HR&A Advisors invites pedestrians to join us in celebrating vibrant urban public spaces on Friday, September 18th, when we transform three parking spaces in New York and Los Angeles into temporary parks as part of PARK(ing) Day 2015. First conceived in 2005 in San Francisco, PARK(ing) Day challenges people to rethink the way streets are used and reinforces the need for broad-based changes to urban infrastructure. Since 2005, the project has blossomed into a worldwide grassroots movement: Past PARK(ing) Days have included nearly 1,000 “park” installations in more than 160 cities in 35 countries on six continents.

HR&A Los Angeles will be partnering with the office of Mayor Eric Garcetti to “Roll out the Green Carpet” on Hollywood Boulevard, one of the City’s first “Great Streets.” Join HR&A LA at Hollywood and Vine outside the Hollywood Pantages Theatre from 12 to 6pm and take a break in one of our three programmed spaces. We will have a “Think Tank”, where you can brainstorm urban solutions with the Mayor’s team and HR&A in a “pop-up office” with free WiFi and cold brew coffee from Outpost Cold Brew. Or get your puppy-fix in the “Barklet” and play with dogs who are up for adoption from the Los Angeles Animal Services Department. If you need something a little more mellow, immerse yourself in the LA Philharmonic’s virtual reality orchestra experience, VAN Beethoven, with a 360 degree, 3D performance of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony.

On the other side of the country in New York City, HR&A’s temporary pocket park will be located on the corner at Greenwich Street and Franklin in Tribeca, from 9am to 5pm. Our “parklet” theme will focus on the NYC waterfront and will encourage pedestrians to think about how they use the waterfront now, and what lies in store for its future. In partnering with the The Waterfront Alliance and the New York Public Library, we will bring aspects of the waterfront to our parklet with recreational activities, water, and education. We hope you can join us at our parklet, which will include: paper boat making and a pool, a ping-pong table, a hammock, wifi and desks, story time with the NYPL, educational programs from The Waterfront Alliance, live plants, fake grass, and a voting system to understand how Tribecans think about the future of our waterfront.

HR&A’s participation in Park(ing) Day reflects our commitment to creating dynamic urban public spaces that strengthen communities and address city-wide challenges such as resiliency and economic development. Drawing on insights from our open space practice, our parklets are designed for maximum versatility, to accommodate a diverse set of users and events throughout the day.

Read about our Park(ing) Day installations on our website (2013 and 2014), and at WNYC, Untapped Cities, Tribeca Citizen, and on NTD Television.

On September 17th, HR&A President Eric Rothman will moderate a panel discussion on the tools and methods to finance infrastructure projects and spur development throughout New York and New Jersey at the Council for Development Finance Agencies (CDFA) New York/New Jersey Financing Roundtable Conference. Joined by a panel of professionals who have facilitated significant developments through PILOT bonds, brownfield remediation, tax increment financing, and special assessment districts, the discussion will explore different approaches, rationales, and best practices when preparing for significant investments in infrastructure.

Eric has demonstrated a resolute interest to improve opportunities for infrastructure development in New York and New Jersey, and specializes in creating strategies for infrastructure and transit-oriented development throughout the United States. He has created public-private development strategies for Campus Town at the College of New Jersey and Saint Paul, MN’s Union Depot transit hub. Additional transportation clients include New Jersey Transit, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Transport for London, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority.

The CDFA is a national association dedicated to the advancement of development finance concerns and interests. CDFA is comprised of the nation’s leading members of the development finance community representing public, private and non-profit development entities.

HR&A is a proud sponsor of the conference and encourages colleagues and clients to register and gain valuable economic development finance insights. We look forward to seeing you on September 17th.

HR&A Principal, Elissa Hoagland Izmailyan will be participating in a panel discussion entitled “Trails in Dallas” on Wednesday, September 2nd hosted by the Dallas Center for Architecture. Over the last several years there has been a renewed interest in the creation and revitalization of trails in the North Texas Area. This panel discussion will look at how these trails have impacted the area economically and how they fit into the urban fabric in terms of design and new development. The panelists will examine several projects in Dallas including Katy Trail, the Bachman Lake Park Loop Trail, and the Trinity Strand Trail.

Elissa’s passion for public space is central to her work. Throughout her career she has been involved with many open space projects in Texas and elsewhere that transform public and private open space resources into urban amenities. On behalf of Charlotte Center City Partners, Elissa developed an implementation strategy for development of a recreational trail and open space along the Blue Line light rail, which links downtown Charlotte with a series of growing residential and cultural districts south of downtown. She also managed the development of policy recommendations to encourage the inclusion of Privately-Owned Public Spaces in transit-oriented development along the Green Line in Minneapolis-St. Paul on behalf of the Trust for Public Land. She is currently leading a multidisciplinary team to investigate the overall impact and value of the Dallas Parks system.

The Dallas Center for Architecture was founded by AIA Dallas in 2008 with the goal of bringing the public into the discussion on the importance of architecture and design as transformative tools.

Event Details:
September 2, 2015
6:00 PM
Dallas Center for Architecture
1909 Woodall Rodgers Frwy.
Suite 100
Dallas, Texas 75201

Stan Wall, former Director of Real Estate and Station Planning at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, joins HR&A.

“The addition of Stan Wall to our D.C. office strengthens the firm’s capacity to enhance the quality of urban life across the Capitol region.”

– John Alschuler, Chairman

 

HR&A is pleased to welcome Stan Wall as a Partner in our Washington D.C. office. Stan brings over 20 years of public-private real estate experience in the Washington Metro Area market. His past experience as a private developer, public sector official, and consultant will provide value, creativity, and strategic insight for our clients in the mid-Atlantic and surrounding areas. We are thrilled to have him join us in D.C.

The Washington Metro Area has been the beneficiary of significant economic and population growth over recent years. However this growth presents challenges in the form of rising housing costs and congested road and transit infrastructure. As he has throughout his career in D.C., Stan plans to continue to work with jurisdictions and developers across the region in helping to advance initiatives centered on smart growth, transit-oriented development, and economic development.

“These efforts will include creative strategies that incorporate public-private partnerships and innovative financing. HR&A has a history of taking on the most challenging and unique opportunities in these areas, and I hope to bring this broader expertise to assist clients facing similar challenges.”

– Stan Wall, Partner

 

Prior to joining HR&A, Stan was the Director of Real Estate and Station Planning at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). In this role, he reinvigorated the agency’s transit oriented development program by helping them leverage their transit infrastructure to support housing and economic development. Earlier in his career, Stan founded Wall Development Group, a Washington D.C.-based real estate development and advisory services firm focused on public-private partnerships and mixed-use, urban infill in emerging development areas.

For over thirty years, HR&A has provided strategic advisory services for some of the most complex neighborhood, downtown, campus, and regional development projects across North America and abroad. HR&A’s work in the Washington D.C. region builds on a long track record of supporting the successful implementation of projects that enhance urban life in the District. Currently we are supporting the Master Development Plan for Union Station, where we are the lead economic advisor for the plan. Additionally, HR&A created the redevelopment plan and assisted in the developer solicitation for what is now CityCenterDC; we structured the transaction that allowed for the purchase of the Newseum site; and we led the planning and implementation of the Anacostia Waterfront’s most successful new neighborhood: Capitol Riverfront.

With Stan joining the firm, we look forward to continuing to support the economic development and real estate goals of our clients in Washington D.C. and nationally. Learn more about Stan’s background on our website. He can be reached as of August 31 at swall@hraadvisors.com.

The story of the Los Angeles River is almost as long as its 51-mile span across its namesake city and county. Once flowing freely through Los Angeles, its route is now imprisoned within a concrete channel built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to reduce flooding and contain wastewater. For almost fifty years, most of the river has remained disconnected from surrounding communities and inaccessible to the public – but residents, along with the local elected officials, and particularly Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, want their river back and are planning for its long-delayed renaissance. However, the river’s path also serves as a major commercial rail corridor that carries freight from the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, the most active port complex in the United States. In a new report Paths to Partnership: Nurturing LA’s River & Rail Vitality, Paul Silvern, a Partner in HR&A’s Los Angeles office, together with staff and other members of the Urban Land Institute of Los Angeles, examined the challenges and opportunities of coordinating the interests of revitalizationists and railway operators and owners to create open spaces along the river, while continuing to enable the efficient movement of freight.

In order to successfully revitalize the river and make it an accessible, urban amenity – residents, industry, and local government leadership must determine how to create a critical open space amenity that also restores its ecological benefits and fosters economic development. The Paths to Partnership report identified challenges to access, strategies from other successful revitalization projects, and opportunities for cooperation throughout each phase of planning. This report catalyzed all parties to consider the possibilities of collaboration and discuss potential outcomes and co-benefits at a recent meeting of over 20 stakeholders.

HR&A is also working with the Los Angeles River Revitalization Corporation (LARRC) to build its capacity to effectively implement its core initiatives, like Greenway 2020, and participate effectively in the regional effort to revitalize the LA River. Since, 2009 the LARRC has been successful at fundraising and outreach, but requires a strategic, phased approach as well as business planning support to achieve the realization of revitalization. HR&A conducted a series of meetings with LARRC staff, board members and key metro area stakeholders, including representatives from Mayor Garcetti’s office, to assess current organizational and fundraising capacity and to formulate viable strategy recommendations for the LARRC and these stakeholders.

Many parts of the revitalization process are already underway: the Los Angeles River Revitalization Corporation was established in 2009 to facilitate the development of Greenway 2020 along the entire length of the restored river; in 2010 the EPA declared the river “a traditional navigable water,” allowing for public boating opportunities; in 2014 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers selected a plan for ecosystem restoration along 11 miles of the river immediately adjacent to downtown Los Angeles; Mayor Eric Garcetti’s administration is lobbying the Congress to appropriate the estimated $1 billion in funds required to achieve this transformational restoration, as well as working to identify sources for the City’s local funding match; and local entrepreneurs and community organizations are beginning to advance specific projects that will help convert the river from an afterthought to a highly amenitized and accessible focus of city life.

by Shuprotim Bhaumik

 
Third Track used to be a controversial word on Long Island. But today, support for a Third Track on the Main Line of the Long Island Rail Road is growing rapidly with a broad coalition of business groups, labor leaders, and educational /medical institutions. Why? Because it is clear that the Third Track is critical to Long Island’s economic future.

Have you tried getting from New York City to Long Island during rush hour on the LIRR? Has your train been delayed for hours on end because of a service disruption on a system that lacks flexibility? Can we expect companies to locate here when they can’t access potential employees? Can we expect young professionals to stay here when they can’t find good upwardly mobile jobs?

Adding a Third Track would increase regional mobility; it would create additional capacity on the congested Main Line, which several branches feed into. (Note: the two existing tracks were laid in 1844 when the population was less than 2% of what it is today.) This capacity would allow LIRR to run more trains, particularly in the reverse commute direction, and would also improve reliability for existing riders. Third Track has the potential to revitalize Long Island’s job market by attracting high-quality professional services and tech jobs, stem the outflow of young workers, generate new tax revenues, and encourage new transit-oriented housing.

A report by the Long Island Index, completed by HR&A Advisors, shows that investing in Third Track would be nothing short of transformative for the region. As a longtime resident of Syosset and a graduate of Stony Brook University, I was especially pleased to author the report. By 2035, Long Island would have 14,000 more jobs and over 35,000 new residents resulting in an additional $5.6 Billion in GRP and $3.0 Billion in personal income every year. An initial investment of approximately $1 Billion would result in, $40 million in additional sales tax revenue and $103 Million in additional property tax revenue every year to Long Island’s counties, towns, and villages.

We can stand idly by while jobs and young professionals move to other suburban regions that are better connected to New York City and the rest of the metro area. Or, we can invest in Third Track, a project that will pay huge dividends for Long Island. Learn more at: http://www.liindex.org

HR&A Senior Principal Jamie Torres Springer traveled to Bonn, Germany, to present on innovations in post-Sandy resiliency efforts at Resilient Cities 2015: The 6th Global Forum on Urban Resilience & Adaptation, June 8-10. The annual Resilient Cities Series, launched in 2010, is an effort by ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI, originally the “International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives”), the World Mayors Council on Climate Change (WMCCC), and the City of Bonn, Germany. ICLEI and WMCCC bring together world localities to advocate for global sustainability. Bonn, a member of ICLEI and WMCCC, is the only German member city of the United Nations and a hub for international diplomacy and thought leadership for sustainable development.

HR&A is proud to have been able to present the New York City resiliency story as one of only three “Cities in Focus,” selected by the Congress to model local case studies for larger resiliency and climate change adaptation applications. Jamie’s sessions provided key takeaways from resiliency initiatives by New York City, New York State, and the federal government following Superstorm Sandy in 2012.

Jamie participated in the Day 2 Opening Panel about “financing resilience,” a major theme shaping the day and linking other “Finance Forum” sessions throughout the conference. During his segment, “Incentivizing innovation and improving financeability for flood protection in New York City,” Jamie discussed the economic lens with which local government and partner organizations must consider resiliency efforts in order to transform the focus of policy and planning from recovery to future disaster preparedness. Joining Jamie on the panel were the World Bank’s Urban Resilience Senior Advisor; ICLEI’s Secretary General; delegates from Copenhagen, Denmark and Nacala-Porto, Mozambique; Cities Development Initiative for Asia; Global Infrastructure Basel Foundation; Agence Française de Développement; and Global Environment Facility.

Jamie also led a ninety-minute “Reality Check Workshop” session, “Planning for Resilience During Post-Disaster Recovery in New York City.” The workshop format encouraged participants to examine City, State, and federal strategies as well as provide feedback as international experts in urban development and climate adaptation. Jamie facilitated a group of participants, observers, and members of the press.

HR&A is grateful to the Congress co-hosts and organizers for providing a meaningful opportunity for collaboration among global resiliency professionals.

• ICLEI’s reviews of the panel discussion and Jamie’s remarks can be found within its CityTalk blog and News Center.
• A video of Congress highlights features Jamie’s panel beginning at 0:18.
• Jamie’s workshop materials will also become available on the conference website shortly to continue to inform practitioners.

Image courtesy of ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability on Flickr, credit Barbara Frommann https://flic.kr/p/uaHLSp

Jamie is featured introducing New York City, New York State, and federal approaches to resiliency financing. Image courtesy of ICLEI.

Images courtesy of Sasaki Associates

HR&A is pleased to announce that The Lawn on D, a flexible, vibrant, and temporary open space in Boston, was recently recognized by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Boston Society of Landscape Architects (BSLA) as a catalyst for innovative placemaking, neighborhood revitalization, and design excellence. The AIA National Small Project Award, which celebrates design excellence from projects under $1,500,000 in construction costs, praised The Lawn on D for its “simple interventions such as color, furniture, and lighting [which] completely transformed the site into one that engages the community and is alive.” The BSLA recognized The Lawn on D with an Honor Award for Design, placing it in the top tier of design projects recognized by the organization this year.

HR&A, in partnership with the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA), and with support from Chris Wangro, has played a pivotal role in developing and implementing comprehensive public programming on behalf of the MCCA, providing program design, business planning, budget management, and program administration services for the project. The Lawn on D, which was designed by Sasaki Associates, has become a lively gathering space for the Fort Point, South Boston, and Innovation District neighborhoods. Located on D Street at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, the 2.7-acre space uses innovative programming, including free public festivals and events unique to The Lawn on D, as well as lawn games, food and beverage options, public art exhibitions and cultural offerings, and free Wi-Fi to attract diverse audiences to the Innovation District and strengthen the connection of the BCEC to the surrounding urban fabric.

HR&A congratulates The Lawn on D team for their creativity and recognition of their work. We look forward to continuing this summer’s successful season of exciting programming, which began with a three-day opening festival, a giant inflatable maze, and a rock concert. For upcoming events, visit the website here.