City Council

City Hall Meeting Minutes 601 4th Avenue E Olympia, WA 98501 City Council Information: 360.753.8447 Saturday, May 16, 2015 10:30 AM Room 207 Special Council Meeting - Community Renewal Area Workshop 1. ROLL CALL Present: 6 - Mayor Stephen H. Buxbaum, Mayor Pro Tem Nathaniel Jones, Councilmember Jim Cooper, Councilmember Julie Hankins, Councilmember Steve Langer and Councilmember Cheryl Selby Excused: 1 - Councilmember Jeannine Roe OTHERS PRESENT Keith Stahley, Director, Community Planning and Development (CP&D) Leonard Bauer, Deputy Director, CP&D Amy Buckler, Senior Planner, CP&D Michelle Sadlier, Associate Planner, CP&D Lorelei Juntunen, ECONorthwest Jay Reich, Attorney Pacifica Law Group 2 DISCUSSION ITEM 2A 15-0465 Community Renewal Area Workshop The Mayor called the meeting to order at 10:30 a.m. The Community and Economic Revitalization committee members provided a summary of what they heard at the stations in the Open House addressing the Griswold’s block, the Isthmus, and Water Street. Staff assisted in this process. Community members were invited to share their perspectives as well. Councilmembers engaged in a discussion of the three sites and their relative merits for Olympia’s first community renewal project. They discussed the impact of the Griswold’s property on the 400 block of 4th Avenue. Staff and the consultant team were asked to continue to develop information about that property and to consider approaches - both inside and outside the Community Renewal Area process - for getting it redeveloped. Following this discussion, Councilmember Cooper made a proposal that the Request for Proposal (RFP) should focus on the parcels east and west of Water Street between 4th and 5th Avenue extending to the east to encompass the entirety of the Fountain Block, and to the north to include Percival City of Olympia Page 1 City Council Meeting Minutes May 16, 2015 Landing along 4th Avenue. Councilmember Cooper also suggested that respondents be encouraged to consider the surrounding areas to the east and north and to engage in the City’s Downtown Strategy as it is developed. There was consensus that staff and the consultant team should incorporate this area and approach into the next draft of the RFP. Mayor Buxbaum asked that Councilmembers think about appropriately branding this area and other areas in downtown as redevelopment projects are considered. He noted that the Isthmus has taken on negative connotations and a new name could be a way for the community to start to envision a different and better future for the area. There was consensus that rebranding should be part of this process. The discussion was completed. 3. ADJOURNMENT The workshop concluded at 12:00 noon. City of Olympia Page 2