HomeMy WebLinkAboutTransmittal - 11/26/2024SALT LAKE CITY TRANSMITTAL
To:
Salt Lake City Council Chair
Submission Date:
11/26/2024
Date Sent to Council:
11/27/2024
From:
Department*
Mayor
Employee Name:
Thomas, Blake
E-mail
blake.thomas@slc.gov
Department Director Signature
Director Signed Date
11/26/2024
Chief Administrator Officer's Signature
Chief Administrator Officer's Signed Date
11/27/2024
Subject:
Green Loop Guidelines and Next Steps
Additional Staff Contact:
Rachel Otto: rachel.otto@slc.govMegan Yuill: megan.yuill@slc.govJill Love: jill.love@slc.gov
Presenters/Staff Table
Rachel Otto: rachel.otto@slc.govMegan Yuill: megan.yuill@slc.gov
Document Type
Information Item
Budget Impact?
Yes
No
Recommendation:
The Administration is requesting the release of FY24/25 Green Loop CIP funds ($3,140,000; ¼ Cent Sales Tax) to create Project Development Guidelines (that will include guidelines for public space management) and advance design on 200 East and 500 West. The funding will be used for three concurrent efforts:
Prepare Project Development Guidelines (modeled after the Utah Performing Arts Center Owner Requirements and Context Considerations document completed in 2012);
Advance more detailed design concepts for 200 East from 400 South to 500 South; and
Design for 500 West from 600 South to 900 South.
Background/Discussion
The Green Loop is a proposed 5.3-mile linear greenway that could add up to 54 acres of new green space downtown. This transformative project was first proposed nearly 20 years ago in the Salt Lake Chamber’s Downtown Rising Plan (2007). Subsequently adopted Salt Lake City plans, including Salt Lake City’s Downtown Plan (2016), Reimagine Nature (2022), Connect SLC (2024), and more than a dozen other citywide plans have further developed Green Loop ideas and concepts.
Green Loop Project Goals
Develop a dense downtown urban forest;
Serve as an active transportation corridor;
Improve water quality through stormwater management;
Create inviting social spaces that provide a variety of amenities and attractions; and
Create public front yards and gardens within the downtown that support the needs of all users.
Schematic Design and Cost Estimate for 200 East
To better understand project opportunities and constraints, the Administration hired a consultant to develop a schematic design package for the 200 East leg of the Green Loop as well as a vision for the routing, benefits, impacts, and estimated costs of the entire 5.3-mile linear greenway project. This design study, completed in August 2024, evaluated the opportunities and constraints of redeveloping the auto-centric 132’ rights-of-way (900 South, 500 West, North and South Temple Streets, and 200 East) to a multi-use corridor with substantial green space, active transportation facilities, and two travel lanes. The design team engaged with every department in the City that has a role in the right-of-way to identify functional requirements that inform design. The design incorporates maintenance and operations access to underground utilities, as well as tree planting offsets required by Public Utilities. Along with the design, a full probable or planning-level cost estimate was prepared. This design work will inform phasing and funding implementation strategies for this and other segments of the Green Loop.
Operations and Management Responsibilities and Future Requirements
In conjunction with design for 200 East, the consultant team began discussions with the City’s Executive Leadership Team and Green Loop Technical Advisory Committee to identify operations and maintenance responsibilities, gaps and redundancies. Current and future roles identified for the Green Loop include: management, funding, construction management, maintenance, security, reservations, programming, volunteer coordination, communications/ marketing, advocacy, vendors, and concessions. This work formed the basis of a per-block operations and maintenance needs analysis for skilled trades and human hours. Several models for operations and maintenance were explored, including management by a single City department; management by a Business Improvement District or Special Assessment Area; and management by a (new) non-profit public-private partnership model. The future operations and maintenance model for the Green Loop has not been selected, and the Administration looks forward to receiving Council input on the various options.
Next Steps
The Administration proposes three concurrent efforts to advance the implementation of the Green Loop project:
Create Project Development Guidelines (that will include guidelines for public space management) to lead project implementation. This could include facilitated workshops with the Administration and Council Members to formulate project development guidelines, with an approach modeled after the pre-design process documents that have been prepared for large capital projects such as the Eccles Theater (Utah Performing Arts Center) and the Public Safety Building. The Project Development Guidelines could also include public space management research and best practices, which would further address operations, maintenance, programming, art, landscaping, safety, and security along the Green Loop.
Conceptual design advancement for the Civic Campus on 200 East from 400 South to 500 South. Given previous CIP allocations, the Council has identified the Civic Campus on 200 East, from 400 South to 500 South, as a high priority for more immediate improvements. A concept for this site was previously developed with the 200 East schematic design project for cost estimating; however, the Administration is requesting funding to further advance the design on this block, as well as its connections to the blocks immediately north and south (i.e., 300 South to 400 South and 500 South to 600 South). The Administration’s intent is to ensure this critical location at the intersection of Salt Lake City’s Civic Campus (Washington Square, Library Square, and the Public Safety Building) becomes a thriving public realm, providing individuals and families with activated, safe, and inviting spaces to gather. The Public Lands Department was awarded $190,000 in the FY 23/24 CIP budget cycle for the Library Plaza Structural Assessment and Visioning. The CIP project allocated $125,000 to develop a vision plan that supports both large signature events as well as everyday activation at Library Square. The remaining $65,000 was dedicated to structural paving system investigation. The previous visioning and assessment efforts will inform the final design of the Civic Campus and City Council input is welcomed throughout this process.
Design for 500 West from 600 South to 900 South. The three blocks highlighted in the FY 24/25 CIP request along 500 West (600 South to 900 South) are a priority for the Administration and the Green Loop project, in large part due to the planned and more immediate private sector investments in the Granary District. Design for the three blocks will include intersection treatments and connections north on 500 West to the Rio Grande District. The planned utility and landscape investment from the private sector provides a unique opportunity for Salt Lake City to leverage private funding and prevent misalignment of public and private right-of-way construction efforts. Property owners in the process of redeveloping land along 500 West have indicated a willingness to dedicate already budgeted utility and landscape costs toward the implementation of the Green Loop. These private investments are estimated to total $10,000,000 between 600 South and 900 South.
Ongoing Efforts
In addition to annual CIP requests, the Administration is exploring funding strategies for the Green Loop, which include, but is not limited to, public-private partnerships; exploring the potential of a Special Assessment Area or Business Improvement District; bonding; federal and local grants; and philanthropic opportunities. Funding sources for both capital and operations are being explored.
Will the City Council need to hold a public hearing for this item?*
Yes
No
Public Process
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