Subject:
Title
A Resolution of the Board of Commissioners of the Town of Erie Urban Renewal Authority Approving the Payment of Funds to the Town of Erie for the Preparation of the Erie Gateway Planned Development from the Proposed I-25 Erie Gateway Urban Renewal Plan Area
Body
Department: Economic Development
Presenter(s): Julian Jacquin, Economic Development Director
Sarah Nurmela, Planning and Development Director
Neal Payton, Torti Gallas + Partners, Inc.
Time Estimate: 15 minutes
only required for non-consent items
Fiscal Summary:
Cost as Recommended: $493,987
Balance Available: $51,860
Budget Line Item Number: 800-90-875-560100-100282
New Appropriation Required: Yes
Staff Recommendation:
Recommendation
To review the scope of work and approve the Expenditure.
End
Summary and Background of Subject Matter:
Town staff seeks to retain Torti Gallas + Partners, Inc., to assist in the refinement and entitlement of the existing planning and urban design vision for the I-25 Erie Gateway site, at the northwest corner of I-25 and Erie Parkway. The final product will be an adopted new Planned Development (PD) District for this site, addressing the southern 600 acres of the 1,200-acre new development area. The new PD site is bounded by Weld County Road 7 (WCR-7) to the west and I-25 to the east, and Weld County Roads 10 (WCR-10) and 8 (WCR-8 or “Erie Parkway”) to the north and south.
The I-25 Erie Gateway will serve as a destination within the community and broader region, and is intended to be developed as a vibrant, sustainable, mixed-use, and transit-oriented development. This vision was established in concert with property owners and the community in 2018 and captured in the I-25 Erie Gateway Developer Book, which can be found here: www.erieco.gov/DocumentCenter/View/11327/Erie-Gateway-Developer-Book <http://www.erieco.gov/DocumentCenter/View/11327/Erie-Gateway-Developer-Book>. Implementation of this broad vision will require a closer evaluation of scale, connectivity, mix of uses, built form and mobility. The PD will thus refine the vision in a cohesive document that addresses use, urban design, and connectivity.
Currently, approximately half of the 600-acre site (255 acres) is owned by the Town of Erie, with the remainder comprising 13 privately-owned parcels (currently unincorporated Weld County) on the western portion of the site along County Road 7. The vision for the I-25 Erie Gateway development site also includes the 600-acre “North Station” site owned by the Community Development Group (CDG), which is entitled under a separate PD. The planning process for the “I-25 Erie Gateway - South” site will be led by the Town of Erie and will include existing property owners both within and adjacent to the planning area as well as the Town’s development partner for the Town-owned property (Hines), pursuant to the Exclusive Negotiation Agreement adopted by the Board of Trustees on July 12, 2022. Staff anticipates the PD will be completed over a 12-15 month period.
The Town issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the planning and design of the Erie Gateway PD in June 2022 and received one proposal from Torti Gallas + Partners, Inc. The Scope of Services is included in the attached agenda items.
The Town of Erie had proposed creating a new Urban Renewal Plan Area (URA) for the I-25 Erie Gateway site in 2018/2019 but was ultimately never completed. Town staff is now preparing agreements with consultants to restart that effort and create a new URA for this larger development area, which staff hopes will be completed by early 2023. Town staff seeks to retain Torti Gallas + Partners, Inc. for the new Erie Gateway PD using future revenues from the new URA, after it is created and the URA begins receiving new TIF revenue from development activity at this location. Initial costs for Torti Gallas + Partners, Inc. will be paid by loan from the Town’s General Fund, with those funds to be reimbursed from future URA revenues at a later date.
As a result, Town staff is asking the TOEURA Board of Commissioners to approve the payment of funds to the Town of Erie for the preparation of the Erie Gateway Planned Development (PD) from future revenues in the new proposed I-25 Erie Gateway Urban Renewal Plan Area. The Professional Services Agreement with Torti Gallas + Partners, Inc. is also on the August 9 Board of Trustees agenda for the Board’s consideration.
Fiscal Impact: $493,987
Board Priority(s) Addressed:
ü Attractive Community Amenities
ü Engaged and Diverse Community
ü Prosperous Economy
ü Well-Maintained Transportation Infrastructure
ü Safe and Healthy Community
ü Effective Governance
Attachment(s):
1. Resolution 22-07
2. TGP Agreement
3. Erie Request for Proposal (RFP)