HomeMy WebLinkAbout[06c] Marketing Strategy/Branding Administrator Date: March 21, 2012
Judy Weyrens Memo To: Members of the EDA
Mayor City Administrator Weyrens
Rick Schultz Memo From: Cynthia Smith - Strack, MDG, Inc.
Councilors RE: EDA Marketing
Steve Frank
Bob Loso
Renee Symanietz Background.
Dale Wick At the February EDA meeting we each agreed to bring to the March meeting a list of:
EDA 1. Three specific work items the EDA could accomplish within five years.
Carolyn Yaggie—
Heinen 2. Three items or assets for which St. Joseph could be branded.
Chad Davey
Steve Frank 3. Three quotes from people who live in the area but outside of St. Joseph responding to
Tom Skahen what first comes to their minds when they think of the City of St. Joseph.
Dale Wick
Following is my 'homework'
Three work items the EDA could accomplish within five years:
• Have an urban landscape architect produce a rendering of Minnesota Street from 2nd
Avenue NW to 2 Avenue NE and another of College Avenue from CSAH 75 to
Minnesota Street showing desired future streetscape including buildings, parking,
decorative lighting, streetscape amenities, landscaping, etc.
• Install trail /sidewalk, pedestrian amenities, decorative lighting, banners, and entry
signage along existing CSAH 2 /Minnesota Street from where new CSAH 2 veers north
to 2 Avenue NW.
• Install a water feature in the downtown.
• Purchase Sal's West and next rental house, demolish buildings, create shovel ready
CBD commercial lots.
• Implement Scenic Specialties streetscaping plan in public areas downtown.
• Work with Council to create downtown parking plan.
Three items or assets for which St. Joseph could be branded:
• College of St. Benedict
• Intelligent people
• Education
• Strong opinions
• Outstanding private colleges
• Wobegon Trailhead
• Green initiatives such as the Kennedy Community School
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Three quotes from people who live in the area but outside of St. Joseph responding to what first
comes to their minds when they think of the City of St. Joseph.
• "I see a small town with big possibilities great people, family owned businesses cute
little mom and pop shops and restaurants and Tots of natural elements ".
• "I really like the main drive along CR 75 which is the main route I travel. It has improved
over the years. I also use Coboms quite a lot."
• "I think of education, private schools, nice elementary school, and cake eaters (rich
people)."
• "I think of the monastery, Kay's Kitchen, going through the City to get to 194 and the fun
times on the Wobegon Trail."
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WORK PLAN
Vision Statement from 2008 Comprehensive Plan
Following is the vision statement included in the 2008 Comprehensive Plan Update, think of
'vision' as imagining a better future and working hard to achieve it.
"The vision for future growth and development of land forms the basis of this plan. As defined
throughout various public input efforts, refined by the St. Joseph Planning Commission and
stated in the Introduction to the Comprehensive Plan, the following Visioning Statement is the
guide for the development of this chapter of the Comprehensive Plan:
In 2030 St. Joseph will continue to be a city on the rise which embraces its history, quality of
life, and diversity of land uses by valuing:
• Organized, well managed growth,
• Livable, safe surroundings,
• Diverse, robust tax base,
• Diligence in resource preservation, and
• Vibrant, friendly downtown."
Economic development plan as included in 2008 Comprehensive Plan Update
A. Core Initiatives
1. Continue to promote the sustainability of the City of St. Joseph in order to enhance the
quality of life for all residents.
2. Promote commercial development and redevelopment that: maximizes return on city
investments in public facilities and services; expands the tax base; provides quality
employment opportunities; and, complements existing services.
3. Promote industrial developments that maximize the return on city investments in public
facilities and services, expand the tax base, provide quality employment opportunities
and complement existing services.
4. Retain existing commercial /industrial uses and encourage new commercial /industrial
development to locate in existing commercial /industrial parks and commercial /industrial
zoned areas.
5. Proactively and consistently promote downtown revitalization activities.
6. Promote efforts to achieve commercial renewal /redevelopment in previously developed
areas within the highway commercial district.
7. Provide appropriate, professional information to development leads in a timely fashion.
8. Administer financial incentive programs offered by the city/EDA.
9. Promote the exchange of information between the business community and the City of
St. Joseph.
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BACKGROUND IN1ORt AT GIC j N �O MI1�R 1 �,1 ' 1A�� '
WORK PLAN
B. Strategies for Development and Redevelopment.
Central Business District
1. Redevelopment/revitalization efforts in the Central Business District should contribute to
an area -wide focus on creating a pedestrian friendly environment with public spaces,
structures, signage and amenities built in dimensions that are specifically suited to
humans on foot, those which relate and are proportional to a human's size and walking
speed (human scale) as opposed to interaction with vehicular traffic. Specifically, the
city should develop guidelines for rehabilitation /development of properties that
encourage:
a. Preservation of existing historic buildings and building elements;
b. Infill /new development that retains the existing street grid /building orientation;
c. Infill /new development that is sympathetic in scale /bulk to existing buildings;
d. A variety of land use types;
e. The employment of a variety of building materials (historically appropriate
context) and diverse appearances — not counterfeit or phony old buildings but a
high standard of contemporary architecture.
> Implementation: St. Joseph Economic Development Authority, Downtown
Urban Environs Work Group, Planning Commission and City Council.
2. The EDA/city should investigate the means to create pedestrian areas that:
a. Are spacious and well- defined;
b. Are protected /separated /buffered from high volumes of traffic;
c. Are interconnected in both a physical sense (space to walk through) and visual
sense (spaces to see through);
d. Are safe; and,
e. Include public amenities such as benches, trash receptacles, trees, decorative
paving, other plants /greenery, directional signage, adequate lighting, etc.
• Implementation: St. Joseph Economic Development Authority, Planning
Commission and City Council.
3. The EDA should gauge business interest in participating in a commercial rehabilitation
program and if strong interest exists consider the application for funding to the Small
Cities Development Program.
> Implementation: The St. Joseph Economic Development Authority and City
Council.
4. The city should work with the College of St. Benedict to investigate potential to update
streetscape amenities to link the college to downtown.
• Implementation: City Council.
5. The city should continue to embrace Central Business District revitalization efforts by
retaining a dialogue with the community, business owners and other stakeholders in the
project and promoting the district as the cultural- center of the city.
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BACKGROUND'INFORMATGU N : COIVWRE /46SIV ' u 'n i �°
WORK PLAN
➢ Implementation: St. Joseph Economic Development Authority and City
Council.
6. The city should continue to embrace Central Business District revitalization efforts by
retaining a dialogue with the community at- large, business owners and other
stakeholders in the project and by working with community members to retain
guests /tourists within the community.
➢ Implementation: St. Joseph Economic Development Authority and City
Council.
7. The city should investigate the provision of adequate public off - street parking facilities
within the downtown.
➢ Implementation: St. Joseph Economic Development Authority and City
Council.
8. The city should encourage the conversion of older single - family homes within the
downtown to office and small -scale businesses. High - density residential housing units
should be located in close proximity to the downtown. Civic, govemment and cultural
uses should be located within the Central Business District.
D. Implementation: St. Joseph Economic Development Authority, Planning
Commission and City Council.
Highway Commercial Districts
1. New development, redevelopment and renewal efforts within commercial districts
dependent on high volumes of vehicular traffic should focus on creating commercial
nodes or centers that are located near intersections of high volume roadways, designed
to be fully integrated within the greater community and transitioned into related land
uses. Single tier auto - oriented strip development adjacent to high volume roadways is
discouraged.
➢ Implementation: St. Joseph Economic Development Authority, Planning
Commission and City Council.
2. Buildings and other improvements within vehicle- oriented commercial areas should be
designed for the site on which they are to be placed. When designing and siting new
buildings /improvements consideration shall be given to the relationship of the proposed
structures /improvements and existing structures, scenic values, viewsheds and
environmentally significant/sensitive areas.
➢ Implementation: St. Joseph Economic Development Authority, Planning
Commission and City Council.
3. Intense, vehicular- oriented commercial uses should be limited to areas guided toward
such uses within the future land use map and directly related to serving the driving
public.
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BACKGROUND iN fill�►7 I+D11� ` Co MP * 3`
WORK W PLAN
D Implementation: Economic Development Authority, Planning Commission
and City Council.
4. The city /EDA should deliberately work to renew existing areas of aging auto - oriented
lineal commercial strip development while respecting the needs of existing single - family
neighborhoods adjacent to said commercial development. The city /EDA should
consider such areas for master planning as future transit oriented communities as said
conversion of existing lineal strip commercial development is expected to be lengthy
process which may be better integrated with existing development through master
planning a broad area.
D Implementation: Economic Development Authority, Planning Commission
and City Council.
5. New development should be undertaken as a means of responding to current
needs /desires of the public, however, such development should be designed using
sustainable techniques which assist in future redevelopment/reuse.
D Implementation: Economic Development Authority, Planning Commission
and City Council.
Industrial Development:
1. Retain and attract industrial development which enhances the tax base, provides quality
job opportunities, and is energy efficient.
• Implementation: Economic Development Authority and City Council.
2. Industrial uses should be limited to areas guided toward such uses within the future
land use map. Industrial uses should not negatively impact the provision of services
within the City or negatively impact the environment.
D Implementation: Economic Development Authority, Planning Commission
and City Council.
3. The EDA should continue to work with property owners to develop future industrial
areas adjacent to current industrial zoned land, to assure an adequate supply of
industrial land is available for development in the future.
> Implementation: Economic Development Authority and City Council.
4. The EDA should continue to work with property owners to develop future industrial
areas adjacent to current industrial zoned land, to assure an adequate supply of
industrial land is available for development in the future.
> Implementation: Economic Development Authority.
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WORK PLAN
5. Industrial activities complementary to existing uses should be identified and the
development of such industries should be promoted and facilitated.
> Implementation: Economic Development Authority and City Council
6. The Economic Development Authority should work with developers of new industrial
parks to develop covenants which provide for aesthetically pleasing and quality
developments.
> Implementation: Economic Development Authority.
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