Owensboro Downtown Transformation

Owensboro officials break ground on convention center and downtown hotel

Current and former elected officials join Malcolm Bryant and leaders from Independence Bank to break ground on the downtown Owensboro Hampton Inn and Suites and the new Owensboro Convention Center

Hotel developer Malcolm Bryant addresses the crowd.

Achieving the "Bilbao Effect" in Owensboro

The design of the Owensboro Event Center

It has been a big week in Owensboro! The design, size and scope of the Owensboro Events Center has been approved. How important is the design of these amenities to the overall success of revitalizing the downtown and the overall region?

Just ask the once declining city of Bilbao, Spain. This sleepy, seaside, former industrial city in Northern Spain gets a new museum housed in a building already called--on its completion at the end of the 20th century--the most important building of the 21st. The museum is Frank Gehry's Guggenheim. Virtually overnight, the small city became one of the most popular destinations in Europe. From all reports, Bilbao is rapidly metamorphosing from a sort of one-hit wonder to a genuinely vibrant city with restaurants, nightlife, theatre, and art. Gehry's radical, shimmering metal building has become a source of immense civic pride.

Bilbao Museum in Spain

Called the "Bilbao Effect," great architecture should be the centerpiece of urban space. Whether religious, governmental, commercial, or cultural, buildings define their cities. This is our chance to have a world class building on the world class river that runs through this city. Given the strength of the proposals and the architectural talent from around the country interested in the project-- world class is possible. Such a "Bilbao effect" could benefit the region culturally and economically for a long time to come.

Hilton"s Hampton Inn and Suites Right Flag for the Downtown Owensboro Hotel

The selection of Owensboro developer Malcolm Bryant Corp. by the EDC as the "preferred developer" for the new downtown hotel will bring a Hilton property downtown linked to the newly planned multi-purpose events and convention center at the corner of Second and Frederica streets.  

The developer and Hilton are suggesting a Hampton Inn and Suites, not to be confused with the Hampton Inn property already in Owensboro located near the By-Pass on Salem Drive.  The Hampton Inn and Suites is a more upscale model than the more suburban-oriented Hampton Inn and a growing mid-market urban brand-- which best fits downtown Owensboro market.   Why a Hampton Inn and Suites?  There are several compelling reasons that were reviewed by the committee which evaluated the downtown hotel proposals.

1. Hampton Inn and Suites is a growing brand in the mid-market inventory of Hilton properties that fit the Owensboro market better than other Hilton properties.  
2. The Hampton Inn and Suites is a flexible brand that is an up-and-coming urban hotel found in locations like Beale Street in Memphis, the French Quarter in New Orleans, the Theater District in Chicago, and  in New York City.  It is also becoming a popular link to smaller scale convention or entertainment-oriented properties in cities like Owensboro.  The Hilton Garden Inn, another Hilton brand under consideration, did not offer the same flexibility and urban-amenities, such as the up-scale restaurant planned for the Hampton property.  Take a look at some of the following urban Hampton Inn and Suites, click on "tour hotel."   Beale Street in Memphis: http://hamptoninn.hilton.com/en/hp/hotels/index.jhtml;jsessionid=CCIERWKT4T5MQCSGBJC4LYQ?ctyhocn=MEMPBHX&WT.mc_id=1HX2RE3Hotel4OneTagSol   Downtown Boise: http://hamptoninn.hilton.com/en/hp/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=BOIDNHX  New York: http://www.hamptoninn.com/en/hp/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=NYCCSHX
3. As a Hilton property, Hampton Inn and Suites is part of the Hilton Honors program, which is an important perk for business and other regular travelers to earn points through the network of all Hilton properties worldwide.  This is an advantage not offered at the Executive Inn, since it was not linked to a national chain of hotels.  

  

RiverPark Center and college collaborate on Theatre Degree

RiverPark Center, Brescia University, Kentucky Wesleyan College and Owensboro Community and Technical College are pleased to announce they are developing a truly unique partnership – the creation of a Bachelor of Theatre Arts degree. Students enrolled for the degree will have the opportunity to participate in courses at each of the participating institutions.

As the Gateway Planning group analyzed the Owensboro and Daviess County community, they discovered a truly unique and significant arts and cultural environment and suggested that the downtown master plan should include an Arts Academy which would take advantage of the synergy that already exists downtown.  

Cheryl King, President, Kentucky Wesleyan College said:  “Kentucky Wesleyan College is pleased to partner with RiverPark Center and our sister institutions to provide this distinctive Theatre Arts program. Through a unique collaborative model, our students will have exceptional opportunities for learning and success. There is a lot of excitement on our campus, and we look forward to working with our sister institutions and the RiverPark Center.”

 Father Larry Hostetter, President, Brescia University added:  Brescia has had a long history of excellence in the creative arts. This will be a great "next step" in that tradition. The fact that we are collaborating with our sister institutions and the RiverPark Center makes this effort especially significant. I have no doubt that soon Owensboro will be recognized as the place to receive a theater arts degree.

The Owensboro Community and Technical College will offer a Certificate – specializing in technical theatre – where the vast majority of entertainment jobs exist.  

The program will provide a direct interface between the college students and many of the the touring professionals that often perform on the stage at RiverPark Center through the "Broadway West" program, where shows are built and rehearsed in Owensboro. 

“We look forward to our students creating an “alive” downtown and riverfront – it is our future and we can touch it” said RiverPark president Zev Buffman.  

Annual survey shows high downtown interest among Chamber members

Thirty-one percent of Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce members say they would “be interested in locating their business and/or starting a business downtown” and 17% say they would “be interested in living downtown” according to the annual legislative and local issues survey this fall.

Thirty-three percent of respondents indicated “their business would not work downtown” while 12% say they “are not in favor of the downtown plan.” Six-percent of respondents had no response to the downtown question. The survey was completed by 23% of Chamber members during September and October.

“That means that nearly half of respondents would like to have a business and/or live downtown,” says Chamber President Jody Wassmer. “That seems to be fairly significant support for what the plans the city and county have initiated in downtown Owensboro.”

The Chamber board of directors voted to support the “place-making initiative” plan last winter and subsequently took several members to Greenville, SC last May to see that city’s proactive downtown redevelopment. The group returned with the belief that Owensboro was on the right track to stimulate private downtown investment that would lead to increased commerce, tourism and economic development for the entire community.

Downtown Owensboro Hotel Update

EDC President/ CEO Nick Brake delivered the following update on the selection of a development team for the downtown Owensboro hotel:

A review committee, consisting of staff from the EDC and Downtown Development Director Fred Reeves, Judge Executive Reid Haire, City Manager Bill Parrish as well as Gateway consultants, including an economist with extensive experience in vetting similar deals, is working to select a development team from the RFPs received.

The committee is using the following criteria to evaluate the RFP respondents:

• Adequate financing
• Experience in construction and management of hotels
• Providing a full service experience
• Track record of success on previous projects
• Willingness to incorporate the design into the Downtown Master Plan
• Level of involvement with the Convention/Events Center

The committee and consultants identified three finalists. As with other economic development projects, providing specific information about each proposal would jeopardize the deal and result in the potential of the developers from withdrawing their proposal from consideration.

The Committee is recommending a developer and not working with hotel chains. The developers have indicated which hotel flag or flags they could potentially bring to the development in downtown Owensboro. Each proposal comes from highly respected developers that have strong relationships with nationally respected hotel flags.

All three proposals have significant local groups involved with the proposal or have already made significant investments in the local economy.

Given the current economic environment, each proposal brings different mixes of financing options, ranging from publicly supported bonds to private equity financing and traditional financing from banks. The Committee has clearly indicated that public bonding and public financing of the hotel is not an option. All three proposals have asked for public incentives, such as infrastructure improvements.

All proposals have strong urban design components that match the Downtown Master Plan. All have expressed a strong desire for the hotel design to match the design of the convention center/ events center.

All three proposals meet the requirements of a full service hotel, as defined by the Kentucky Tourism Development Act. These amenities include room service, a restaurant and bar on the premises, and the catering services to the convention/ events center. Many of the proposals have innovative ideas for these amenities.

Each proposal indicated their intent to construct a hotel with a range of between 150 and 175 rooms. The average room rates, cited by the three finalists, ranged from $110 to $140 per night for a standard room.

The review committee and consultants have asked each of the three proposals for clarifying information. The committee will receive responses from each of the three over the next couple of weeks, at such time the committee will begin negotiations with those that provide the appropriate follow up information.

The committee expects to have a recommendation to the City Commission in 30 to 60 days.

Changes to Downtown Market Square

A change of plans in Owensboro's downtown revitalization could save the city almost two million dollars and lead to enhanced private investment in downtown. Planners are rethinking the market square plans now that the Executive Inn land is giving them more room to work with downtown.

Under the original downtown masterplan, businesses on the block north of the courthouse would be flattened to make room for a market square used as an outdoor event space and farmer's market, but officials say that plan presented too many logistical problems.

The new idea is to create a direct path from the courthouse to the new waterfront through that block.

Downtown development director Fred Reeves says everything that might have been planned for the market square can now go on the Executive Inn property. The path, called a paseo by urban designers, will create opportunities for private development on the block adjacent to the new downtown hotel and along Veterans Blvd. that were not a part of the original plan. In addition to saving money with the redesign, the private investment will keep more downtown property on the tax rolls.

To view the complete redesign of Market Square, please visit the EDC home page at http://edc.owensboro.com/

EDC Receives Five Proposals for Downtown Convention Center Hotel

Five proposals have been received by the EDC from private development groups willing to invest significant private dollars into a downtown hotel attached to the publicly funded downtown Owensboro convention/ events center. The proposals come from nationally respected development groups that have access to significant capital for private investment.

Nationally known and respected hotel flags are included in each proposal willing to operate a franchise in downtown Owensboro; the flags include Hilton, Sheraton, Marriott, Hampton Inn, and Holiday Inn. All proposals are willing to provide full service, convention class hotels with between 150 and 250 rooms, based on market analysis. There are local development groups and service providers involved in more than one of the proposals. Several developers have pledged to use local labor and contractors provided they are competitively priced.

The EDC will be facilitating the process of due diligence with a committee of staff members including the city and county government. The committee will be making a recommendation to the Owensboro City Commission by late fall. A development agreement could be in place by the end of the year.

Downtown Design Standards Translate into Investment Security

Officials from the Gateway Planning Group told the Owensboro City Commission on Tuesday that having design standards for buildings will spur private investment downtown while protecting the investments of people who open businesses in the area.

Gateway officials said having design standards for renovating downtown buildings has been the deciding factor in other cities that wanted to draw investment back to the city's core.

"What we're most interested in ... is design compatibility," said Scott Polikov, Gateway's president.

The plan breaks downtown up into several districts -- the historic core, downtown core, riverfront core, riverfront edge, downtown transition, Frederica Street corridor, downtown campus and fringe neighborhoods. Each district will have set design regulations governing building size, height per floor, setbacks from the property line and other items. Other regulations will cover parking and the types of signs that are allowed.

The goal is create buildings that are designed in such a way that, if a business were to close, a new business could move in without changing the character of the district, and the "beauty of the (neighborhood) remains constant," Polikov said.

"We're more concerned with: How does it feel as you walk down the street?" Polikov said.

The plan calls for a downtown design administrator to be appointed by the city manager. The administrator will work with a committee made up of city staff and members of the Owensboro Metropolitan Planning Commission, and the body will be tasked with reviewing development plans to ensure they conform with the design standards.

EDC ISSUES REQUEST FOR PROPSAL FOR CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL

Today the Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corporation (GO-EDC) issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) seeking a qualified developer for a new downtown hotel as part of the $120 million package of catalyst projects in the Downtown Owensboro Placemaking Initiative. 

This RFP is a solicitation process, which is expected to culminate in a negotiated agreement between the City of Owensboro and a qualified private developer to develop and construct the convention center hotel and related infrastructure. 

GO-EDC will select a developer for the Hotel project subject to the approval of the Owensboro City Commission. An RFP Review Team consisting of EDC staff, Gateway Planning consultants, and City and County staff representatives will review and recommend the potential developer.

Several state incentives may be available to the developer of this project, including, but not limited to, incentives from the Kentucky Tourism Cabinet.  In addition, the site of the proposed hotel is located in an area that qualifies for New Markets Tax Credits financing. 

EDC President/ CEO Nick Brake said respondents to the RFP will be expected to utilize hotel operators that will provide a “full service” hotel recognized by the convention and meetings markets. 

Brake said respondents are encouraged to bring to the project a team of architects and construction professionals with proven track records that meet the goals of the development, adding that the Hotel should operate as a corporate managed, national or international chain-affiliated property positioned to primarily accommodate convention and group-meeting demand. “The quality and level should be consistent with the quality of similar headquarters hotels in other North American cities,” he said.

In order to encourage broad participation by the development community and in recognition of the strong interest in Owensboro’s hotel market, developer responses to this RFP are due, August 1, 2009.  GO-EDC expects to conclude selection of a development team for recommendation and finalization by December 31, 2009.  “The RFP will be advertised both regionally and nationally in hopes of attracting strong interest among the local, regional, and national development community,” said Brake.

The Downtown Owensboro Initiative generated a market-based Downtown Master Plan (prepared by Gateway Planning Group at www.gatewayplanning.com) and a comprehensive package of catalyst projects intended to jump-start downtown revitalization. For a complete copy of the Downtown Owensboro Master Plan, see “Master Plan” under the “Town Planning and Urban Design” section of www.gatewayplanning.com. 

Please visit edc.owensboro.com and click on “Downtown Development” to view the RFP executive summary or click here to obtain a downloadable and printable full RFP document.  

Downtown Project Officially Underway, Governor: "This will put Owensboro on the Map"

Community leaders in Owensboro officially put shovels in the dirt as a symbolic beginning of a $120 million revitalization of downtown.  

Later in the day, Governor Steve Beshear said the Owensboro downtown revitalization efforts were transformative and would put Owensboro on the map for future growth.  "In these challenging economic times, I applaud the leaders of this community for taking this bold step for the future of Owensboro." 

Daviess County Judge-Executive Reid Haire said today's activities were the first rock to fall in an avalanche of investments yet to come.  

The downtown master plan will result in a $79 million local public investment over the next 5 years to match the $40 million federal investment in the Owensboro riverfront, including a new privately funded 200+ room hotel to replace the Executive Inn, a Multi-Purpose Indoor Events Center suitable for sports and conventions, and a Market Square Plaza connecting the courthouse to the Riverfront Park.

Owensboro City Commission Approves Downtown Master Plan

The Owensboro City Commission took the first step in the transformation of downtown Owensboro with their unanimous approval of the Downtown Master Plan Tuesday night.  

The City Commission Chambers were full of citizens expressing a strong level of support for the plan.   Among the comments were from citizens that have been actively engaged in the Gateway Planning process. Many voiced support for the Master Plan as a tool to attract people and investment to Owensboro.  

Recent research supports this logic.  A new paper by Gerald Carlino and Albert Saiz looked at 150 metropolitan areas around the United States and found that those rich in what they called “consumption amenities” - the things that make a city delightful, such as parks, historic sites, museums, beaches, and vibrant downtowns - “disproportionally attracted highly educated individuals and experienced faster housing price appreciation.”

In other words, urban growth and prosperity have less to do with transportation links and industrial infrastructure than these "consumption amenities."   Beautiful and charming cities draw a crowd, while the featureless and unattractive wilt like wallflowers.

Carlino and Saiz’s paper could give policy makers a new way to think about the conditions necessary for economic growth. As they consider how to boost the economy, they should think not about the raw materials of business, but about what will bring together talented people in the same place. This suggests a different approach to stimulus spending - and, likely, stark assessments about where to spend it that will not make for popular politics.  

The City of Owensboro is on the cutting edge with a local stimulus package that is creating "consumption amenities" in transforming downtown.  

Downtown Owensboro Arts Academy

One of the lesser known elements of the new Downtown Master Plan is the creation of an arts academy in downtown Owensboro. The Gateway Planning team recommends exploring options that would capitalize on the arts and education character of the community focusing on downtown.

With this in mind, the EDC is currently facilitating discussion between the region’s four colleges, universities, and local school systems to create an academy that would offer students an opportunity to study the arts in conjunction with performance and production components at the River Park Center.

The format of the academy will allow to students can begin the program in the junior year of high school and complete the program with a bachelor’s degree from one of the local colleges or universities. The academy hopes to attract students from outside the region to attend as residential students in high school. The program can be an effective tool for the attraction and retention of young talent to the region.

The arts are now one of the nation’s leading export industries. Nationally, there are more than a half million businesses that employ 2.7 million in the U.S. in “creative” industries. These creative industries are a growing part of the economy in Greater Owensboro. The number of creative industry jobs in the region jumped from 375 in 2004 to 446 in 2006, an increase of 18.9 percent. The largest increase in Owensboro came in the performing arts and music.

Unusual among cities of its size, Owensboro boasts a thriving arts life. The River Park Center, whose two auditoriums hosted more than 150 performances and 900 civic events last year, presents a wide variety of entertainment, including productions designed especially for students. The River Park Center is also known as "Broadway West" in the national theater community. Each year the River Park hosts theater companies while they build touring shows like 42nd Street. Some local talent is used in set building, costumes and technical areas before the production launches a world tour beginning with an Owensboro premiere in Cannon Hall.

We Can Finally Move Beyond the Executive Inn

The closing of the Executive Inn was a blow to the citizens of Owensboro. For decades the hotel was the centerpiece of the downtown. The convention center attached to the hotel was a key part of the tourism and economic development of Owensboro.

Now, less than 6 months after its closing this past spring, Downtown Owensboro is springing to life again with a new Master Plan released Nov. 15 by the Gateway Planning team out of Ft. Worth, TX. The new master plan calls for a 200+ room hotel to replace the Executive Inn.

A new Multi-Purpose Indoor Events Center suitable for hosting conventions and sporting events. The new plan will allow Downtown Owensboro to reach its full potential. The Executive Inn was built as a Las Vegas style hotel model, where patrons drove up and spent all of their time in the hotel complex. The new plan will create a more 21st Century, walkable urban model where the hotel blends into the larger downtown and riverfront.

The proposed location of the new downtown hotel, at the intersection of Frederica and Second Streets, is closer to the action with the $40 million Waterfront Park, Owensboro's highly touted River Park Center arts facility, and the historic core dowtown "main street." The location will activate the market along Veterans Blvd. along the riverfront district, reinvent Second Street, and create a new public plaza connecting the Daviess County Courthouse to the waterfront. This new center of community life, adjacent to the proposed new hotel site, would also house the Farmers Market. This plaza will become the city's "Grand Gesture" to the river, truly connecting Owensboro to its river roots.

The Transformation of Downtown Owensboro

Downtown Owensboro is undergoing a transformation. A new proposed master plan, the result of an intensive placemaking process led by the Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corp and Downtown Development Corp., will result in a significant local investment over the next 5 years to match the $40 million federal investment in the Owensboro riverfront.

The recommended Phase I public amenities and private investment in downtown are based on very rigorous economic analysis provided by the Gateway Planning team from Ft. Worth, TX. Gateway was engaged by the community to complete the downtown master plan.

Transformation of Veterans Blvd. -- Veterans Blvd. will be reinvented to be a pedestrian priority street with specialty paving, flat curbs, on-street parking, and street scape amenities. Infill buildings on Veterans Blvd. should be 3-4 story mixed use buildings with active retail and restaurant uses on the ground floor and residential uses above. Veterans Blvd. would act as a linear plaza connecting the RiverPark Center to the new hotel and Indoor Events Center.

Market Square Public Plaza-- A new public plaza that connects 2nd Street to the Veterans Blvd. and the new Waterfront Park is envisioned. In addition to being the new center of community life in Owensboro, this new plaza would also house the Farmers’ Market. The market stalls, cafe seating, retail sales kiosks will all activate this space. In addition the new hotel and the new Indoor Events Center will all have direct access to this plaza. This plaza is the city’s “Grand Gesture” to the river and truly connects the city to its roots.

Second Street Reinvented -- Second Street will be converted to a vibrant, pedestrian friendly, two-way, main street. With curb extensions, renovated historic buildings, and active ground floor uses, this street will once again become the true heart of downtown.

New Waterfront Park -- The improvements to the Waterfront Park as envisioned in the Riverfront Master Plan will be completed and this park will be a destination park for residents and visitors alike. Together with the metamorphosis of Veterans Blvd., this park will be the cornerstone of a revitalized Downtown Owensboro.

New Downtown Hotel -- A new 225-room downtown hotel is envisioned at the intersection of Frederica Street and Veterans Blvd. Its location will be strategic to take advantage of river views, access to the adjoining Indoor Events Center, and the new Market Square Public Plaza. It will reinforce the activities on the Plaza with retail and restaurant uses on the ground floor.

Multi-Purpose Indoor Events Center -- This will be a major flexible meeting facility and will be have high ceilings that accommodates indoor sporting events and an internal capacity of up to 80,000 sq. ft. It will be located next to the new hotel and Market Square Public Plaza. Users of this facility will have direct access to the new Waterfront Park, Veterans Blvd. and 2nd Street

Frederica Street Redefined -- Frederica Street is envisioned to be a true multi-modal boulevard and gateway into downtown. With a streetcar connecting all the major destinations along Frederica, the street will truly transformed into Owensboro’s “Champs-Elysees”.

East Downtown Cultural Arts District -- Existing historic buildings along East 2nd Street can be the focus of new adaptive reuse for arts and cultural uses. This area would be ideal for the location of the new Arts Education center, a partnership of local arts groups and educational institutions. A vibrant local arts scene would be complemented by residential lofts, studios, apartments, and townhomes transitioning to adjoining neighborhoods.

Downtown Placemaking as Economic Development

As the focus of the Gateway Planning efforts for the Downtown Owensboro Placemaking initiative move toward implementation, a common question often emerges. How does placemaking impact economic development?

Certainly a revival of any downtown generates economic activity through tourism, retail, and even residential developments, but the real impact is not necessarily about the economic activity, although that is critical. It is fundamentally about talent attraction and leveraging the urbanism in the downtown to distinguish the region from "everytown USA."

Christopher Leinberger says it very well in his recent book, The Option of Urbanism. "All the fancy economic development 'flavors of the month' do not hold a candle to the power of a great walkable urban place. Place-based strategies that create walkable urbanism will attract the broad spectrum of talent required to build a great and vibrant economy. Build a great place, offering the choice of many ways of living, including all kinds of drivable suburban and walkable urban options, and they will come-- young entrepreneurs, the venture capitalists, the skilled technicians, and the school teachers" (170).

Ultimately the Downtown Placemaking initiative is about creating an environment that attracts talented people of all ages.

Downtown Development Grounded in Market Reality

A primary reason that Gateway Planning was chosen to complete the Downtown Owensboro Placemaking initiative is due to their demonstrated effectiveness in marrying downtown development and market forces. This marriage is the essence of placemaking.

Today, the Gateway team unveiled the elements of the downtown development program. The details of the plan can be found at the downtownowensboro.com.

The suggestion of public amenities and private investment in downtown are based on very rigorous economic analysis provided by Gateway team economist Jon Hockenyos. Hockenyos estimates and the master plan design revealed today show design for the downtown reflecting the market reality of downtown Owensboro with the following recommendations:

• Approximately 300 to 500 residential units, which represents around 10% of the residential units that will be constructed in the metro area over the next 10 years. The design identifies four areas for mixed income housing in the downtown core that would promote a walkable urban envirornment. The plan also call for significant pedestrian linkages and even the possibility of an electric street car to connect downtown to amenities along Frederica street.


• Approximately 250 to 300 hotels rooms in the core downtown, which would likely come with a new convention-caliber hotel and replace the Executive Inn. The design suggests that this could be leveraged in a couple of areas of downtown, many of which do not include the current Executive Inn property.


• Approximately 40,000 to 70,000 square feet of convention space in a multi-purpose indoor event center that can accomodate business-caliber conventions and various sporting events. The plan offered various senarios for the location of a convention center, including a deisgn that does not require the Executive Inn property.


• Mixed-use office and retail space based on market conditions and downtown housing development. The economic analysis suggests approximately 300,000 square feet of office and 100,000 to 150,000 square feet of retail/ restaurant space over the next 10 years, much of it leveraged across from the riverfront development park along Veteran's Blvd. and adjacent to the public amenities such as the convention center and hotel.


• Public space for a Farmer's Market in the downtown core area that could become a year-round amenity and attract a whole foods shop or small-scale grocery. The design offers several options, including a newly created public green that connects the courthouse lawn to the riverfront park.


• Museums and movie theatre to add to the entertainment appeal and enhance the retail and restaurant opporutnities. Increased investment in downtown musuems could enhance other elements of the downtown.


• A privately financed outdoor event venue built to be baseball-friendly, the site plan call for this to be on a mix of public and private property.


• Arts and cultural education center that would capitalize on the great fine arts education in the local schools, colleges, and universities programed in conjunction with the River Park Center Young Adult Theatre Academy the Owensboro Symphony Academy and other musuems.

To see specific renditions from the Gateway Planning Master Plan presentation, please visit http://www.downtownowensboro.com/

Decoding the Language of New Urbanism

With the work of the Gateway Planning team on the Owensboro Downtown Placemaking initiative the community has heard a lot of new terminology and new discussion about new urbanist ideas. Concepts like new urbanism, placemaking, walkable urbanism, mixed-use, sustainable development, smart growth, and form-based codes are all key elements of downtown revitalization in cities all across the country. What do they mean?

Known by a variety of names, the defining characteristics of new urbanist projects appear to be walkable neighborhoods, a mix of land uses that integrate housing, shops, civic facilities, and work places, and preservation and respect for the natural environment in the form of maintaining greenspace. The economic and fiscal effects are summarized as follows:

New urbanist developments tend to enhance quality of life, which is crucial to both recruitment and retention of companies;

Mixed-use developments promote greater land-use density, which can help ease the pressure on transportation systems and other infrastructure;

New urbanist developments tend to have a longer “shelf-life” than traditional developments, which will tend to create a greater fiscal impact over the medium and longer-term. A portion of this impact is due to the inclusion of housing in the project, both through direct enhancement of the tax base and the indirect effects of relocating consumers to the central city.

Charles Leinberger, in the book the Option of Urbanism, outlines the movement away from the pre-industrial walking city away from urbanism to an era of driveable sub-urban development in the post World War II 20th Century. This shift lead to our dependency on automobiles, gasoline, automobile manufacturing as a base on employment, and ultimately sub-urban sprawl as the preferred development option. This shift away from walkable cities to auto-dependent development in the suburbs is reflected in popular culture on TV with families like those in Leave it to Beaver to the Brady Bunch living in the suburbs.

By the late 20th century the pendulum began to move back to the center with a reemergence of walkable urban developments in many larger cities around the country. Again, popular culture reflected this shift. Rather than the living in the suburbs, TV shows like Seinfeld and Friends were once again set in walkable urban settings.

This does not mean that drivable suburbia and automobiles are becoming a thing of the past. Both will co-exist in cities large and small around the country. With $4 a gallon gasoline and the push for environmental conscious development, the setting is ripe for walkable urbanist development. To read more about New Urbanism, go to the following links. http://www.newurbanism.org/newurbanism/principles.html, http://www.uli.org/, http://www.gatewayplanning.com/Gateway_base_frame.html, http://www.cnu.org/

To see the urban design standards prepared for Owensboro by the Gateway Planning group, please visit http://www.downtownowensboro.com/ and click on Owensboro Urban Design Guidelines.

Be a Part of the New Downtown

Next week is a big week for downtown Owensboro!

The Owensboro Downtown Placemaking initiative, launched by the EDC earlier this year, will reach a climax with a series of town meetings and community design workshops intended to give regional residents opportunities to participate in the "Designing a Downtown for Everyone. "

The process will kick off on Monday, September 9 at 6:30 pm at the River Park Center where Neal Pierce, a well respected journalist and and chairman of the Citistates group, will revisit many of the recommendations he made to the Owensboro region two decades ago, including the importance of downtown development.

The process will continue with a mid-week visual design pin-up session on Wednesday, September 10 at the River Park Center. The final session of the week will be held at noon on Friday at River Park.

The final results will be presented on November 15 from 9 am to noon at Kentucky Wesleyan College.

For more information, or to register for these sessions please visit http://www.downtownowensboro.com/

To read about Neal Peirce visit http://citistates.com/speakers/npeirce/ To review of the Peirce Report as it relates to downtown Owensboro please visit http://www.plfo.org/advocate/volume_5_issue_1/#peirce