Broad Street Revitalization From Concept to Reality

1
Broad Street RevitalizationFrom Concept to
Reality

• PIBC Conference 2005
• Mickey Lam
• City of Victoria, Planning Division

2
Broad Street

• Missing Link of Old Town
• Earlier projects - all shelved due to lack of
  agreement on financing

3
Project Revisited

• Request from Property Owners to re-initiate the
  project
• Charrette Process selected
• February 1998 - Consultant selectedUrban
  Aspects and idealink architecture ltd

4
1997 Citys Corporate Strategic Plan

• Broad Street was identified as a major downtown
  revitalization project

5
Contraints and Opportunities

• working with positive elements
• existing function strategic location, a vital
  link anchor
• existing character good bones, scale,
  heritage buildings

6
Contraints and Opportunities

• working with negative elements
• a dangerous street
• rundown appearance
• gaps in the street

7
The Stakeholders

• Property and Business Owners
• Surveys/interviews/meetings
• Contentious points
• polarization
• public art
• traffic vs. pedestrian use
• scheduling

8
Process Flow Chart
BROAD STREET REVITALIZATION FLOW CHART
1 DAY WORKSHOP
OUTCOME
COUNCIL PRESENTATION OF PROCESS

• Staff Resources for Workshop
• Architect
• Landscape Architect
• Artist
• Social Planer (City)
• Police (CPTED)
• Urban Designer (city)
• Engineering (Transportation) Rep
• City Manager
• Property Owner Representative
• Business Owner Representative

A. Identify Issues (1/2 day) B. Responses (1/2
day brain storming Urban Design Package -include
improvements Streetscaping CPTED Safety and
Security Measures Land Use Recommendations Funding
Option Phasing
Meeting with Property and Business Owners
Proposal Call
Selection of Consultant
Presentations to Stakeholders Public
Staff Resources For Workshop Downtown
Co-ordinator Heritage Planner Arts Manager Area
Planner Director of Community Development And
Leisure Services Manager, Parks Design and
Development Supervisor, Streets Engineering
Open Forum Stakeholders
Refinement of Concept
25,000Consulting Fee (incl.. Disbment taxes)

• Owner Representatives
• Resident Representatives
• Tenant/Operator Reps.
• Business Representatives Business Associations
  Rep BIA, DVA, VIRA
• Downtown Neighbourhood Assn..
• Social Service Providers
• social Client Group
• Any Group who has an
• interest in the street
• Eaton Centre Rep

Proposal Review with Project Team
Victoria Civic Heritage trust Architectural
Institute of BC Planning Institute of BC BC
Society of Landscape Architects Urban
Development Institute VBIA
Council
CONSULTANTS to respond to Urban Design social
Issues Safety Security Management Funding
Options Land Use (Constraints and Opportunities)
Implementation Document (Preparation)
4 months
Implementation
1997 10 15
9
Meetings

• Public Forum
• Charrette
• Open Houses
• Team Meetings - every two weeks
• Achieving balance between polarized factions

10
Concept approved by City Council in July 1998
11
How Broad Street works

• part of a potential pedestrian system
• no traffic lights good for pedestrians
• cars vs people problems for pedestrians

12
(No Transcript)
13
Diplomacy and compromise

• some business owners insist on parking
• some business owners oppose any change
• some property owners want total change complete
  closure to cars
• new look vs Old Town

14

• road alignment wiggles to optimize balance of
  parking requirements and increased pedestrian
  space.

15
(No Transcript)
16
A flexible strategy

• paving for people, not cars
• convertible parking

17
(No Transcript)
18
How do we generate public interest in the
street,in advance of new development or new
business activity?
19
Art as an attraction

• art as a focus for dialogue
• art as a generator of controversy!
• art as a reason to explore and return
• 5 of budget devoted to public art
• most of the art budget still unspent

20
Public art elements

• narrative
• major graphic themes
• visual focal points
• codes and clues
• landmarks

21
Narrative

• story of the street by poet Michael Kenyon
• focussed on the social history of the
  street,both good and bad
• sympathetic to the unfortunate or undesirable
  members of urban society, and therefore
  controversial
• intended to give meaning to a rich and ongoing
  public art programme

22
I was Broadway in 1861, a young street, now I'm
street smart, three blocks long, the thousand
lost to the south. A she-street, a lady street,
a woman street, I got hips. See me at night when
my bazoobies are out. Im in my prime.
User-friendly. A work of art. Tower of business.
Putting on fat. Hey, you people looking down like
you lost something, come and get it. Your skin
needle-painted, fish and chips, bagel, sober
support, old buddies, new buds, fish
stars, donair, love seat, comic book, boxing
partner, stainless lifter, bouquet, spiritual
text, hiking boots, your camera fixed, your milk,
dance lesson, loaf, gift, digital training, new
sprocket, your pen, your pill, your trip to Nova
Scotia, new hair. Im safe at night though the
kids are a handful. Im a big mama with too many
to count, god bless them.
Dance I like the girls in 1899, Annie, Nellie,
May. Who wear long dresses. Sweep past the
Manhattan Saloon. Loud music opens the Trilby
Hall. A gent from the London Saloon crosses
over. John Weiler is dying. Vera and Bertha
dance at the Trilby Music Hall. Two pair miners
boots. Two pair buckskin moccasins.
23
Graphic interpretation

• paving patterns
• theme classical elements
• earth
• air
• fire
• water

24
(No Transcript)
25
(No Transcript)
26
(No Transcript)
27
(No Transcript)
28
Codes and clues

• castings
• street name plaques
• future fragments

29
(No Transcript)
30
(No Transcript)
31
Landmarks

• information and parking kiosks
• landmark pylons

32
(No Transcript)
33
(No Transcript)
34
Second Phase Preparation for Implementation
BROAD STREET REVITALIZATION Phase II Preparation
for Implementation Flow Chart
1200 Block
Negotiation
1300 Block
Design Refinements
Funding Option
1400 Block
Technical Committee
Steering Committee
Public Meeting
Council
Specific Area Improvement Bylaw
Working Drawings
Implementation
35
Funding - 50/50 Shared between City/Property
Owners
36
The Real Test

• Informal Polling go or no go?
• Formal Petition
• 75 of property owners in favour of full
  implementation (67 required)

37
Implementation/Construction

• schedule designed for least impact on
  businesses
• Contractor expected to be sensitive to demands
  from stakeholders

38
Whats Next?

• Opening Ceremony on August 26, 2000
• street furniture installation
• Public Art debate
• gradual return of confidence

39
(No Transcript)
40
(No Transcript)
41
(No Transcript)
42
(No Transcript)