a traffic counter could easily capture the

amount of people entering the building. Each hour that person could record in an Excel

spreadsheet the amount of people they counted. This system would provide a simple

method that would capture most of the foot traffic in and out of the Civic Building, while

also allowing for it to be easily sorted and interpreted by time of day and event if so

desired. Additionally, during times that the Civic Building is opened for private events,

and when there is no one at the front desk, whoever is in charge of watching the entrance

and maintaining security could perform this function. Since there are so few staff housed

in the Civic Building (many of the Round House employees enter through their own

entrance), their movement would not skew the data tremendously; the overall picture

about usage of the building would still be intact.

Collecting this information for the Plaza is more difficult because of the time and

cost required. However, this information is vital to understanding the Plaza’s usage

beyond anecdotal reports. Perhaps the most feasible way long-term to accomplish this

goal would be to integrate a new security camera that would provide additional

surveillance but also be positioned at an appropriate angle to capture a “snapshot” of the

entire plaza. Freeze frames could be recorded on a set-time basis. The process for

  34  

counting the amount of people in a photo is relatively unscientific but using fairly

standard crowd estimation methods could be done by a variety of people.54

Clearly, counting people in large public spaces is not an exact science. However,

a perfect number count is not the goal. What is important is whether this indicator

provides a useful measure for how the space is used and whether it informs those who are

responsible for activating the space about whether their strategies are effective or need

modifying. To these ends, it would.

Number of people who ask for information at the Welcome Desk

Already being collected, this indicator provides useful information regarding what

people are stopping in or calling in and asking about. The overall number illustrates a

basic measure of community interest and access to information about these new spaces.

What is important, however, is how this number changes over time. Are people inquiring

more often about information about the Civic Building or Plaza as the community

becomes familiarized with the space. The focus on this indicator should be on the trends

being observed.

Although it acts mostly as an indicator for the Civic Building, questions regarding

the Plaza could be recorded separately in their own column. As has been occurring, the

volunteers staffing the desks could continue to collect this data. However, instead of

waiting to input this data into a useable form, at the end of each day, the volunteers

should input this information into an Excel spreadsheet that would keep an accessible

running tally.

  35  

Improved Comfort and Image

Number of security incidences

The number of security incidences that occur at or in the immediate area around

the Civic Building and Plaza are an important measure of “Comfort and Image.” A

principal goal of the Civic Building and Plaza, along with the entire redevelopment

project, is to create a “family-friendly” environment in downtown Silver Spring. The

consequences of major security incidences that occur at Center and Plaza, or in the

immediate area, have dramatic repercussions for achieving the Civic Building and Plaza’s

long-term mission, such as the brutal attack on a 32-year old man who was simply

walking by the Baja Fresh restaurant on the Plaza in July 2010 or the large fight that

broke out, before the Building and Plaza opened but at the same intersection, in March

2009 after a youth "Stop the Violence" concert.55

Although clearly infrequent, these incidences can ultimately undermine the entire

reputation of the space. T. Hill, a Takoma, D.C., resident who witnessed the event, stated

to reporters, "I've never seen anything remotely close to this…I'm not going to come here

again or walk here again if these punks are harassing people."56 Even though this

response is clearly anecdotal, a few security incidences are all that is often needed to

create a reputation that would be difficult to change. This measure ensures that those

evaluating the Civic Building and Plaza incorporate the importance that security has for a

community space.

Acquiring this information and using it as a part of an overall evaluation creates

no costs for the Civic Building and Plaza because this data is already recorded by the

County and is public record.

  36  

Ratio of number of security incidences during programmed activities versus non-

programmed activities

In a similar context to the previous measures, this measures provides a more

nuanced pictured of when the safety of the space is compromised. Knowing this

information can best allow those within the county and community to adapt their

approach to activities planning and overall management of the space. For instance,

knowing whether security incidences occur more often during programmed activities

versus non-programmed activities require a difference response than if the situation were

the opposite. This measure provides valuable information with regards to what approach

may be necessary to achieving the desired level of security at the Civic Building and

Plaza in order to successfully create a “family-friendly” space.

Collection of data for this indicator would require someone to categorize whether

the security incidence took place during a “programmed” or “non-programmed” activity.

However, this information would most likely be noted in the incidence report; if not, it

would be easy to compare with the Civic Building or Plaza’s calendar.

Improved Uses and Activities

Ratio of changes in sales growth for business immediate around Civic Building and

Plaza compared to other businesses in downtown Silver Spring

Determining the economic development impact that the Civic Building and Plaza

have on the surrounding downtown Silver Spring is difficult because separating out other

local factors and larger regional influences on the economic activity of the area requires

  37  

large data collection and extensive statistical modeling. However, this indicator is

designed to eliminate many external factors by focusing specifically on the businesses

immediately around the Civic Building and Plaza and comparing them to other

businesses in Downtown Silver Spring. By comparing businesses that are in same private

complex, the value of the Civic Building and Plaza as a net plus to the surrounding

businesses is isolated. Therefore, a ratio, which compares the percentage revenue

increase for businesses in the rest of the complex to those in Section D, or a composite

between Section D and Section A if possible (see Figure X below), illustrates the added

benefit that the Civic Building and Plaza have in the immediate vicinity.

Collection of this data would involve sharing information with Downtown Silver

Spring. PFA Silver Spring, L.C. (Peterson, Foulger Pratt and Argo Investments), which

manages Downtown Silver Spring, does divide its tenant businesses into sections and

track its tenants’ performances on a monthly basis. This indicator would be easy to

create with the partnership of Downtown Silver Spring and serve as useful indicator of

the Civic Building and Plaza’s economic impact.

Figure 7:

Downtown

Silver Spring’s

Lease Plan

(12/3/2010)

  38  

Percentage of rentals that use services from local businesses

Part of the Civic Building and Plaza’s ability to spark economic activity is

represented by the amount of people who use the space and then decide to frequent local

businesses, increasing traffic. Isolating this type of economic generation is difficult and

costly. However, many of the events that take place in the Civic Building or on the Plaza

involve contracting additional private businesses to provide services at their events.

These services can range from catered food to party planners. In these instances, it is very

easy to capture what affect the Civic Building and Plaza are having on local businesses.

An indicator that measures what percentage of room rentals utilize services from

local businesses versus businesses outside of Silver Spring would be useful in not only

measuring the economic impact of the space but also in helping provide data about

whether resources, advertising, and partnerships would be helpful in improving how the

Civic Building and Plaza can spark economic activity in this area.

Data collection of this information can also be done at little to no-cost by adding

two or three short questions to the current customer satisfaction surveys that individuals

fill out after they rent a space. Asking whether they used the services of a private

business, its address, and the cost would capture the necessary variables.

Improved Sociability

Change in the distribution of types of individuals/groups who rent the rooms (e.g. non-

profits, private business, public officials)

The distribution of the types of organizations that use the Civic Building and Plaza

explain a lot about how the community will perceive it. If the space is primarily used by

  39  

private businesses for regional conferences or by County officials, residents will view the

space differently than if it used primarily be community organizations and non-profits.

Exactly what balance is the right breakdown needs to be part of the strategy of those

activating the Civic Building and Plaza spaces. However, what is important to observe is

whether the outcome – the change towards the desired distribution - is occurring as a

result of how the Civic Building and Plaza are being activated.

Change in the distribution of demographics who rent the rooms (e.g. age, race, gender)

Demographically, Silver Spring has changed dramatically over the decades. Just

this year, Silver Spring became a majority-minority city with Whites representing 46.6

percent, African Americans 28 percent, and Latinos 22 percent of the population. These

shifts create both challenges and opportunities for the Civic Building in achieving its

vision of actively engaging the community and creating a “community” for all. As

Regional Center Director Reemberto Rodriguez noted in his blog, Silver Spring Speaks,’

first posting, “let’s not forget that what we are trying to do here in Silver Spring has

really never worked before…Where else is there a community where all are welcome –

and all are at the table - regardless of background, ethnicity, or economic status?”57

Consequently, an important indicator would be whether over time the

demographic information for those who utilize the space reflects the demographic

composition of the community. This indicator helps identify what community members

are actively renting the space, while over time noting the change in these demographics.

This change is the important element, helping illustrate whether strategies employed to

  40  

engage the community and create a better sense of community within Greater Silver

Spring are successful.

Adding questions regarding demographic information to the anonymous customer

service satisfaction surveys for those who use the rental space at the Civic Building or

Plaza would be best way to collect this data, while still protecting the identity and privacy

of those customers and community members.

VI. Conclusion: Positioning for the Future

As the first year of operation comes to a close, it is critical to understand the Civic

Building and Plaza’s accomplishments. This report has provided background about the

history and different entities that are responsible for activating the Civic Building and

Plaza, and how these performance measures will provide empirical data that will help

clarify long-term impacts, confirm the program theory, and provide useful information

regarding future strategies.

In addition to these outcomes, this report recommends that those County and

community-based organizations that are activating the Civic Building and Plaza strongly

consider utilizing opportunities to achieve additional outcome and impact information,

specifically relating to community-engagement, that requires resources to properly collect

– mostly through extensive interviewing and surveys. Although the Civic Building and

Plaza are operating within an environment of limited resources, the stakeholders who

help activate this space should seek partnerships with other anchor institutions and

community entities to maximize their capabilities.

  41  

Reaching out to the plethora of research institutions in the area may provide

opportunities to partner with academics also interesting in evaluating public spaces.

Examples of this kind of research include evaluations of Patterson Park in Baltimore

conducted by the Urban Studies and Planning Program at the University of Maryland and

Democracy Plaza at Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis by Johnny

Goldfinger of the Department of Political Science at that campus.5859 These opportunities

to collect additional outcome data that gauge changes in community opinion should not

be overlooked.

Acknowledgements The author of this report would like to note the following people that provided input and insight through interviews and conversations for this project: Reemberto Rodriguez, Director, Silver Spring Regional Service Center; Professor Doug Besharov, School of Public Policy, University of Maryland, College Park; Doug Call, School of Public Policy, University of Maryland, College Park; Jewru Bandeh, Program Manager, Silver Spring Regional Service Center; Gwen Haney, Facilities Manager, Silver Spring Regional Service Center; Kathy Stevens, Chair, Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board; Jennifer Nettles, Chair, Silver Spring Urban District Advisory Committee, and manager, Downtown Silver Spring; Richard Romer, Policy Analyist, Montgomery County Councilmember Valerie Ervin's Office; Sandra Tallant, Montgomery County Department of Park and Planning; Dr. Howie Baum, School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation, University of Maryland; Professor Sidney Brower, School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation, University of Maryland; Alan Friedman, Chair, Silver Spring Arts and Entertainment Committee; Andrew Wexler, Co-Chair; Silver Spring Transportation District Advisory Committee; and Jonathan Bernstein, Member, Seven Oaks Civic Association.                                                                                                                1 Department of General Services Division of Building Design and Construction, Montgomery County Government, 2011. <http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgtmpl.asp?url=/content/DGS/DBDC/RegionalProjectPages/SilverSpringProjects/sscivicbldg.asp>, Photo retrieved on May 6, 2011. 2 Gretchen Cook, “Downtown Silver Spring: Experiencing a Resurgence After a Bumpy History,” UrbanTurf: The DC Real Estate Guide, Jul 21, 2010, <http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/downtown_silver_spring_experiencing_a_resurgence_after_a_bumpy_history/2281#comments>, Accessed Apr 10, 2011. 3 Impact Silver Spring, Our History, Impact Silver Spring, 2007, <http://www.impactsilverspring.org/history.html>, Accessed Apr 10, 2011.

  42  

                                                                                                               4 Timothy J. Mullaney, “Canadian developers may build mall, amusement park in Silver Spring,” Baltimore, MD: The Baltimore Sun, Aug 8, 1995, <http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1995-08-08/business/1995220138_1_mall-silver-spring-weaver>, Accessed May 2, 2011. 5 Interview with Sandra Tallant, Montgomery County Department of Park and Planning, Apr 18, 2011. 6 Jerry A. McCoy, Robert E. Oshel, and Dana Lee Dembrow, “Silver Spring Timeline – 20th Century and Beyond!” Silver Spring, MD: Silver Spring Historical Society. Apr 2008, <http://silverspringhistory.homestead.com/timeline2.html>, Accessed May 2, 2011. 7 Robert A. Kronenberg, Site Plan Amendment for Downtown Silver Spring: 81999002F, Silver Spring, MD: Montgomery County Department of Park and Planning, Jul 3, 2006, 5. 8 Interview with Sandra Tallant, Montgomery County Department of Park and Planning, Apr 18, 2011. 9 Gretchen Cook, “Downtown Silver Spring: Experiencing a Resurgence After a Bumpy History,” UrbanTurf: The DC Real Estate Guide, Jul 21, 2010, <http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/downtown_silver_spring_experiencing_a_resurgence_after_a_bumpy_history/2281#comments>, Accessed Apr 10, 2011. 10 Initiatives For Development In Downtown Silver Spring, June 2010. 11 Silver Spring Downtown Arts & Entertainment, “Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans Plaza,” Silver Spring, MD: Silver Spring Downtown Arts & Entertainment, 2008, <http://www.silverspringdowntown.com/go/http-and-and-wwwsilverspringdowntowncom-and-silver-spring-ci>, Accessed Apr 23, 2011. 12 Reemberto Rodriguez, “Spring Plaza Evenings: Come Join in!,” Silver Spring, MD: Silver Spring Speaks, Mar 7, 2011, <http://silverspringspeaks.blogspot.com/2011/03/spring-plaza-evenings-come-join-in.html>, Accessed Apr 23, 2011. 13 Reemberto Rodriguez, “Veterans Day. Veterans Plaza Dedication. FREE Veterans Concert” Silver Spring, MD: Silver Spring Speaks, Nov 10, 2010, <http://silverspringspeaks.blogspot.com/2010/11/veterans-day-veterans-plaza-dedication.html>, Accessed Apr 23, 2011. 14 Silver Spring Downtown Arts & Entertainment, “Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans Plaza,” Silver Spring, MD: Silver Spring Downtown Arts & Entertainment, 2008, <http://www.silverspringdowntown.com/go/http-and-and-wwwsilverspringdowntowncom-and-silver-spring-ci>, Accessed Apr 23, 2011. 15 “Community Use of Public Facilities,” Rockville, MD: Montgomery County Government, Mar 10, 2011, <https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/apps/cupf/info/sscb.asp#>, Accessed Apr 24, 2011. 16 Silver Spring Downtown Arts & Entertainment, “Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans Plaza,” Silver Spring, MD: Silver Spring Downtown Arts & Entertainment, 2008, <http://www.silverspringdowntown.com/go/http-and-and-wwwsilverspringdowntowncom-and-silver-spring-ci>, Accessed Apr 23, 2011. 17 “Several Questions For Project,” Email Interview with Reemberto Rodriguez, Apr 7, 2011. 18 Montgomery County Government, “Regional Center,” Rockville, MD: Montgomery County Government, Feb 9, 2011, <http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgtmpl.asp?url=/Content/RSC/SilSprng/RegionalServices/welcome.asp>, Accessed Apr 23, 2011. 19 Ibid. 20 Office of Management and Budget, County Executive’s Recommended FY12 Operating Budget and FY12-17 Public Services Program, “Section 26: Community Engagement,” Montgomery County Government, Mar 15, 2011, <http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/ombtmpl.asp?url=/content/omb/fy12/psprec/index.asp>, Accessed Apr 23, 2011, 4. 21 Ibid, 1. 22 Ibid, 4. 23 Office of Management and Budget, Approved FY10 Operating Budget and Capital Budgets And Amendments to FY09-14 Capital Improvements Program (CIP), “Volume 1: Operating Budget: Regional Service Centers,” Montgomery County Government, Aug 7, 2009, <http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/ombtmpl.asp?url=/content/omb/fy10/appr/psp_toc.asp#top>, Accessed Apr 23, 2011, 3.

  43  

                                                                                                               24 Office of Management and Budget, County Executive’s Recommended FY12 Operating Budget and FY12-17 Public Services Program, “Section 26: Community Engagement,” Montgomery County Government, Mar 15, 2011, <http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/ombtmpl.asp?url=/content/omb/fy12/psprec/index.asp>, Accessed Apr 23, 2011, 4. 25 Reemberto Rodriguez, “Activating Veterans Plaza in the Spring, Summer & Fall Routinely and Consistently,” Silver Spring, MD: Silver Spring Regional Service Center, Feb 25th, 2011, 1. 26 Ibid, 1. 27 Community Use of Public Facilities, “Frequently Asked Questions Related to Community Use of Public Facilities,” Rockville, MD: Montgomery County Government, Nov 2010, <http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/cuptmpl.asp?url=/content/cupf/html/info-cupf/news.asp>, Accessed Apr 23, 2011, 1. 28 Ibid, 2. 29 Jeanette Der Bedrosian, “Controversy over Silver Spring Civic Center rental rates,” Gaithersburg, MD: Post-Newsweek Media, Inc./Gazette.Net, Jul 21, 2010, <http://www.gazette.net/stories/07142010/silvnew201503_32533.php>, Accessed Apr 25, 2011. 30 Round House Theatre, “History and Mission,” Bethesda, MD: Round House Theatre, 2011, < http://www.roundhousetheatre.org/about-us/history-mission/>, Accessed Apr 23, 2011. 31 Silver Spring Downtown Arts & Entertainment, “Round House Theatre,” Silver Spring, MD: Silver Spring Downtown Arts & Entertainment, 2008, <http://www.silverspringdowntown.com/go/round-house-theatre>, Accessed Apr 23, 2011. 32 Jason Tornassini, “Silver Spring Civic Building welcomes guests,” Gaithersburg, MD: Post-Newsweek Media, Inc./Gazette.Net, Jul 14, 2010, <http://www.gazette.net/stories/07142010/silvnew201503_32533.php>, Accessed Apr 23, 2011. 33 Jeanette Der Bedrosian, “Controversy over Silver Spring Civic Center rental rates,” Gaithersburg, MD: Post-Newsweek Media, Inc./Gazette.Net, Jul 21, 2010, <http://www.gazette.net/stories/07142010/silvnew201503_32533.php>, Accessed Apr 23, 2011. 34 Silver Spring Town Center, Inc., “About Us,” Silver Spring, MD: Silver Spring Town Center, Inc., 2011, <http://www.silverspringtowncenter.com/about-us/>, Accessed Apr 23, 2011. 35 Silver Spring Town Center, Inc., “Our Vision,” Silver Spring, MD: Silver Spring Town Center, Inc., 2011, < http://www.silverspringtowncenter.com/about-us/our-vision/>, Accessed Apr 23, 2011. 36 Jeanette Der Bedrosian, “Controversy over Silver Spring Civic Center rental rates,” Gaithersburg, MD: Post-Newsweek Media, Inc./Gazette.Net, Jul 21, 2010, <http://www.gazette.net/stories/07142010/silvnew201503_32533.php>, Accessed Apr 23, 2011. 37 “Service Centers,” Gaithersburg, MD: Post-Newsweek Media, Inc./Gazette.Net, Sept 9, 2010, <http://www.gazette.net/communityguide/story.php?id=253>, Apr 23, 2011. 38 Department of General Services, “Facilities Management,” Rockville, MD: 2011, <http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/content/DGS/Facility/Index.asp>, Accessed Apr 23, 2011. 39 Silver Spring Regional Services Center, “Urban District Advisory Committee,” Rockville, MD: Montgomery County Government, Apr 1, 2011, <http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgtmpl.asp?url=/Content/RSC/SilSprng/BoardsCommittees/urbanadvisorycommittee.asp>, Accessed Apr 23, 2011. 40 Silver Spring Regional Services Center, “Silver Spring Urban District,” Rockville, MD: Montgomery County Government, Feb 9, 2011, <http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgtmpl.asp?url=/Content/RSC/SilSprng/redshirts.asp>, Accessed Apr 23, 2011. 41 Ibid. 42 Douglas J. Besharov, “Logic Models,” College Park, MD: University of Maryland, School of Public Policy, Spring 2011, 2. 43 “Several Questions For Project,” Email Interview with Reemberto Rodriguez, Apr 7, 2011. 44 Ibid. 45 Reemberto Rodriguez, “Activating Veterans Plaza in the Spring, Summer & Fall Routinely and Consistently,” Silver Spring, MD: Silver Spring Regional Service Center, Feb 25th, 2011, 3. 46 “Several Questions For Project,” Email Interview with Reemberto Rodriguez, Apr 7, 2011.

  44  

                                                                                                               47 Reemberto Rodriguez, “Activating Veterans Plaza in the Spring, Summer & Fall Routinely and Consistently,” Silver Spring, MD: Silver Spring Regional Service Center, Feb 25th, 2011, 2. 48 “Several Questions For Project,” Email Interview with Reemberto Rodriguez, Apr 7, 2011. 49 Ibid. 50 Project for Public Spaces, “What is Placemaking,” New York, NY: Project for Public Spaces, 2011, <http://www.pps.org/articles/what_is_placemaking/>, Accessed May 2, 2011. 51 Ibid. 52 Project for Public Spaces, “About PPS,” New York, NY: Project for Public Spaces, 2011, <http://www.pps.org/about/approach/>, Accessed May 2, 2011. 53 Fred Kent and Phil Myrick, “How to Become a Great Public Space,” Interview with American Libraries, American Libraries, Vol. 34, Is. 4, Apr 2003, 72. 54 Carl Bialik, “Sizing Up Crowd Pushes Limits of Technology,” New York, NY: Wall Street Journal, Feb 5, 2011, <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704709304576124170146934768.html?mod=WSJ_hps_RIGHTTopCarousel_1>, Accessed Apr 25, 2011. 55 Jason Tornassini, “15 arrested following downtown Silver Spring assault,” Gaithersburg, MD: Post-Newsweek Media, Inc./Gazette.Net, Jul 13, 2010, <http://www.gazette.net/stories/07132010/montnew133011_32583.php>, Accessed Apr 16, 2011. 56 Ibid. 57 Reemberto Rodriguez, “Spring Plaza Common Values,” Silver Spring, MD: Silver Spring Speaks, Dec 29, 2009, < http://silverspringspeaks.blogspot.com/2009/12/silver-spring-common-values.html>, Accessed Apr 27, 2011. 58 Patterson Park: Putting the Pieces Together (Planning Studio, Urban Studies and Planning Program, University of Maryland, 1994); Patterson Park—How People Use It and Feel About It: Overview and Summary of the 1995 Survey (Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks; and Urban Studies and Planning Program, University of Maryland, 1996); Sidney Brower and Erica Todd, Community Participation in the Plan for Patterson Park: An Assessment (Urban Studies and Planning Program, University of Maryland, 1998); and Sidney Brower and Nkechi Hislop, User Survey of Patterson Park 2008 (Urban Studies and Planning Program, University of Maryland, 1998). 59 Johnny Goldfinger, “Democracy Plaza: A Campus Space for Civic Engagement,” Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis, IN: Innovative Higher Education, Vol. 34, 2009, 69-77.