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REGULAR MEETING
<br />JANUARY 23, 2017
<br />Ms. Canada responded, Right now, it's all apartments because we do not have a market study
<br />saying that there is a need for condos.
<br />Councilmember Broden asked, And what about the residential mix itself? One (1) versus two (2)
<br />versus three (3) bedrooms... Again, relative to the housing studies.
<br />Ms. Canada responded, Currently, we are doing a study about the East Bank Flats, and we have a
<br />one (1) bedroom, two (2) bedroom, and three (3) bedroom. We are looking at possibly adding
<br />four (4) bedrooms into the mix, but the majority will be one (1) bedrooms and studio apartments.
<br />Depending on what happens with the East Bank Flats, that could possibly change.
<br />Councilmember Broden asked, Last two (2) questions: the grocery market square- footage; the
<br />number -of- parking- spaces ratio —has anyone identified that, Mr. Pawlowski, and has it been
<br />benchmarked against industry standards, yet?
<br />Mr. Pawlowski responded, The square- footage of the grocery space went down after the last
<br />agreement. Provided that stands, that may impact the number of spaces a little bit. As of right
<br />now, we are keeping the placeholder on a first- numbers basis. That is based on traffic counts that
<br />Rob Bartels did at previous times for other stores, not just this site. As of right now, we are
<br />keeping the placeholder on the current number of spaces on the assumption that, if some square -
<br />footage is lost, there may be a slight adjustment.
<br />Councilmember Broden asked, And then benchmarking that against industry standards for that
<br />square- footage?
<br />Mr. Pawlowski stated that Mr. Bartels's plan is based on how his other stores have performed.
<br />He stated, As he said when he was here, some of this is a moving target as they continue to
<br />pursue it.
<br />Councilmember Broden stated, There was a consultant that was brought in by the City —
<br />internationally renown Torti Gallas, urban designer. Have any of those recommendations been
<br />picked up in terms of decreasing the number of units facing the garage? I am looking for the
<br />public record to get caught up with the actual changes that were part of the compromise.
<br />Changes to the site plan, to the design of the building.
<br />Mr. Pawlowski responded, We are looking at a twelve (12) month planning period. Some things
<br />will inevitably change during that period, as well, so we are going to have to catch it up on the
<br />backend. In terms of what they have done, respective to Torti's suggestions, the East Race space
<br />was definitely done as part of a larger conversation that Torti initiated about that space,
<br />specifically. There are some other things regarding, I think, the design of the overall building —
<br />that could have had an impact in the space of those that have been adopted. In terms of the
<br />garage, when you consider the amount of spaces and the need from not just the site going up but
<br />the existing Commerce Center, I think some of Torti's suggestions that were looked at may not
<br />prove feasible in the long -run, but they are not dead, yet. We are looking at the orientation of the
<br />garage, overall. I think that as it sits now is how it will stay, but we, again, have twelve (12)
<br />months of planning ahead of us to see.
<br />Councilmember Broden asked, Is that from a report or was that just the presentation that several
<br />of us sat in... ?
<br />Mr. Pawlowski responded, It was part of the overall presentation and conversation. They had a
<br />number of phone conversations with the developer that we were not included in, where they went
<br />over more in depth. The same things were discussed, just more specifically.
<br />Councilmember Broden asked, Has an architect been hired? That was a follow -up from the
<br />report: getting at the ideas of some of the feasibility issues and long -term viability.
<br />Mr. Pawlowski responded, In addition to the one that is on -staff from the developer's side of the
<br />house and then some of the suggestions that Torti provided? The City is not in any position to
<br />hire an independent-
<br />Councilmember Broden interjected, No, not the City —the developer.
<br />Mr. Pawlowski responded, The developer, yes.
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