Forest-Jupiter Redevelopment Starts Now
She checks out Mozart while she does Tae-Bo
With this post, I want to dive more into the Forest-Jupiter Transit-Oriented Redevelopment Plan that was discussed at our Work Session last week. I was mistaken in my comments that night when I said no study has been performed.
It’s an easy mistake to make because the study that was performed is now over ten-years-old with little if any recommendations implemented. The 198-page document from 2013 is intended to “to assist the City of Garland, property owners and other project partners with a technical framework for discussions regarding market opportunities, development programming alternatives, and partnership strategies” and move the area “towards a vision of revitalization.”
The Plan looks at the existing conditions around three Targeted Investment Areas (TIAs) in southwest Garland—the Forest-Jupiter area, the Jupiter Walnut area and the Shiloh Walnut area—then analyzes the market composition (as it was in 2013), outlines a redevelopment program for each area, and provides strategies for implementation. The goal of the plan is to “to bring about significant real estate projects that become a positive catalytic force for encouraging future private investment.”
While the plan covers these three areas, I will focus on just the Forest-Jupiter area that is part of the existing TIF.
(Study Areas from the Forest-Jupiter Transit-Oriented Redevelopment Plan)
The existing conditions in the Forest-Jupiter area are described in the plan as “a mix of older multi-family, industrial, retail and motel uses together with the DART Forest/Jupiter Station.” Defining positive and negative considerations include:
Positive:
In general, the TIA presents a downgraded external presence and identity caused by aging buildings and a lack of positive pedestrian-oriented streetscape improvements.
DART parking lots and adjacent undeveloped property is well-positioned for potential Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) so long as such future investment accommodates required DART parking and bus circulation.
Existing civic uses (library, school and park) are successful assets and well positioned to compliment new investment.
Negative:
The DART Forest / Jupiter Station platform is somewhat disconnected from the community it serves as the related pedestrian infrastructure is not properly connected to ridership-generating uses (such as manufacturing to the south and multi-family to the north).
Existing apartments along Barnes Drive are an older garden apartment format. These developments appear dated and contain interior courtyards or other hidden areas in which crime can occur.
Note how the need for pedestrian improvements are called out multiple times.
The Plan also states the area “lacks the necessary business and work place amenities, lunch time opportunities, cohesive pedestrian connections between uses, and overall area identity successful district leverage to attract and retain businesses and their skilled workers.”
Included in the plan is an assessment of property values as of 2011:
(2011 Assessed Property Values)
The report identified “low-value” properties to the immediate west and north of the DART rail station. Given that the character of the area has not changed in 12 years, I would say that these values, although they my be higher today, are still relatively accurate when compared to one another.
The Redevelopment Plan is breaks the TIA into several catalyst project areas which may be done sequentially thus spurring additional development.
1) General Redevelopment introduces connected streets to define urban blocks and deliver more dense residential and commercial development with new walkable streetscapes, and a planting circle on Barnes Drive. These are shown as future developments.
2) Mixed-Use Loft Residential Development introduces buildings on both sides of Forest Lane to form a strong street frontage, urban streetscape, pedestrian amenities, and ground -level retail along Forest Lane. This is shown as an initial catalyst development.
3) Research and Development creates office incubator space on eastern half of DART property through a partnership with existing hi-tech employers in the area. As this has a high associated public improvement cost, this would only occur if a specific user showed interest.
4) Station Plaza creates open space adjacent to the platform entrance. Existing bus facilities and routing to remain on site in streetscape. This would be part of the research and development project when developed.
5) DART Parking moved across the rail with overhead pedestrian access structure. This occurs when the office research and development project is ready. New DART parking becomes future infill site once market allows densification.
6) Job Training and/or flex-industrial facility located adjacent to new DART replacement parking south of the rail line. Land for this facility would be part of the property acquired for the new DART replacement parking, and would not likely occur until the research and development project moves forward.
7) New Streetscape along Forest Lane coordinates with development infill projects. Each segment would be constructed with related infill development.
The “flex-industrial facility” could become a perfect “makerspace” type development as it is so close to our industrial manufacturing base. Also, upgrading the Forest Lane pedestrian facilities will serve as a catalyst for the entire area.
To achieve the redevelopment goal, the Plan suggests taking the following actions in the immediate term:
Land Control: Securing control of the site for the project.
Entitlement: Obtaining the appropriate regulatory permissions, such as zoning, easements, etc.
Developer Interest: Marketing partnership opportunities with developers that will ideally lead to land control and partnership formation and project financing.
Proactive Marketing: Winning developer, tenant or business owner/operator interest in getting site control and subsequently entering into a partnership to do a catalyst project.
Gap/Partnership Concept: Refining the overall development program and financing strategy for the project based on negotiations with specific property owners and investors.
Project Underwriting: Securing project financing for a specific project that is under land control from specific sources of private debt and equity and public participation in the form of economic development incentives.
Partnership/Contracts: Finalizing the ―gap/partnership concept through the appropriate legal documents, including contracts and City incentive agreements.
The Plan states, “As government has the longest-term investment in the community, it was deemed appropriate for the City to pave the way for investment and reinvestment by the private sector in this way.”
So where do we start?
The City of Garland can complete items 1, 2, and 3 now in preparation for site redevelopment. We can begin assembling properties as we have done elsewhere in the city including in South Garland, in the “Triangle” east of Downtown, and in Downtown itself including almost $2 million for 519 S. State Street and the $218,000 spent to lease and pave the parking lot that we don’t even own at 625. W. State Street.
We can acquire neighboring parcels to the DART station such as the vacant lot at 3400 Forest Lane, the tire shop at 3430 Forest Lane and the auto parts warehouse at 630 S. Jupiter Road. We should make improvements to the streetscape — much like those already completed Downtown from the DART station south to the Square—to facilitate pedestrians moving through the area north to the shopping centers and south to the employment areas.
We can earmark funding from the TIF to help close the funding gaps identified as part of item 5 above not met through developer agreements, tax incentives and fee waivers.
We can contact DART to form a partnership for a transit-oriented development using the mostly empty parking lot as we have already done for the Lake Ray Hubbard Transit center in South Garland.
During the Work Session, TIF Board #1 Chairman Joseph Schroeder said he is an advocate for the Forest-Jupiter end of the TIF and was receptive to some of suggestions presented. I certainly hope that this neglected part of the TIF can get more investment than just three utility box wraps and a soccer field.
(Even the utility box wraps in the Forest-Jupiter area reference back to the Downtown portion of the TIF. This one is at the corner of Forest Lane and S. Barnes Drive.)
With the talk above of DART Train Stations and Jupiter, I have to play Train’s double Grammy Award Winning song “Drops of Jupiter” for Best Rock Song and Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s).
An inspirational song written after the death of the lead singer’s mother; however, the cowboy boots/leather pants/paisley shirt combo is an interesting wardrobe choice.