The Kleingers Group was pleased to participate as a guest of the ULI East Central Regional Product Council which took place in Pittsburgh, PA earlier this month.  This select group of ULI members from the ULI Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Indianapolis, and Pittsburgh region focused on Urban Infill and Mixed-Use Development.  As the host city, Pittsburgh provided an exceptional backdrop for a discussion on how an urban core is being redeveloped thanks to many key drivers for public and private investment.

The group began the session with a walking tour of the downtown area.  The City of Pittsburgh has seen over $3 billion of investment completed over the last 10 years with another $2 billion in the planning stages.  It has transformed from a steel city to a cultural mecca with over thirty theaters in the downtown area.  Pittsburgh has a very dense, urban core with narrow right of way and relatively aged, historic buildings – a differentiator from Columbus. Mellon Square was once thought of as the “death of Pittsburgh” but is now a restored, elevated plaza surrounded by hotels, renovated office/residential buildings, and retail uses.

According to http://www.downtownpittsburgh.com, the redevelopment of residential housing within Pittsburg is rapid with 1,084 residential units opening since 2010 and 90.8% of apartments being rented at the end of last year.  The average rental rates are higher than we are currently seeing in the Columbus area and mixed-income projects are prevalent.

Mixed-use buildings are somewhat the norm and green buildings are important to the office users in Pittsburgh. PNC is currently completing a new tower building rising 33 stories above the surrounding rivers with over 800,000sf of office space.  This building is touted as the world’s greenest skyscraper and has dramatically changed the skyline of the City.

Along with the downtown area, the group toured East Liberty and Bakery Square, which are mixed-use redevelopments outside the urban core which include transit-based development and a new transit center.  Transit and light rail are important to making these developments work and the City seems committed to transportation improvements including a new bike share program.  The Bakery Square development has landed Google as a main office user in the redeveloped bakery building.  A green street featuring permeable pavement and stormwater infiltration systems has been dedicated to public use and will be maintained by the City.  This is one example of the commitment of both public and private entities together to not only implementing sustainable principles within the design and construction but also turning this new, green infrastructure over to City ownership and maintenance.

An All-Star panel discussion including representatives from the City of Pittsburgh, Urban Redevelopment Authority, Hillman Family Foundations, Heinz Endowments, and Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group made it evident that the public, private and philanthropic groups are very aligned and engaged to make these projects successful.

The number of investment groups available to developers and the dedication to mass transit is certainly advantageous to the Pittsburg region. However, the overwhelming desire of today’s workforce to live, work and play in urban areas with accessible means of transportation and the walkability to these places is a common theme that the Columbus region continues to work toward with urban development and redevelopment in our region. Methods on how to deal with this demographic shift have been characterized within the Insight2050 report established through a joint effort of MORPC, Columbus 2020, and ULI-Columbus, providing critical thoughts on how public policies will impact future land use. Public policies and transportation top the list of concerns for the continued development success of our area and how we will compete with our neighbors.  The Columbus region has embraced some transit options such as shared-use bikes and cars and Uber, but we are still at the drawing board on mass transit options and funding is a constant concern.

The “brain drain” seems to be a buzzword at nearly every engagement centered around the future success of the Columbus area.  The area must become attractive enough to keep our talent within our region to live, work and play.  This means progressive thinking and risk-taking.  Columbus2020 is one example of an economic development engine that is collaboratively bringing investment and jobs to the region as a whole. Although the Columbus region is taking strides forward every day, we were excited to learn from the success of one of our neighboring regions.

Delaware County is currently conducting a series of public meetings to gather input before they start revising their sanitary sewer master plan. The Kleingers Group recently attend the meetings and is encouraging area developers to get involved.

Two things to note:

1. The county is currently looking for input from developers. The new master plan will affect sanitary sewer plans and development throughout the county. If you are a developer who works in Delaware County, now is a great time to voice your opinions about what you would like to see happen before the planning process gets underway.
2. Delaware County is also looking for information about specific projects to incorporate into the plan. They intend to consider existing and future developments as well as economic conditions, affordability, funding, and infrastructure assessments in developing the master plan. Understanding your plans for the future can assist the county in developing the best master plan.

Getting involved is easy. There is a public meeting tomorrow, Thursday, Aug. 20 at the Frank B. Willis Government Building on US 23 North or you can submit your feedback online at www.co.delaware.oh.us/sanitary. You can also find a link to the meeting presentation here.

We’ll try to keep you informed as new developments happen, but getting your feedback in early is important so it can be considered as the county develops the plan.

Congratulations to Jay Stewart and Tim Casto for their work on the Deer Park 2035 Vision Plan, which recently won the Frank F. Ferris II Planning Award in the Implementation category!  The award honors local communities whose efforts have contributed to the elevation of planning principles, greater awareness of the value of planning and improved quality of life.

The Kleingers Group drafted the Vision Plan with a heavy emphasis on the implementation of the key priority action items. Some of the key action items identified in the plan and implemented since the plan’s adoption in 2008 include:

• Update of the City Zoning Code – Following on the heels of adopting the Vision Plan, the City’s first implementation project involved the re-write of the City Zoning Code.
• Blue Ash Road Streetscape Project – With the help of the City’s planning consultant,The Kleingers Group, the OKI Regional Council of Governments; Ohio Department of Transportation; and Hamilton County Engineers, funding has been secured for the $6.5 million Blue Ash Road improvement project.
• Development of a Capital Improvement Plan – Acting on one of the key recommendations from the Vision Plan, Deer Park created and adopted its first Capital Improvement Plan.
• Creation of a Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) Tax Incentive Program – In September 2012, the Deer Park Council designated the entire City as a Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) to provide tax incentives to property owners to encourage new investment.
• Creation of a Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) – Created in February 2011, the Deer Park Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) serves as the economic development arm of the City.
• Establishment of the Deer Park Business Organization – Beginning in 2009, the City spearheaded the creation of the Deer Park Business Association (DPBA).

The 2035 Vision Plan recognized that without a written master plan, the City of Deer Park would likely place itself at a disadvantage when presented with redevelopment and other growth related opportunities. The implementation of the Vision Plan’s priority goals and action steps will facilitate fiscal sustainability, maintain and enhance the quality of life for residents and businesses, preserve the City’s many traditional neighborhoods, and place Deer Park in a competitive position in the Greater Cincinnati economy.

Tim Casto, serves as Deer Park’s City Engineer. Jay Stewart, serves as a planning consultant to the city and is President of the Deer Park Community Improvement Corporation.

The Kleingers Group is proud to be both a sponsor and to help plan the 2016 Safe Routes to School National Conference.

The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC), the Safe Routes to School National Partnership and the National Center for Safe Routes to School recently announced that the 2016 conference will be held April 5 to 7 in Columbus, Ohio.

Since 2012, The Kleingers Group has served as one of just a few Safe Routes to School Statewide Consultants to the Ohio Department of Transportation and has worked on more than 4 dozen Safe Routes to School (SRTS) projects throughout the state.

The Kleingers Group is a leader in creating both school travel plans and infrastructure design, creating safe and convenient opportunities for children to walk or bicycle to school.

According to the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, the conference will bring together program representatives, state departments of transportation, planners, elected officials and community members to provide an opportunity for individuals, agencies and organization involved with Safe Routes to School to network, engage in educational opportunities, become inspired, and form partnerships.

The Kleingers Group is proud to sponsor the partnership’s goal of creating safer and more walkable communities and to share its traffic safety expertise.

More information about the conference is available at www.saferoutesconference.org.