City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
Meeting Date: 09/26/11 Item Number: J-1
JOINT CITY COUNCIL AND REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BOARD AGENDA ITEM:
(1) Review the Results of Two Community Meetings; (2) Discuss the Solicitation of
Developer Interest for a Specialty Retail Market Hall Located at the Northeast and
Northwest Corners of the Washington Boulevard and Centinela Avenue
Intersection; and (3) Discuss the Release of a Request for Proposals to Design the
Public Parking Structure for the Market Hall.
Contact Person/Dept.:
Joe Susca/CDD
Todd Tipton/CDD
Phone Number:
(310) 253-5763
(310) 253-5783
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: [X]
Commission Action Required: Yes [] No [X] Date: _______________
Public Notification (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas – City Council and Redevelopment
Agency (09/21/11); (E-Mail) Redevelopment Agency Projects (09/14/11); (E-Mail) The
Advisory Committee on Redevelopment (09/14/11); (E-Mail) The Culver Triangle
Neighborhood Association (09/14/11); (E-Mail) The Herbert Street Homeowners
Association (09/14/11); (E-Mail) The Culver West Neighborhood Association (09/14/11);
(E-Mail) Members of the public who have pulled speaker cards on the subject matter
previously (09/14/11); (U.S. Post) A public notice was mailed to businesses, residents,
and property owners in excess of a 500’ radius of the site (09/14/11); (E-Mail) Washinela
L.P. (09/14/11).
Department Approval:
Sol Blumenfeld: (09/13/11)
Agency General Counsel Approval:
Murray Kane: (09/14/11)
Chief Financial Officer Approval:
Jeff Muir (by N. Kimball) (09/20/11)
City Manager/Executive Director Approval:
John M. Nachbar (09/20/11)
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the City Council and Culver City Redevelopment Agency Board
(Agency Board) (1) review the results of two community meetings; (2) discuss the
solicitation of developer interest for a proposed Market Hall project located at the
northeast and northwest corners of the Washington Boulevard and Centinela
Avenue intersection; and (3) discuss the release of a Request for Proposals to
design the public parking structure (Parking Structure) for the Market Hall.
1
BACKGROUND:
In 2007, the Agency acquired property, relocated business and residents that had
resided on the site, demolished existing improvements and performed remediation
in anticipation of development at a cost of $12,831,000. The properties that
comprise the two corners amount to approximately 70,000 square feet.
City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
During their meeting of June 27, 2011, the Agency Board approved redevelopment
of the site as a Market Hall where specialty retail vendors sell their products such
as artisanal cheeses and charcuterie, baked goods, chocolatier and related
confections, wine, locally grown produce, specialty coffee, flowers, organic meats,
and other high-quality products in a unique, attractively designed market (the
“Project”)
2
, and authorized issuance of a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to solicit
developers for the Project, and a Request for Proposals (RFP) to secure a firm to
design the Parking Structure to meet the Project’s parking needs and to provide
additional public parking spaces for patrons of surrounding businesses.|1010|
Responding to neighborhood concerns, staff scheduled two community meetings;
the first was an open house with residents immediately adjacent to the Project and
the second with a more detailed presentation to the broader residential and
commercial community.
Concerns at the two meetings included:
• Parking and traffic incursion into the adjacent neighborhood.
• Speeding and non-residential traffic.
• Pedestrian safety, alley circulation and a desire to have left-hand turning
signals installed at Washington Blvd/Centinela Ave.
• Implementation of tenant control measures to ensure high quality businesses
occupy the Market Hall.
DISCUSSION:
The Market Hall and related Parking Structure were overwhelmingly supported at
the community meetings, and the residents in attendance felt their concerns were
adequately addressed. (See Attached Sign-In Sheets and Letters/Emails supporting
the Project)
Staff will incorporate community recommendations into the Project design. The
City’s Traffic Engineering division is also in the process of analyzing and
implementing a Neighborhood Traffic Management Plan for the surrounding area.
Next Steps:
Staff is proposing the following process for implementation of the Market Hall and
related Parking Structure, which is anticipated to be completed over the next two
years.
City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
Market Hall & Parking Structure Schedule:
1. Develop a short list of prospective developers based upon City Council/Agency
Board and community input.
4
2. Issue a RFQ for development of the Market Hall.
3. Evaluate proposals.
4. City Council/Agency Board presentation of submittals.
5. Issue a RFP to prospective developers.
6. Evaluate submittals.
7. Developer recommendation.
8. Negotiate a Disposition and Development Agreement (DDA) with Reciprocal
Parking Agreement.
9. Agency Board/City Council DDA approval.
10. Market Hall development proceeds with entitlements and building permits.
11. Commence with issuance of Parking Structure RFP.
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12. Select engineering consultant.
13. Contract execution.
14. Parking Structure construction and completion.
15. Market Hall construction and completion.
16. Project occupancy.
FISCAL ANALYSIS:
Issuance of a RFQ/RFP to secure a developer for the Market Hall and to secure a
firm to design and oversee construction of the Parking Structure will not have a
fiscal impact. The fiscal impacts of a potential project will be evaluated once
development proposals are received.
$8,300,000 in 2011 Tax Exempt Bond proceeds are allocated to construction of the
Parking Structure. Once the Market Hall is built, the selected developer will be
required to fund their pro rata share of ongoing maintenance and operation for their
170 spaces in the Parking Structure.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. August 31, 2011 Sign-In Sheets and Letters/Emails supporting the Project
MOTION:
That the City Council and Agency Board:
1. Review the results of two community meetings held to discuss a proposed
Market Mall for the Washington-Centinela project; and City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
2. Discuss the next steps related to its implementation, including the release of
a Request for Qualifications to solicit developer interest in the Market Hall
project and a Request for Proposals to design the Public Parking Structure
for the Market Hall.
NOTES:
|1010|The Agency and the City entered into a Cooperation Agreement dated January 15, 2011, as
amended on February 22, 2011 and March 7, 2011 (collectively the “Cooperation Agreement”). In
furtherance of the Cooperation Agreement and to achieve important public purposes, the Agency
has conveyed the Washington-Centinela property and other Agency-owned properties to the City
and has transferred the Agency’s cash accounts to the City to carry out the duties and obligations of
the Agency (without resulting liability to the City), devoid of relieving the Agency of its duties and
obligations to fulfill the goals and objectives of the Redevelopment Plan for Component Area No. 4.
|1010|The Project is comprised of two sites of similar design that are constructed concurrently:
Site A: A market hall with high ceiling and/or mezzanine space comprised of approximately 21,250
square feet of building area on a 32,674 square feet parcel with public plaza frontage.
Site B: Additional high ceiling and/or mezzanine market hall or other related retail/restaurant uses
comprised of 12,000 square feet of building area on a 19,736 square feet parcel with public plaza
frontage.
|1010| In order to address the high cost of Project parking, staff and the Agency’s financial consultant,
Keyser Marston Associates (KMA) recommend constructing an above grade parking structure at the
rear of the northwesterly site. KMA further believes the parking structure must be funded by the
Agency in order to make the Project financially feasible due to the soft retail and restaurant markets,
recovering financial markets and excessive cost to construct subterranean parking.
|1010| Staff has contacted the following developers who have expressed an interest in receiving the RFQ:
• The Lab, Costa Mesa, CA
• The Carlin Company, St. Helena, CA
• Eataly, New York, NY
• The Red Barn, Newport Beach, CA
• Genton Barth Real Estate Group, Los Angeles, CA
• Pacifica Capital Group, Los Angeles, CA
• J.S. Rosenfield & Co., Santa Monica, CA
• |1010| Staff has pre-qualified the following firms to send the public parking structure RFP to:
§ Thirtieth Street Architects of Newport Beach, CA
§ Walker Parking Consulting of Los Angeles, CA
§ Watry Design, Inc. of Newport Beach, CA
§ Choate Parking Consultants, Inc. of Irvine, CA
§ Griffin Holdings of Laguna Beach, CA
§ International Parking Design of Sherman Oaks, CA
§ Kimley-Horne, Los Angeles, CA
MEETING DATE: 09/26/11
AGENDA ITEM:
JOINT CITY COUNCIL AND REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY
BOARD AGENDA ITEM: Review the conclusions of two
community meetings and approve the net steps to Solicit
Developer Interest in the City-Owned Property for
Development of a Specialty Retail Market Hall on the
Northeast and Northwest Corners of Washington
Boulevard at Centinela Avenue and Release a Request for
Proposals to Construct a Public Parking Structure for the
Market Hall.
ATTACHMENTS
Item Description Pages
1
August 31, 2011 Sign-In Sheets and Letters/Emails
supporting the Project
1-6
ATTACHMENT NO. 1
Page 1ATTACHMENT NO. 1
Page 2ATTACHMENT NO. 1
Page 3From: Elizabeth Belser
Sent: Sunday, September 11, 2011 11:56 AM
To: Susca, Joe
Dear Mr. Susca,
I am writing to let you know of my support for the proposed projects along the Washington Blvd.
corridor. I have not been able to attend the meetings, but hope to do so in the future. It is also my
understanding that a critical Culver City Council meeting is coming up and that may be good for me to
attend as well. Please let me know the date and I will see if I and other interested people will be able to
attend. I am aware that many times at meeting, only those opposed show up, but I and many others in
my neighborhood are behind the proposed projects and think Culver City has been doing a great job in
redeveloping the area.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Belser
______________________________________________________________________________
From: Chris Mentzell
Sent: Wednesday, September 14, 2011 3:00 PM
To: Susca, Joe
My wife and I support your project.
Best,
Chris Mentzell
____________________________________________________________________________________
From: Todd Jerry
Sent: Wednesday, September 14, 2011 3:16 PM
To: Susca, Joe
Joe,
I am writing to indicate my support for the proposed Market Hall development project. As a
nearby resident and local business owner on Washington Boulevard, I am excited for the
potential positive impact that the new development will bring to the local neighborhood
economy.
I look forward to hearing more about the progress of the project.
Best,
Todd Jerry
ATTACHMENT NO. 1
Page 4
From: On Behalf Of Lance Levin
Sent: Wednesday, September 14, 2011 6:13 PM
To: Susca, Joe; Casanova, Kriss
Hi Joe,
I'm in favor of the redevelopment.
Regards,
Lance P. Levin
______________________________________________________________________________
From: Andrea Miloro Sent: September 14, 2011 5:37 PM
To: Casanova, Kriss
Hi Kriss,
I absolutely 100% support the Market Hall Project. I am going to try and make the meeting. If
not I will send in a letter to be read in.
Thank you and Joe for all your continued work and support for our neighborhood. Oh, and the
medians with palm trees ROCK.
Best,
Andrea
______________________________________________________________________________
From: Andrew Fowler
Sent: Wednesday, September 07, 2011 3:41 PM
To: Tipton, Todd
Subject: RE: contact
(abbreviated)
Todd,
First off, I think this project will be a great addition to the neighborhood, along with everything else the
Redevelopment Agency has done in the West Washington area. I work for a construction management
firm, and spent several years working at LAUSD in their new construction program so I know the
difficulties and constrictions of working on tight sites, and in residential neighborhoods. With that said I
do appreciate that you are involving the surrounding community.
Like I said earlier, I'm in full favor of the project and look forward to it coming to fruition.
Best regards,
Andrew Fowler
ATTACHMENT NO. 1
Page 5From: Ken Weiner
Sent: Thursday, September 15, 2011 11:12 PM
To: Susca, Joe
Cc: Jill Weiner
Subject: Comments for proposed market hall project at Washington/Centinela
Mr. Susca,
We can't attend the upcoming meeting on 9/26/2011 but we'd like to voice my strong support for
the Market Hall project on Washington and Centinela. We're not aware of the details
surrounding the development, but would like to request the following:
- More prominent pedestrian crosswalks at the intersection (walkable area composed of
something other than black asphalt). Can we do diagonal crosswalks?
- Don't make pedestrians walk through a parking lot to get to the merchants. If there must be
automobile parking, please put it on top or underneath.
- Provide bicycle parking
- Consider an above-the-street walk bridge connecting the northwest and northeast corners.
- Select at least some businesses that are open later at night so there are people around making
the area safer.
Thanks so much! We can't wait until our neighborhood can walk to the Market Hall on a regular
basis to eat and shop. Also if there is a mailing list, Facebook page, Twitter account, or similar
way to get notified about the status of this project, please let us know.
Ken & Jill Weiner (and 2 kids)
Resident (just south of the project site)
ATTACHMENT NO. 1
Page 6