Friday, May 21, 2010

Email Thread With Architect Franc D'Ambrosio re Port Place Redevelopment

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: Memo Murphy Port Place Redevelopment.docx
Date: Fri, 21 May 2010 16:30:17 -0700
From: Franc D'Ambrosio <fdambrosio@fdarc.ca>
To: Frank Murphy <frankmurphy@shaw.ca>


 OK, but be careful not to antagonize mayor and council and staff. Even if public agencies deserve criticism (they try but often the alternative to the status quo and the City's economic system is extremely difficult), changing the prevailing ideas and economic drivers of city-building has to be achieved by a collaborative and diplomatic approach if a more desirable outcome is the goal.

Architect Franc D'Ambrosio
fdambrosio@fdarc.ca

On 21-May-10, at 1:32 PM, Frank Murphy wrote:

Thanks for this Franc. -- I'm exploring how to engage the developer in conversation with the surrounding neighbourhood groups -- not to set them up in a shooting gallery but try to open up an actually conversation. Can I quote from this email on the blog?

Frank

On 19/05/2010 11:58 AM, Franc D'Ambrosio wrote:

Thanks for keeping me in the loop Frank.

While I understand the pressures on the owner, and his on the Mayor and Council, and I am familiar with the resulting compromises that the Mayor (through his staff) is making, I do not believe that these are anything other than accommodating a private sector economic priority over the public interest in the future of the city as a whole. I am disappointed but not discouraged as I spend much time dealing with this conundrum in many of our projects.

The public process and direct appeal to the owner are still two potential avenues for possibly redeeming the proposal.

Orchestrating a grass-roots move to exert pressure; and perhaps make Council aware that there desire to increase commercial tax base results simply in a private commercial business being allowed to derive a higher profit margin from the public at the expense of the quality of the life of that same public.

Sometimes an owner needs the knowledge that there may not be public(customer?) support for what they are proposing. They must somehow be convinced that they must take a longer term and broader view of the impact their businesses have on the 'host city' that they choose to consider as a market for their wares and a place to park their customers cars.

Architect Franc D'Ambrosio
MAIBC MRAIC LEED ap

 Principal
D ' A M B R O S I O
a r c h i t e c t u r e + u r b a n i s m
 ___________ http://www.fdarc.ca


2960 Jutland Road Victoria BC Canada V8T5K2
t 250.384.2400 f 250.384.7893 e info@fdarc.ca

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Email From Architect Franc D'Ambrosio re Port Place Redevelopment

_________________________
I do not believe that these are anything other than accommodating a private sector economic priority over the public interest in the future of the city as a whole. I am disappointed but not discouraged as I spend much time dealing with this conundrum in many of our projects.
_________________________  

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: Memo Murphy Port Place Redevelopment.docx
Date: Wed, 19 May 2010 11:58:11 -0700
From: Franc D'Ambrosio <fdambrosio@fdarc.ca>
To: Frank Murphy <frankmurphy@shaw.ca>


 Thanks for keeping me in the loop Frank.

While I understand the pressures on the owner, and his on the Mayor and Council, and I am familiar with the resulting compromises that the Mayor (through his staff) is making, I do not believe that these are anything other than accommodating a private sector economic priority over the public interest in the future of the city as a whole. I am disappointed but not discouraged as I spend much time dealing with this conundrum in many of our projects.

The public process and direct appeal to the owner are still two potential avenues for possibly redeeming the proposal.

Orchestrating a grass-roots move to exert pressure; and perhaps make Council aware that there desire to increase commercial tax base results simply in a private commercial business being allowed to derive a higher profit margin from the public at the expense of the quality of the life of that same public.

Sometimes an owner needs the knowledge that there may not be public(customer?) support for what they are proposing. They must somehow be convinced that they must take a longer term and broader view of the impact their businesses have on the 'host city' that they choose to consider as a market for their wares and a place to park their customers cars.

Architect Franc D'Ambrosio
MAIBC MRAIC LEED ap
Principal
D ' A M B R O S I O
a r c h i t e c t u r e + u r b a n i s m
___________ http://www.fdarc.ca

2960 Jutland Road Victoria BC Canada V8T5K2
t 250.384.2400 f 250.384.7893 e info@fdarc.ca

_________________________ 
Sometimes an owner needs the knowledge that there may not be public(customer?) support for what they are proposing. They must somehow be convinced that they must take a longer term and broader view of the impact their businesses have on the 'host city' that they choose to consider as a market for their wares and a place to park their customers cars.
_________________________ 

Monday, May 10, 2010

Memo From Mayor Ruttan re Port Place Redevelopment

EMAIL TO: Frank Murphy [frankmurphy@shaw.ca]

FROM: Mayor John Ruttan, CITY OF NANAIMO

DATE: 2010-May-18 FILE: DP613/614

RE: Port Place Mall Redevelopment


I want to acknowledge receipt of your email and request to retain Frank D’Ambrosio for a third-party review of the Port Place Mall redevelopment plan.

As you may or may not know, the redevelopment plan includes the following applications:

  1. Rezoning to permit a high-rise residential tower (application received: 2009-Jun-02).
  2. Development Permit to authorize the construction of a freestanding Commercial Rental Unit on 9 Nicol Street (application received: 2009-Jun-02).
  3. Development Permit for the overall mall redevelopment plan (application received: 2009-Jun-02).

This is an extremely complex redevelopment plan, especially given the owner’s attempt to accommodate existing anchor tenants (i.e. Thrifty Foods, London Drugs) and the practicality of retaining significant on-site infrastructure, such as the above-ground parkade. The owner has made a concerted effort to balance the needs of the tenants and existing infrastructure against the City and provincial policies and regulations in the creation of the redevelopment plans.

Many trade-offs have been made by the owner to address elements of the City’s downtown Urban Design Plan and View Corridors policies, and to deal with provincial access requirements. In particular, the interconnection of Terminal Avenue and Front Street with a new access road has formed a fundamental starting point for the redevelopment plan and goes a long way to addressing the “de-malling” of the site.

The review of these applications has been underway for a considerable amount of time, with one application currently approved and all been considered by the City’s Design Panel on several occasions. I have been advised that both Staff and the Design Panel are recommending that Council approve the developments as proposed. It is my understanding that the overall development permit application and rezoning application will be ready for Council’s consideration in the near future. The rezoning application, in particular, will allow for input from the public, as part of the Public Hearing process. The construction of the Commercial Rental Unit on 9 Nicol Street can proceed to construction as soon as the owner would like to start.

We are extremely appreciative of the owner’s vision for the mall and their commitment to the City’s downtown redevelopment. I am confident that both Staff and Council’s Committee system have provided the necessary evaluation and adequate review process for this project.

I am not supportive of a third-party review at this time. The application has been through a full and proper technical review and it is time for Council to consider the merits of approving the application as presented. Thank you for your interest in this project and I would encourage you to keep involved as Council considers the owner’s request for rezoning and development permit approvals.




John Ruttan
M A Y O R


ECS/hp
Prospero: DP613/DP614

ec: Council Members
Al Kenning, City Manager
Douglas Holmes, Assistant City Manager and General Manager, Corporate Services
Andy Laidlaw, General Manager, Community Services