Ignite lakeland 2015 Strategic Vision Plan for Downtown

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IGNITE LAKELAND 2015 STRATEGIC VISION PLAN FOR DOWNTOWN

Downtowns are often referred to within a city as their “heart”, “lifeblood”, “living room”, or other similar adjectives describing the importance of a great downtown and how it provides strength and energy to the broader region. Downtown Lakeland certainly serves this role for our community.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Ignite Lakeland would like to thank the following people for their vision, guidance and hard work in serving on our board, actively

participating in numerous visioning sessions, and being a key contributor to the Ignite Lakeland 2015 Strategic Vision Plan for

Downtown:

Chair Matthew R. Clark President, Broadway Real Estate Services Team Members R. Howard Wiggs Mayor, City of Lakeland Jim Malless Commissioner, City of Lakeland Douglas B. Thomas City Manager, City of Lakeland Larry Ross, Ph.D. (Facilitator) Anne & Bill France Distinguished Professor Barney Barnett School of Business & Free Enterprise, Florida Southern College Peter Kageyama (Facilitator) Author, For the Love of Cities and Love Where You Live

Chrissanne Long CEO, Maximize Digital Media Leonard Mass Vice President – Land Development, Drummond Company, Inc. David Collins Artist / Owner, Paint Along Studios Julie Townsend Executive Director, Lakeland Downtown Development Authority Ellen Simms Co-Owner, Two Hens & A Hound Interim Executive Director, Downtown Lakeland Partnership Brad Crenshaw Real Estate Manager, Publix Supermarkets Jason Rodda Vice President, Rodda Construction

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David A. Miller Shareholder, Peterson & Myers, P.A. Brad Lunz President, Lunz Prebor Fowler Architects Gary M. Ralston, CCIM, SIOR, SRS, CPM, CRE, SCL Managing Partner, Coldwell Banker Commercial Saunders Ralston Dantzler Realty William L. Rhey, Ph.D. Dean, Barney Barnett School of Business & Free Enterprise, Florida Southern College Steven J. Boyington Managing Partner & VP, Wallis Murphy Boyington Architects, Inc. LaTrice Moore Professor of Business Administration, Polk State College R. Joseph Childs Dean, College of Business & Legal Studies, Southeastern University

Timothy B. Darby Partner, Darby Law Group, P.A. Grant G. Miller Director, Prestige World Wide Group Dana Hurly Financial Advisor, Allen & Company Maggie Mariucci Director of External Affairs. Florida Polytechnic University Corey Miller Owner, Miller Construction Management, Inc. Anupam Saxena Senior Managing Engineer, Exponent Sozon Vatikiotis

CEO, Alltrust Insurance

Tom Phillips Executive Director, Citrus Connection and Polk Transit Authority

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Acknowledgments ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2 Table of Contents ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4

Executive Summary ………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………………………………. 5

Prioritized Elements of Vision Plan (Summarized Policy Version) ……………………………….……………………………………………………………... 7 2015 Strategic Vision Plan for Downtown (Full Working Version) …………………………………………………..…………………………………………. 13 Strategic Role of Governing Body ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 13 Distributed Parking Strategy ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 17 Appropriate Residential Development ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 20 Dynamic Digital Communication Strategy ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 25 Strategic Use of Under/Undeveloped Land …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 29 Sustainable Retail Mix Strategy ………..…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 38

EXHIBITS Exhibit A – Survey Summary & Link to Full Survey Results ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 41 Exhibit B – Links to Prior Plans for Downtown Lakeland …………………………………………………………………………………………………. 43

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The board of IGNITE Lakeland offers the following set of strategic recommendations to the City of Lakeland City Commission. Full

support for the recommendations can be found in the attached working documents. It is important to keep in mind that the vision for

Downtown Lakeland belongs to all of its citizens and stakeholders and not to any one group. The City Commission is unique in its role

and ability to guide Downtown Lakeland towards this vision by developing and approving policies that support the vision. These policies

ultimately direct City staff on the actual implementation necessary to achieve the common vision. It is the recognition of this unique

and critical role that has inspired the members of IGNITE Lakeland to direct its recommendations to the City Commission. We believe

these recommendations, in the hands of the City’s governing body is the most effective way to facilitate our community’s pursuit of a

common vision setting forth what is best for Downtown and for all of those who visit, work, and one day live in Downtown Lakeland.

Ignite Lakeland was formed as a citizen action committee due to concerns that Downtown Lakeland was not progressing and no

material development had occurred in over a decade. Our purpose has been to assist the City and its stakeholders in determining

what is important for the future of Downtown and build consensus towards a common strategic vision plan to make that future a

reality.

Downtown has been through numerous planning exercises over the years, many of which still provide a great framework for the

continued growth and success of Downtown. We are extremely fortunate to have the existing landscape we all enjoy Downtown due

to the efforts of many community leaders before us, as well as the significant public investments that the City has historically made

Downtown. These prior public investments worked extremely well in the past to encourage private investments to follow (e.g., the

public Lemon Street Promenade project led directly to the private development of two large office buildings in the late 1990’s and

early 2000’s). Unfortunately, Downtown has no longer been given the priority treatment it once enjoyed and as a result growth and

development have plateaued.

This plan does not replace the City’s prior plans, but is instead designed to build upon the extensive planning efforts from the past and

provide specific policy strategy to the City Commission and key stakeholders of Downtown so that we can all pursue a common vision

for the future of Downtown. That common vision is the never ending pursuit of a vibrant urban core that provides endless

opportunities to be surprised and delighted as you live, work, and play in Downtown.

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The following recommendations are the result of a phased visioning process that started with public workshops led by Peter Kageyama

and continued with hundreds of man hours of discussion, an extensive survey with nearly one thousand thoughtful responses, a

facilitated development of the prioritized elements of the vision plan by Dr. Larry Ross, and a series of visioning sessions that led to

these policy strategies, implementation recommendations, and overall structure for a constantly evolving vision for Downtown

Lakeland.

Ignite prepared two primary vision documents: a summary version of the most important action items for the Lakeland City

Commission to consider for implementation as policy initiatives in the near term and an extensive implementation white paper to give

additional direction to the Commission and staff on the work that Ignite believes the City needs to engage and complete. We recognize

that some of the recommendations may be expensive to implement and that City resources are limited. Ultimately, there will need

to be hard decisions made by the Commission as it decides what resources to allocate to the future of Downtown and other areas of

our great City. Ignite simply requests that the City Commission make Downtown one of its key priorities for leading all of Lakeland

into the future.

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PRIORITIZED ELEMENTS OF VISION PLAN (SUMMARIZED POLICY VERSION)

Recommendation Priority Related Action Items

1. Clarify the STRATEGIC ROLE OF

THE GOVERNING BODY in taking a leadership role Downtown by setting policy that provides the political will necessary to remove obstacles and develop the infrastructure needed to make achieving the vision for Downtown one of the City’s top priorities.

Critical: Short term action required to begin to change the culture of status quo and provide clear policy direction that empowers the City Manager’s office and all of City staff to implement the vision for a truly vibrant and thriving Downtown. Longer term there needs to be deliberate discussions to continually engage the City Commission and important stakeholder groups in keeping the City’s focus on an always growing Downtown as new opportunities and challenges arise in the future.

City must take ownership and lead the vision for a thriving Downtown, moving past its traditional role of a regulator, facilitator, and service provider, by providing clear policy direction to staff to make Downtown a top priority.

Develop a new financial structure for Downtown that provides sustainable support for growth and development, including the infrastructure necessary for such growth as well as aggressive and coherent incentive policies and strategies.

Re-examine the current process-driven environment and seek opportunities to revise, streamline and facilitate every process involving downtown development/growth to becoming a “solution driven process”.

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2. Develop and implement a

coherent and comprehensive DISTRIBUTED PARKING STRATEGY as part of the critical infrastructure necessary for the Downtown area.

Very Important and Ongoing: Short term action required. Recommend initiating both supply and demand analysis and short term parking solutions immediately. Longer term items that may include construction and require long term financing should be initiated after the strategy has been developed, approved, and articulated to all key stakeholder groups.

Short term solutions that do not require significant planning or capital requirements to be completed within 6 months.

Incorporate demand analysis in the selection of locations and the design/use of parking infrastructure.

Identify appropriate public/private partnership opportunities and communicate strategic importance of investing in distributed parking infrastructure to serve as a catalyst for continued Downtown growth.

3. Encourage the facilitation of

APPROPRIATE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT in Downtown.

Important and Ongoing: Short term action required to complete a Gap Analysis on existing utility infrastructure in Downtown. Incorporate analysis in upcoming budget discussions to focus on improvement of City utilities for new residential development in Downtown. Longer term there needs to be a plan for a master Stormwater system for Downtown

As an essential factor in advancing the vision for Downtown, residential development is a persistent element of all vision plans developed for Downtown. Recognizing that market forces will drive the development effort, the city should continue to facilitate the alignment of infrastructure, regulations and available incentives to shape those market forces.

Conduct a process-improvement exercise on a recurring basis to identify

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so that new residential developments are not required to bear the direct cost or sacrifice valuable space for retention ponds. Similarly, there needs to be a long term plan for undergrounding electrical utilities near potential development sites throughout Downtown.

opportunities for streamlining all permitting and development review processes and communicate the improvements to the appropriate stakeholders.

In recognition of the significant economic impact that derives from residential development, current incentive programs should be revisited, restructured and reinforced to encourage long-term growth in the tax base. The revised incentives should be aggressively communicated to the development community in a timely and consistent manner. (See #4 below)

4. Support the development of a

comprehensive and DYNAMIC DIGITAL COMMUNICAITON STRATEGY that strengthens the brand identity for Downtown.

Important and Ongoing: Short term recommendation to engage in a paid study of best practice initiatives that have produced significant positive results. This should be combined with a digital inventory conducted by a private/public partnership including area colleges and university students/interns. Longer term recommendations focus on engagement of current stakeholder groups to develop an integrated marketing plan

Coordinate the marketing talent and resources of all those organizations with a stake in the success of the vision for Downtown. Challenge the collective organizational talent to develop a strategy that reflects what the people in the market need and want – not just what the individual organizations would like to see/want.

Create and support a city-wide marketing task force in its efforts to develop a marketing plan to implement the

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with resources and accountability to ensure sustainability. This should include development and implementation of effective marketing tools for local merchants.

collective marketing strategy that is identified in the action steps above. Try, whenever possible and appropriate, to leverage the resources of local marketing organizations.

Build the marketing talent infrastructure through training and workshops targeted at the successful growth of local business enterprises in a sustainable and appropriate fashion that recognizes the strength of both big and small businesses.

5. Assist current property owners

and potential investors to enhance the STRATEGIC USE OF UNDER/UNDEVELOPED LAND in Downtown.

Important and Ongoing: Short term action required. Recommend completion of a current inventory of all properties and structures in the Downtown and the current status of same. Simultaneously implement the regulatory process-improvement study/plan (referenced in #3 above) to begin to ease the burden on Downtown development in comparison to suburban development. Longer term recommendation to plan for, and budget for, the implementation of a dynamic land mapping and informational tool that will provide access to the information database referenced above.

Identify land that is undeveloped or underdeveloped in the Downtown core that can be developed for commercial purposes, including “pitchable projects” that could attract new employers and high skill, high wage jobs to Downtown.

Align and streamline the regulatory framework for commercial development in Downtown with the residential framework to a “solution driven process”.

Develop and market aggressive incentive packages to entice and encourage development in and around Downtown.

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Promote the availability and use of this tool. (See #4 above)

Initiate development of key, “catalytic” sites that are controlled by the City of Lakeland.

Open lines of communication between identified members of Ignite, the development community and city leadership to garner support for, and to conduct the action items as recommended in this vision document.

6. Develop Downtown as an

evening and entertainment district and encourage a SUSTAINABLE RETAIL MIX STRATEGY that will attract and retain additional experiential retail.

Important and Ongoing: Short term action required. Recommend updating and expanding the parking app. For mobile devices and increase available/accessible parking. (See #1 above) Longer term there needs to be an updated retail mix analysis conducted and the results used to actively recruit foodservice and complementary retail operations consistent with the demographics of Downtown.

Identify appropriate operational data points/metrics. Collect and maintain data in a readily accessible database.

Streamline regulatory processes, differentiating whenever possible and feasible to facilitate urban development in the Downtown.

Restructure, revise and enhance an aggressive package of incentives for urban development.

Identify key city parcels that could serve as catalytic sites for significant development (See #5 above).

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Through appropriate existing and newly formed agencies, departments, etc. communicate the development plan and its objectives. Hold all parties accountable as tasks and timelines are developed and marked for implementation.

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2015 STRATEGIC VISION PLAN FOR DOWNTOWN (FULL WORKING VERSION)

STRATEGIC ROLE OF GOVERNING BODY The City of Lakeland has long played an important role in the growth and development of Downtown. Beginning in the late 1970’s, the Lakeland Downtown Development Authority (LDDA) and the Lakeland Community Redevelopment Agency (LCRA) were formed. In addition to these agencies, numerous plans have been adopted by the City of Lakeland for Downtown, including redevelopment plans and updates dated 1980, 1990, 1995, 1999-2000, 2002-2003, the most recent LCRA plan in 2009, and the City’s Downtown Sector Plan in 2010 (See Appendix). These prior plans provide a wealth of knowledge and should be reaffirmed as part of an always evolving vision plan for the future of Downtown. In addition, the extensive public investments that were encouraged by prior planning efforts successfully led to significant private sector development (e.g., the public Lemon Street Promenade project led directly to the private development of two large office buildings in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s). These prior public investments are a key part of Downtown’s historical success, yet Downtown is no longer the priority it once was amongst City leadership, and as a result the private sector development has plateaued. Throughout all of these prior planning efforts, the role of governance has been discussed and numerous suggestions have been made, yet substantial challenges remain. The City, and more specifically the City Commission as our governing body, needs to adopt appropriate policy that will empower the City Manager and all of City staff to implement the suggestions from this and prior planning efforts, including: removing the obstacles for growth by shifting away from a regulator mentality to a facilitator mentality; embracing the role of servant leadership; streamlining regulatory and building permit processes to a solution driven process; improving the coordination of efforts between various existing organizations and staff all working towards a better Downtown; and investing in appropriate infrastructure for the future of Downtown. The fact remains that all governmental bodies have their challenges when it comes to regulation and processes that frustrate the private sector. While there is significant room for improvement in this area within the City, the City Commission needs to look at this more holistically and serve a much larger and more important role for Downtown. Quite simply, the City Commission needs to return to the role of making the growth and success of Downtown one of its top priorities.

Goal: To focus the role of the City Commission as the leader in implementing policy that directs City staff to remove obstacles and provide the infrastructure necessary to achieve a re-prioritized key initiative for the future prosperity of Lakeland: the successful growth and development of Downtown.

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Key Elements Action Items Timing Team Members Status

1) Take Ownership and Lead Downtown

a) Convince the City Commission that Downtown is one of its most important assets and that the future success of Lakeland depends on the future success of Downtown. b) Convince the City Commission that its role Downtown is more than an owner, regulator, facilitator, service provider, and financier; it must take full leadership responsibility by providing clear policy direction to staff to make Downtown a priority.

Short-Term (1-120 days) Short-Term (1-120 days)

City of Lakeland (“COL”), LDDA, Ignite, LEDC, DLP, Chamber, Lakeland Business Leaders (“LBL”), Lakeland Vision, Citizens COL, LDDA, Ignite, LEDC, DLP, Chamber, LBL, Lakeland Vision, Citizens

In-Progress In-Progress

2) Provide Sustainable Financial Feasibility for Downtown Growth

a) Put in place a new financial structure for Downtown that provides opportunity for sustainable support of Downtown growth and the public infrastructure necessary

Short-Term (120-270 days)

COL, LDDA

In-Progress

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to support such growth. This should include major goals such as reducing or restructuring the debt related to the LCRA’s purchase of the 10+ acres northeast of the police station to free up over $800,000 in annual funds for Downtown, as well as “creative” financing solutions such as exploring the use of crowdfunding for community projects (e.g., the new Downtown dog park). b) Create and implement attractive incentive packages that “prime the pump” for future development.


COL, LDDA, Development community

In-Progress

3) Become Facilitators and Streamline Processes

a) Ensure City staff recognizes the inherent complexity of urban development compared to suburban development and the different infrastructure


COL, LDDA, Business Friendly task force, Consultants as necessary

In-Progress

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needed for urban growth. Implement policies and procedures to ease development in the urban core and remove obstacles that stifle private growth.

4) Communication & Accountability

a) Organize meeting(s) and open lines of communication between identified Team Members to not only conduct above action items, but to also garner support for implementing the proposed solutions (financially and otherwise). Team Members should be held accountable as tasks and deadlines are determined.

Short-Term (1-360 days) COL, Ignite, LDDA, LEDC, DLP, Chamber, LBL, Lakeland Vision, Citizens

Ongoing

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DISTRIBUTED PARKING STRATEGY Downtown Lakeland, like many downtowns, has suffered from a “parking problem” for many years. Various groups and task forces have researched this issue over the years and the City of Lakeland has explored numerous options (e.g., 2 hour zone, metered spaces, free long-term parking in certain lots, leased long-term parking in certain lots/garages, etc.). While past solutions have been explored, significant challenges still remain. In addition to existing challenges, Ignite Lakeland has determined that without the addition of structured parking with public assistance, material new development and growth is unlikely to occur Downtown. The reason for this is simple, the economics of the Downtown Lakeland real estate market will not justify the cost of new construction if the development community has to bear the cost of structured parking without public assistance. In order to realize the growth our community wants to see Downtown, and provide all of Lakeland with a truly vibrant Downtown core, the City must address new structured parking as a key part of the infrastructure it provides to its citizens. By providing this critical infrastructure, development will become more attractive and financially feasible, ultimately leading to significant economic impact for the community and the City’s tax base. The City must develop a comprehensive Distributed Parking Strategy to not only address the current parking demand, but to plan additional capacity for future growth and development. The term “Distributed Parking Strategy” is used because the solution is more than just planning the next structured parking garage(s), it is figuring out the best strategy for properly distributing parking resources with parking demand both now and in the future.

Goal: To develop and implement a comprehensive “Distributed Parking Strategy” to resolve both today’s parking challenges and future parking demands as Downtown grows.


1) Demand Analysis a) Conduct study of current parking demand compared to current infrastructure and parking habits.* b) Compare current demand analysis with projected growth


COL, LDDA, DLP, LEDC COL, LDDA, LEDC, DLP, Downtown property


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patterns and parking habits.

owners, Downtown business owners

2) Location & Design Solutions

a) Map out potential location and design options/solutions based on current demand and projected growth as determined by the Demand Analysis. Proposed options/solutions should include both structured parking garage(s) and alternative methods that cost significantly less, such as angled on-street spaces.


COL, LDDA, LEDC, DLP, Downtown property owners, Downtown business owners, Potential third-party consultant(s)

In-Progress

3) Financial Implementation

a) Once solutions are determined, develop specific financial and operational strategy for construction and maintenance of improvements. Consideration should be given to both traditional and creative financial solutions.


COL, LDDA, LEDC, DLP, Downtown property owners; RFP with contractors

In-Progress

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Implementation should also include incentive packages for new development within Downtown.



Short-Term (1-360 days) and Ongoing

COL, LDDA, LEDC, DLP, Downtown property owners, Downtown business owners, Chamber, Ignite

Ongoing

*Note, there are various methods to analyze current demand compared to current infrastructure. However, by simply taking the basic existing building information from the property appraiser and comparing it to appropriate parking ratios as set forth in the building code, it is evident that Downtown has a significant parking deficit that rises to a crisis level.

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APPROPRIATE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT The need for increased residential development has been a long standing challenge for Downtown. In fact, it was identified as the first of five essential elements in the Lakeland Community Redevelopment Agency’s most recent Downtown plan in 2009, where it was stated that “increased residential development (some at higher densities) is an essential factor in advancing the vision for Downtown … [s]uccessful Downtown residential development will increase the retail market base, utilize marginal or vacant property, promote district “identity” and create more consistent activity.” A strong residential base is crucial to Downtown for all these reasons and more. When you think of successful downtowns, they all have a significant residential bases in and around the urban core. A dense residential population provides the demand base for the vibrancy everyone wants to see downtown (i.e., more retail, more nightlife, more restaurants, more arts and cultural opportunities, more activities, etc.). While some will argue that a larger employer and job base is the key to a successful downtown (which is certainly an integral element), without the residential base to support Downtown outside of business hours Lakeland will be left with a daytime population that leaves Downtown vacant on nights and weekends and miss out on the vibrant 24/7 live, work and play lifestyle that thriving downtowns enjoy. Despite the importance of increased residential development and the City’s awareness of this issue, little to no material residential development has ever occurred Downtown. Recognizing that the City’s role is not to perform residential development, the City can and should do everything in its powers to encourage private developers to build an ever increasing residential community Downtown.

Goal: To provide an attractive framework of infrastructure, regulations and incentives that encourage appropriate residential development Downtown.

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1) Develop sufficient infrastructure base to support residential development.

a) Perform GAP Analysis on existing utility infrastructure throughout Downtown, including electric, water, sewer, stormwater, gas, and data. b) Plan, budget for, and implement the improvement of City utilities necessary to provide for new residential development throughout Downtown. c) Plan, budget for, and implement a master stormwater system Downtown so that new residential developments don’t have to bear this cost alone, nor lose valuable space to expansive ponds.

Short-Term (1-360 days) Mid-Term (1-2 years) Mid-Term (1-2 years)

COL, LDDA, Development community COL, LDDA, Development community COL, LDDA, Development community

In-Progress In-Progress In-Progress

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d) Plan, budget for, and implement the undergrounding of electrical utilities surrounding potential development sites throughout Downtown. e) Ensure residential development is considered in Distributed Parking Strategy.

Mid-Term (1-2 years) Short-Term (1-300 days)

COL, LDDA, Development community COL, LDDA, LEDC, Downtown property owners


2) Improve and streamline regulatory framework for residential development Downtown.

a) Study regulatory and approval processes for residential development throughout the City. b) Determine what changes the City can make to these processes to ease the burden for more complicated urban residential development as compared to suburban residential development and in essence remove the


COL, LDDA, Business Friendly task force, Consultants as necessary COL, LDDA, Business Friendly task force, Consultants as necessary


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regulatory obstacles from residential development Downtown. c) Implement the suggested changes and market them to the local and regional residential development community.


COL, LDDA

In-Progress

3) Develop aggressive incentive packages to entice and encourage residential development in and around Downtown and properly market these incentives to the local and regional development community.

a) Convince the City Commission of the significant economic impact that residential development will bring, not only in increased foot traffic and demand for more growth, but in direct tax revenues. b) Direct policy initiatives to staff to create incentive programs to encourage residential development in and around Downtown.


COL, Ignite, LDDA, LEDC, DLP, Chamber, LBL, Lakeland Vision, Citizens COL, LDDA, Development community


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c) Once in place, market the incentive programs to the local and regional development community.

Short-Term (270 days and into the future)

COL, LDDA In-Progress



Short-Term through Mid-Term (1-730 days)

COL, Ignite, LDDA, LEDC, DLP, Chamber, LBL, Lakeland Vision, Business Friendly task force, Development community, Citizens

Ongoing

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DYNAMIC DIGITAL COMMUNICATION STRATEGY Downtown Lakeland lacks a cohesive brand identity. Organizations in Lakeland exist for various, isolated aspects of the messaging of Downtown Lakeland. Due to this fragmentation, the digital marketing strategy, as seen by the public, lacks cohesion, vibrancy and consistency. In order for a downtown to function as the heartbeat of the city, attention must be given to the digital assets and marketing strategy that brings all of these moving parts into a singular effort, leaving out no corner of the map. The success of a digital strategy of this magnitude will require buy-in from all of the organizations with a stake in the improvement of Downtown. This means connecting with and collaborating with all of these organizations:

1. Downtown Lakeland Partnership 2. Lakeland Downtown Development Authority 3. Lakeland Chamber of Commerce 4. Lakeland Vision 5. Polk Museum of Art, Polk Theatre, Platform Art, Lakeland Community Theatre, Paint Along Studios, Art City, etc. – ALL

cultural/arts organizations serving the Downtown area. 6. The City of Lakeland 7. Polk County Tourism and Sports Marketing 8. The Lakeland Center 9. Lakeland Economic Development Council 10. Lakeland Business Leaders/Lakeland Connection

In order to carry this out, we must develop a strategy that is based on what the people of Lakeland want, and not what the individual organizations want. Of specific interest/focus should be the Micro-Businesses in and around Downtown Lakeland (i.e., small businesses with fewer than 50 employees), who lack the resources, budget, and training to improve their online presence, without assistance.

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Goal: To develop a comprehensive downtown digital marketing strategy that includes all of the stakeholders in Downtown Lakeland, but focuses the messaging on the public perception and the personas of the various citizens and their interests, creating accessibility to the events, opportunities and ideas that matter most to the public.


1) Research other similar initiatives

Contact the teams responsible for: downtownisonfire.com (Jacksonville initiative) Godowntownbaltimore.com (create, collaborate, share information to assist different stakeholders) downtownfargo.com (Inclusive directory, with spotlight on “supporters”)

Short Term (1-60 days) COL, LDDA, DLP, Ignite, LBL

Start Immediately

2) Current Digital Inventory

a) Collect the websites and digital assets of the Downtown Lakeland stakeholders. b) Locate the event calendars of the stakeholders for Downtown Lakeland


COL, LDDA, DLP, Ignite, LBL, College students/interns COL, LDDA, DLP, Ignite, LBL, College students/interns

Start Immediately Start Immediately

3) Invite Stakeholders a) Develop a marketing plan, determine measurable outcomes and establish a budget.


COL, LDDA, DLP, Ignite, LBL, College students/interns

Determine Start Date

http://downtownisonfire.com/

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b) Consider partnering with existing community sites to bring the desired outcome forward without reinventing the wheel.


COL, LDDA, DLP, Ignite, LBL, College students/interns

Determine Start Date

4) Content Marketing Strategy

a) Once a marketing plan exists, a content plan will need to be implemented. This is where most marketing plans fail. We must ensure that there are stakeholders in place who will systematically continue to update the content for the plan.

Long-term, initiated in conjunction with 1-3

COL, LDDA, DLP, LBL, Chamber, College students/interns

Ongoing

5) Training and Development

a) Provide the local merchants with essential tools for successful marketing will give our downtown stakeholders the opportunity to receive support (online and offline) from experts. b) Initiate a series of training for downtown merchants at low-cost.

Short-Term (180-360 days) and Ongoing Short-Term (180-360 days) and Ongoing

COL, LDDA, DLP, LBL, LEDC, Chamber, College students/interns COL, LDDA, DLP, LBL, LEDC, Chamber,

Ongoing Ongoing

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Consider making these available to specific businesses within Lakeland (beyond Downtown) to ensure these options are available to the greater Lakeland area

College students/interns


a) Organize meeting(s) and open lines of communications between identified Team Members to not only conduct above action items, but to also garner support for implementing the proposed solutions (financially and otherwise). Team Members should be held accountable as tasks and deadlines are determined.

Short-Term and Ongoing

COL, Ignite, LDDA, DLP, LBL, LEDC, Chamber, College students/interns

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STRATEGIC USE OF UNDER/UNDEVELOPED LAND: Why are we at this juncture? For decades, the economic vitality and prosperity of downtown cores has been negatively impacted and thus, changed by the growth and spread of the metropolitan areas to the suburbs. By virtue of this population shift to the “burbs”, the core business and retail activity shifted as well and, as was the case with many large and small cities, the major retailers (e.g., Burdines, J.C. Penny) moved to where the customers were. Small businesses which relied upon the customer “traffic” generated by the larger stores found themselves fighting to survive. Office space began to move as well to be closer to where the employees lived and to be more convenient to them. This relocation and suburban growth seriously impacted downtown cores, including Downtown Lakeland. Through the tireless efforts of many Lakelanders, and several previous downtown redevelopment plans, the current state is now generally considered to be a positive and stable environment for all aspects of life. Unfortunately, major improvements or developments/redevelopments have been few and far between over the past 15+ years. The general aesthetics of the Downtown area are positive, and there has been significant investment by the City of Lakeland historically to provide infrastructure including parks/greenspace, attractive landscaping and hardscaping, roadways, sidewalks, and utilities that should all help to be a catalyst for future development. However, there are challenges to future development/redevelopment projects in Lakeland such as fractured ownership, perceived “absentee landlords”, and poor parcel configuration, which makes land assembly for larger redevelopment projects difficult and costly. There are also a high proportion of underutilized properties and various regulatory road blocks. The Concept of New Urbanism In the 1980’s, there was an urban design movement called “New Urbanism” which focused on revitalizing and re-inventing urban cores that were suffering from economic decline. No one came downtown anymore. Businesses closed or were downsizing because of the lack of patronage. The “mom and pop” businesses that remained were struggling to survive. If it weren’t for the employee base from local government, law firms, banking institutions and other large stable and established businesses in the downtown area, the “mom and pops” that remained in the urban core would have closed, as many did over time. Furthermore, whatever retail activity occurred, was carried on during the daytime. After working hours, theses urban centers became “ghost towns”. The New Urbanism concept was focused on place-making to revitalize urban cores by encouraging movement back to the city core through integrating mixed-use properties integrating commercial, residential and retail within structures and properties, creating a

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diversity, connectivity and walkability between types of buildings and proximity of a variety of uses within the core, and finally, promoting sustainability and quality of life as the cornerstone for attracting and retaining people and businesses within the urban core district. The implementation of New Urbanism concepts have successfully proven to be directly responsible for the revitalization of many “Urban Ghost Towns”. Rising like the phoenix, many cities implementing the concepts of new urbanism have re-invented themselves to become vibrant, active and successful urban centers. Two such cities in Florida that serve as examples of this revitalization are St. Petersburg and West Palm Beach. Incorporating the Concept of New Urbanism for Lakeland The challenge for revitalization for Lakeland’s Urban Core is to evaluate and incorporate the meaningful concepts of New Urbanism within our urban core district. Previous planning studies have identified various opportunities to implement these concepts and use them to our best advantage. Our City should continually evaluate these previous concepts with new ones and synthesize the best ideas to create an always evolving strategy for moving forward with under and undeveloped parcels within the urban core. These properties should be focused into “pitchable projects” that match the appropriate use with the appropriate elements, with an emphasis on projects that could attract new employers and high skill, high wage jobs to Downtown. In addition, we should not be complacent with “what is” and should continually ask ourselves “is there a need to re-purpose existing properties (e.g., repurpose a commercial office building into mixed use office and residential). Following that analysis, the City should look at ancillary components that exist or are needed to make each project or property successful. This analysis involves public services like utility capacity, access, land use or zoning modifications or variances, etc. In these cases, working hand in hand with City administration is vital to executing the plan, and in fact this process should be led by our City staff with private sector partnership. Municipal support is vital and a key element in allowing the plan to become successful. In some cases, it may even involve the use of eminent domain to allow the plan to become a reality. Again, it will be necessary for the municipal government to become a true partner in the process with a commitment to the always evolving plan. Summary We are fortunate that lots of work has been done in the past through the investment of much time and effort on the part of the several organizations comprised of civic-minded citizens of Lakeland. By utilizing prior planning recommendations with new opportunities, we can accomplish a great deal towards enhancing our City and creating an environment that truly delivers the “vision” of a vital and thriving urban core called Downtown Lakeland.

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Goal: To assist current property owners and potential investors identify properties that are feasible for development/redevelopment, and provide them with an attractive environment of regulations and incentives that encourages strategic development of properties Downtown.


1) Evaluate all of the previous concepts and synthesize the best ideas to create a viable strategy for moving forward.

a) Evaluate prior Downtown development plans for the best concepts and recommendations b) Synthesize the concepts into a viable and workable “Plan” for the urban core.


COL, LDDA, Development community COL, LDDA, Development community

Should start immediately Will start after evaluation is completed.

2) Identify land that is undeveloped or under-developed within the core.

a) Develop a current inventory of all properties and structures (including SF, # of stories, zoning, year built/improved), and current status (occupied or not). b) Match good urban planning concepts to identified properties that fit the “Plan”.



Should start immediately Should be on-going

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c) Plan, budget for, and implement a dynamic mapping tool that will provide all of the above mentioned information, and which can be accessed by the public via the City’s website. This will require regular updating. d) Promote this tool for use by Lakeland Citizens and business people, as well as the regional and national real estate development communities. Property owners could promote opportunities as advertisements on the website (which could potentially be used as a revenue source in the future)

Mid-Term (1-2 years) Mid-Term (1-2 years)


Planning should begin immediately, creation of tool should begin soon, and implementation should begin only after all info is included. Should begin as tool is being developed, and fully implemented once it is up and running.

3) Improve and streamline regulatory framework for commercial development Downtown.

a) Study regulatory and approval processes for development throughout the City.


COL, LDDA, Business Friendly task force, Consultants as necessary

In-Progress

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b) Determine what changes the City can make to these processes to ease the burden for more complicated development as compared to suburban development. One potential strategy could be to appoint a Downtown Liaison within the City’s Planning Division to be the single point of contact for developers, and property/ business owners. The person would be an advocate for developers, and seek to find ways for the City to always find ways to make projects happen, and make Downtown the easiest place to invest in Lakeland, not the most difficult. c) Recommend and assist facilitation of


COL, LDDA, Business Friendly task force, Consultants as necessary COL, LDDA, Business Friendly task force,

In-Progress Should be on-going

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appropriate changes in existing uses. d) Implement the suggested changes and market them to the local and regional development community. e) Work with municipal agencies to accommodate changes (physical, services, financial, etc.) f) Ensure the integrity of the Plan is maintained while maintaining flexibility to respond to market conditions and urban needs.

Short-Term (270-360 days) Mid and Long-Term Mid and Long-Term

Consultants as necessary COL, LDDA, Business Friendly task force, Consultants as necessary COL, LDDA, Business Friendly task force, Consultants as necessary COL, LDDA, Business Friendly task force, Consultants as necessary

In-Progress Should be on-going Should be on-going

4) Develop aggressive incentive packages to entice and encourage development in and around Downtown and properly market these incentives to the local

a) Convince the City of the significant economic impact that development will bring, not only in increased people in downtown, but the potential


COL, Ignite, LDDA, LEDC, DLP, Chamber, Lakeland Business Leaders, Lakeland Vision, Citizens

In-Progress

35

and regional development community.

corresponding increased demand for downtown housing, and also in direct tax revenues. b) Prepare incentive programs to encourage development in and around Downtown. One potential program could be to create a Development Opportunities Study (DOS) Program to encourage property owners to explore redevelopment. This would include funding for City owned properties, or private property owners and developers for pre-development activities such as environmental studies, geotechnical reports, architectural planning studies, building inspections, engineering reports, market assessments,


COL, LDDA, Development community

In-Progress

36

and real estate financial analysis. Another potential program could include a more aggressive TIF program, such as 10 year tax abatements for new projects, which worked well in Philadelphia. c) Once in place, market the incentive programs to the local and regional development community.

Short-Term (270 days and into the future)

COL, LDDA, LEDC

In-Progress

5) Catalytic Site Development

a) Determine potential sites (e.g., the 10+ acre site, Lake Mirror gravel parking lot, etc.) that are controlled by the City of Lakeland, and could be turned into “pitchable projects” that could reshape the perception and demographics of downtown. b) Create a marketing package that will provide developers and

Short-Term (270 days and into the future) Short-Term (270 days and into the future)

COL, LDDA, LEDC, Chamber, Lakeland Business Leaders, Business Friendly task force, Development community, Citizens COL, LDDA, LEDC, Chamber, Lakeland Business Leaders,

Ongoing Ongoing

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businesses owners information about the properties and their attractiveness, available incentives and funding programs, Downtown market data, as well as telling of success stories of past Lakeland Downtown developments.

Business Friendly task force, Development community



Short-Term through Mid-Term (1-730 days)

COL, LDDA, Ignite, LEDC, DLP, Chamber, Lakeland Business Leaders, Lakeland Vision, Business Friendly task force, Development community, Citizens

Ongoing

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SUSTAINABLE RETAIL MIX STRATEGY Downtown Lakeland lacks density of retail to be a competitive shopping destination. Large corporate chains and the internet dominate the market place leaving independent retailers to struggle for market share. Downtown competes with other commerce centers throughout the city to attract retail, so clear understanding of the kind of retail that can thrive in a Downtown environment, and more specifically Lakeland’s Downtown, is key. A simple wish list created with no data to support the viability and sustainability of those categories within the district is a fool’s errand. The reality is that Downtown will not attract major chain stores. We do not fit their models. Many would argue that is not what is desired in Downtown anyway. If our focus is on the small independent retailer or regional franchisee, we should create an atmosphere and ambiance in which they can succeed. Retail follows people and money. More people attracted to Downtown for dining and entertainment, means more potential shoppers.

Goal: To develop Downtown Lakeland as an evening dining and entertainment district which will encourage existing retail to extend hours of operation and attract additional experiential retail.


1) Improve the parking experience (in conjunction with Distributed Parking Strategy).

a) Expand the parking app b) Explore additional on street parking (e.g., angled parking) c) Consider Valet options

Short-Term (1-120 days) In conjunction with #2 above. Short-Term (1-180 days)

COL, LDDA COL, LDDA, DLP COL, LDDA, DLP, Downtown business and property owners,

In-Progress In-Progress In-Progress

39

2) Redefine trade area (geography) for downtown

a) Create polygon that capture higher income to the south b) Data mine the area for marketing c) Stress the trade area to retailers/restaurants

Short-Term (1-180 days) Short-Term (180-240 days) Short-Term (240-360 days)

COL, LDDA, DLP, Commercial brokers COL, LDDA, DLP, Commercial brokers COL, LDDA, DLP, Commercial brokers

In-Progress Ongoing Ongoing

3) Recruit Retail a) Look for examples of general retail (NAICS 44-45) that are successful in other downtowns like ours (cities of 150,000 or less without interstate downtown)

Short-Term (1-240) and Ongoing

COL, LDDA, DLP, Commercial brokers

In-Progress

4) Create a Restaurant Strategy

a) Same strategy as above for general retail b) Define the dining areas, ID linkages and impediments to connectivity c) Create ambiance: sidewalk dining with

Short-Term (1-360 days) Short-Term (120-360 days) Short-Term (240-360)

COL, LDDA, DLP, Commercial brokers COL, LDDA, DLP, Commercial brokers COL, LDDA, DLP, Restaurant community

In-Progress In-Progress Ongoing

40

umbrellas, strolling musicians d) Collect data from current restaurants (# of seats, sales, volume, etc.) e) Create a marketing program for Downtown Dining f) Look for possible relocations of existing successful restaurants

Short-Term (120-240 days) Short-Term (240-360 days) Short-Term (240-360 days) and Ongoing

DLP, LDDA DLP, LDDA DLP, LDDA

Ongoing In-Progress Ongoing



Short-Term (1-360 days) COL, LDDA, DLP, Commercial brokers, Restaurant community

Ongoing

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EXHIBIT A (Survey Summary & Link to Full Survey Results)

Summary Results of Citizen Survey conducted July-August 2014

Method of data collection Online survey with 22 questions, including open-ended comments. 984 valid responses

Demographically representative of the City

61% female, 59% Male 9% > 65; 17% 55-64; 23% 45-54; 25% 35-44; 22% 25-34; 4% < 25 years old.

Relationship w/ Downtown 8.3% Live; 24.4% Work; 5.5% Both Live & Work; 56.1% Only visit or shop.

Those who only visit/shop 41% once per week; 38% once per month; 17% several times per year.

Preferred metrics for success? Number/types of business; Number/type of events or attendance; Number/type of residential units; Level of safety (absence of crime)

14 Factors Associated with Successful/Vibrant Downtowns Variable Mean

Score**

RANK Great Downtowns . . .

1 Should be clean - conveying as sense of care and attention. CLEANLINESS 3.88

2 Have pedestrian scale and accessibility WALKABILITY 3.75

3 Depend on individuality and unique character that stems from its unique heritage DISTINCTIVENESS 3.66

4 Should be safe – conveying a sense of care and attention. PERSONAL SECURITY 3.59

5 Provide opportunities for social interaction through open space, design of buildings and streets and public events.

SOCIAL INTERACTION 3.59

6 Should be a well-defined or branded place with landmarks, focal points and a sense of character.

LEGIBILITY 3.53

7 Have a mix of land uses, variety in the types of buildings and streets, and diverse character districts.

VARIETY 3.32

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8 Should be regionally accessible and the focal point for an efficient and connected public transportation system.

ACCESSIBILITY 3.17

9 Have ageless vitality for attracting young talent YOUNG TALENT 3.12

10 Should support a rich cultural diversity. CULTURAL DIVERSITY 3.12

11 Should support myriad opportunities for networking and connecting with people of all backgrounds.

CULTURAL INTERACTION 3.09

12 Should include surprises and new experiences each time you visit with imagination and curiosity sparked by new places to explore.

NEW EXPERIENCES 2.93

13 Should be surrounded by viable neighborhoods with close and comfortable linkages to the downtown core.

RELATE TO SURROUNDINGS

2.69

14 The market for housing in downtown should be diverse, strong and growing. HOUSING MARKET 2.55

Missing elements for success of Downtown Lakeland?

More retail/variety of retail; More restaurants; More events/activities (esp. family-friendly); Parking; Walkability & Public Transportation

**(5 = Best Anywhere; 4= Good, Better Than Most Places; 3 = Not Bad, Not Good, Just OK; 1 = As Bad As Can Be)

Links to Full Survey Results:

o Ignite Lakeland 2014 Survey Summary

http://www.slideshare.net/IgniteLakeland/ignite-lakeland-2014-survey-summary

o Ignite Lakeland 2014 Survey – Public Comments

http://www.slideshare.net/IgniteLakeland/ignite-survey-open-ended-responses

http://www.slideshare.net/IgniteLakeland/ignite-lakeland-2014-survey-summary

http://www.slideshare.net/IgniteLakeland/ignite-survey-open-ended-responses

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EXHIBIT B (Links to Prior Plans for Downtown Lakeland)

1980 – Downtown Lakeland: Framework for Action o http://www.lakelandcra.net/Portals/CRA/Plan%20Downtown%20Lakeland/Framework1.pdf

1990 – Downtown Lakeland: Strategic Development Initiative o http://www.lakelandcra.net/Portals/CRA/Plan%20Downtown%20Lakeland/Strategic%20Development%20Initiative%20B

ooklet.pdf

1995 – Revitalization Strategy: Lakeland West Corridor o http://www.slideshare.net/IgniteLakeland/1995-revitalization-strategy-lakeland-west-corridor

2000 – Downtown Lakeland: Strategic Development Initiative o http://www.lakelandcra.net/Portals/CRA/Plan%20Downtown%20Lakeland/Downtown%20Lakeland%20Strategic%20Dev

elopment%20Initiative.pdf

2003 – Downtown Lakeland: Achieving the Vision o http://www.lakelandcra.net/Portals/CRA/Plan%20Downtown%20Lakeland/Downtown%20Plan_Cy%20Palmier_2003.pdf

2005 – Lake Wire Redevelopment Master Plan o http://www.lakelandcra.net/Portals/CRA/Documents/Lake%20Wire%20Report%20-%20Final.pdf

2009 – Downtown Lakeland: Redefining Our Goals, Refining Our Future o http://www.lakelandcra.net/Portals/CRA/Documents/Update%20to%20the%20Community%20Redevelopment%20Plan

%20for%20the%20Lakeland%20Downtown%20Community%20Redevelopment%20Area.pdf

http://www.lakelandcra.net/Portals/CRA/Plan%20Downtown%20Lakeland/Framework1.pdf

http://www.lakelandcra.net/Portals/CRA/Plan%20Downtown%20Lakeland/Strategic%20Development%20Initiative%20Booklet.pdf

http://www.lakelandcra.net/Portals/CRA/Plan%20Downtown%20Lakeland/Strategic%20Development%20Initiative%20Booklet.pdf

http://www.slideshare.net/IgniteLakeland/1995-revitalization-strategy-lakeland-west-corridor

http://www.lakelandcra.net/Portals/CRA/Plan%20Downtown%20Lakeland/Downtown%20Lakeland%20Strategic%20Development%20Initiative.pdf

http://www.lakelandcra.net/Portals/CRA/Plan%20Downtown%20Lakeland/Downtown%20Lakeland%20Strategic%20Development%20Initiative.pdf

http://www.lakelandcra.net/Portals/CRA/Plan%20Downtown%20Lakeland/Downtown%20Plan_Cy%20Palmier_2003.pdf

http://www.lakelandcra.net/Portals/CRA/Documents/Lake%20Wire%20Report%20-%20Final.pdf

http://www.lakelandcra.net/Portals/CRA/Documents/Update%20to%20the%20Community%20Redevelopment%20Plan%20for%20the%20Lakeland%20Downtown%20Community%20Redevelopment%20Area.pdf

http://www.lakelandcra.net/Portals/CRA/Documents/Update%20to%20the%20Community%20Redevelopment%20Plan%20for%20the%20Lakeland%20Downtown%20Community%20Redevelopment%20Area.pdf