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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPACKET Town Board Study Session 2009-10-21STUDY SESSION TOWN BOARD Wednesday, October 21, 2009 4:00 p.m. Room 203 170 MacGregor Ave. AGENDA 1. Stanley Park Fairgrounds. 2. Miscellaneous. NOTE: The Town Board reserves the right to consider other appropriate items not available at the time the agenda was prepared. 10/19/2009 MON 15:17 FAX 9705862816 EP Administration Il001 *************************** *** FAX MULTI TX REPORT *** JOB NO. PGS. TX/RX INCOMPLETE TRANSACTION OK ERROR *************************** 2023 1 6672527 Greg White 5869561 KEPL 5869532 Trail Gazette 6353677 Reporter Herald 2247899 Coloradoan 5771590 EP News 5861691 Channel 8 STUDY SESSION TOWN BOARD Wednesday, October 21, 2009 4:00 p.m. Room 203 170 MacGregor Ave. AGENDA 1. Stanley Park Fairgrounds. 2. Miscellaneous. Stanley Park • JW Miller 10/20/09 • Performing Arts Center stressed need for new barns to replace existing. • The concept of new, larger, barns made people wonder about what they were going to be used for in winter. • That led to a survey and study of potential uses that also tied into the 2017 plan. • A need for livestock barns morphed into a 60,000 s.f., $6M+, "Multi -Purpose Event Center". • Last Spring, we down sized the concept into a 30,000 Event Center. • The proposed Indoor Arena was initially planned to cover an existing arena. • That is no longer valid, but that concept drove most of the planning for the future development of the Park. • The Event Center location is being driven the indoor arena location, the size of the vacant land and by proximity to Senior Center so people can walk from it to the Event Center - in winter winds and snow. • That location puts staff offices the furthest distance possible from where the action is taking place - good idea? • The original concept of replacing old barns, has been negated by a bigger, better building concept that we, at present, don't know if we even need or not. We're looking at building a "Multi -purpose building" for somewhere around $4M and spending $50,000 next year on the animal arenas to make sure they remain top - of -the -line. However, the people using those arenas are still going to be using barns that are 60 years, or more, old. • There is no way the Events Center, if we elect to continue with it, will be built in time for use this summer. Either bidding will have to be delayed until summer of 2010, with construction beginning Fall of 2010, or work will have to be started and then suspended for 3 - 4 months, which is very costly, or work will have to continue while the summer activities take place, which has liability issues. • Unlike the Bond Park process, there has been minimal public input into the design and phasing of Stanley Park, yet the financial impact is a much larger one. The current MPEC design, while excellent, tries, I think, to do so much that it may not do anything well. It also goes well beyond origina4 expectations. It is now 36,000 sq. ft. and has a VIP lounge area and a sound booth for concerts and musical events. Neither of which were in the original program presented to us last March. The best way to reduce the cost of a building it to reduce it's size. In addition, more staff and resources will be required to operate it from the outset and the financial impact of that has really not been appropriately examined. After a lot of thought about it, I have a serious problem with going into debt to fund this facility. I think Stanley Park has to be weighed along side Bond Park and a need for a Community Center and affordable housing given the funding resources available to the Town. Given the events of the last few days, development of Bond Park may be an important, much needed, shot in the arm to downtown. • IF we act soon, a 25,000 +/- s.f. barn could be built by spring. It would hold approximately 90 to 100 12'xl 2' stalls and could also serve as an initial exhibit space in the fall of 2010. This would give us a way to test the market and see what the demand is rather than rely on speculation. • This would be a standardize barn design that could be duplicated through- out the facility. • It can be designed to serve limited recreation activities, such as a walking track, limited recreational basketball, etc. although some of these activities should not be considered a primary use. • I suggest that the Event Center be relocated to where the Indoor Arena is currently planned so it's the showcase when one drives into the main entrance. That would also put the staff offices more central to the facility. It could be reduced in size (20,000 - 25,000 s.f.) and tied to "Barn A" • Relocating it may eliminate some of the grading concerns which added approximately 1,000 additional s.f. to the MPEC design. • The associated parking lot would help to serve both the Event Center and Grandstands and is the only piece not included in the "shovel ready" project. • A smaller Event Center may ultimately be of more use for summer events and could extend shows, etc. through the summer season. • Combining it with a barn almost gets back to the original scheme and makes 50,000 s.f. available for winter shows and events. • I'm having a problem with making this facility all things to all people. It doesn't need to compete with a recreation center, or performing arts facility, which it sounds like its trying to do. The other two barns, which would eventually be attached to the future Indoor Arena, would be slid down to the west end of the site. • This could be phased with barns constructed first and the arena covered at a later time as the need arose. The arena could actually be relocated so that it would work when a building is built over it. 2009-2010 PROPOSAL: • Shift current design and CD efforts to fast track a 90 tol 00 stall barn, with approximately 25,000 sq. ft., that could also be used for events, to be completed by May / June 2010. (Barn A) It would be designed with minimal toilet facilities, mechanical spaces, wash -racks, ventilation and would be heated for winter use. • Get utility mains designed and installed • Perform marketing study/proforma for Events Center and Indoor Arena uses. • Redesign Event Center to 20 - 25,000 s.f. facility, tied to Barn A, with input from Marketing Study. • Start Construction fall of 2010? OTHER: • Investigate alternate Stanley Park funding sources. • Is the funding for the 500 space parking lot a total write-off? • Naming rights for both buildings? • Grants? • Landscaping is consistently being ignored and I don't think we can do that much longer. It needs to start to be included with these projects if, for no other reason, our regulations require it. • Sound system - the Grandstands Committee suggested that a consultant be hired to examine the existing sound system and make recommendations for improvements and for interconnection of other buildings. Thoughts on Stanley Park 10/12/09 Jerry W Miller OK, I've been thinking again, so brace yourselves .. . From past discussions I've had with various people, it appears that the need for the MPEC developed from a need for new livestock barns and a question of what to do with them during the winter. As I understand it, the answer to this question grew and grew until, backed by survey's, etc., it evolved into the once proposed 60,000 sq. ft. Barn & Event Center. We chiseled it back down into a more reasonable 30,000 sq. ft. (now 34,000 sq. ft.) current design for the Event Center. However, we did not question the original premise that it developed from. I was probably the worse offender of this because I objected to an Event Center being used as a livestock barn even for a short time, yet that was what started out to be the primary use. In addition, the situation with the condemnation of the buildings at The Ranch presents a unique opportunity for the future use of Stanley Park. I think this changes things in that we cannot afford to let this opportunity lapse. I've been thinking about all this in light of the recent decisions regarding the Grandstands; the myriad speculations regarding the future of the economy, remaining funds available for improvements and putting Bond Park improvements into the funding equation. The result is that I have an idea to share. I think of it as "back to basics". A 110' wide by 225' long building would house approximately (100) 12'x12' stalls with 10'+ access aisles. It would be 6 stalls wide and 18 stalls long, and include minimal toilet rooms and HVAC equipment. The key is to have the barn heated (and cooled?). This would be a 24,750 sq. ft. building, with a concrete floor, both "man door" and overhead door access. Two of the proposed barns would have access, via a wash rack space, to a future Indoor Arena. If we use the per -stall price of $4,000/stall, which I found on the Internet, the building would cost around $400,000. More realistically, it'd probably be closer to $5,000/stall or $500,000. What ever FF&E was needed would have to figure into this as well. Two of the barns would have to have demountable stalls while one could have either built-in or demountable stalls. I'm suggesting we develop a "standard" barn plan that would be built 3 times on the site. The first one, creatively designated "Barn A", would be built in the current location of Barns 'T' and 'U'. There's a reason for this: That location is within 500 feet of the Grandstands concessions area and toilet rooms. Since they're going to be winterized, they would be available for use by trade shows held in the new barn during the winter months. This takes advantage of what's currently going to be built. So, IF we modify our train of thought soon enough, we could theoretically have a 24,750 sq. ft. "Multi -Purpose Barn" in place at the beginning of the 2010 season that would be available for livestock events during the Summer and could also be used for the Scot's Fest and trade shows in the fall and winter of 2010. It wouldn't be as fancy as a new $3.4M MPEC, but it just might be doable now. It would also be a way to test the market for expanded trade shows and weekend events without spending a lot of money. By including minimal toilet facilities in the building, it would also offer an opportunity for a walking track and limited recreational activities during the winter. After "Barn A" what happens to the MPEC and Indoor Arena? I'd suggest that we seriously think about scaling back on the size of the Events Center to somewhere around 20,000 to 25,000 sq. ft. but making sure it would be good space. I'm also suggesting that it be attached to what I'm referring to as "Barn C". This would be a standard barn design that would be used for horses in the summer season and as part of the event center in the winter. The main Events Center Building would still house toilet rooms, offices, catered concessions, etc. However, a scaled down version would only have around 20,000 s.f. for use in the summer which might make it more marketable for some summer trade shows. Connect that with a 24,750 sq. ft. barn though and you've got somewhere around 50,000 sq. ft for use for trade shows and exhibits at less cost than what's currently being designed. Having it split into two connected buildings would also make the space more flexible because two fairly large events could take place without disruption. The Barn could also be more easily split into two or three areas as well. I think the biggest advantage of this is there's ultimately less area of dedicated exhibit space that potentially sits idle in the Summer or might be more easily rented out and serve as some limited recreational space. (I personally have a problem with an Event Center trying to compete with a recreation center.) The proposed "Barn B" would be built in the approximate location of the existing Barn 'W' and would also eventually connect to a future Indoor Arena. This barn could be dedicated to livestock, due to it's location, and could be equipped with more permanent stalls. I don't think this needs to be built immediately as Barn 'W' is still useable. Since the Indoor Arena apparently has a lower priority with Staff, I'm suggesting it be put on hold and the design simplified. By not taking the design much farther, we could then put the architect to work on a "standard" barn design without a great impact on his fee. If you think about this approach, at the end of the above proposed construction, Stanley park would be able to house around 300 animals in much more comfortable barns and there would be almost 75,000 sq. ft. of area available for trade shows of exhibits. Cost? Event Center @ $100/sf @ 25,000 sf (2) Barns @ $500,000 Total MPEC estimate = $2,500,000 = $1, 000, 000 = $3,500,000 = $3,400,000 r-rAsr- b / 4