Santa Monica Rolls-Out a Breakthrough for Informed Participation.

On January 31st, the City of Santa Monica unveiled a first-of-its-kind online planning tool that will help decide the fate of the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium (Civic) and its surrounding 10-acre site, which the City aspires to transform into a mixed-use arts and cultural campus. The tool, designed jointly by HR&A and software developer MetroQuest, solicits input from citizens and stakeholders to reimagine the future of the Civic and its site through a user-friendly, online interface. Translating HR&A’s real estate, operational and financing analysis into this interactive format helps the public to better understand development tradeoffs and the City to include many voices in the planning process.

The Civic is a 58-year old historic landmark that used to host the Academy Awards and large concerts, in addition to community events. In June 2013, the City closed the Civic due to the loss of Redevelopment Agency funds needed to rehabilitate the facility, which today would cost an estimated $100 million. In October 2013, the City Council appointed a Civic Working Group (CWG) to lead a community planning process and advise the Council about options for the Civic and the site, with the assistance of a multidisciplinary team led by HR&A.

To support the community planning process, HR&A partnered with MetroQuest to design an interactive tool that allows users to share their complete vision for the Civic and its site. HR&A led a team of consultants (John Kaliski Architects, Cultural Planning Group, and Sam Schwartz Engineering) to research and analyze the numerous real estate and operating assumptions and implications underlying the decisions available in the tool, which tracks land use choices across four indicators: amount of land used, parking required, construction costs, and net operating costs.

Over 100+ participants who attended the two-day community workshop on the future of the Civic and its site used the tool on iPads, which enabled attendees to match their planning aspirations for the site with available funding options. Participants, including those who can access the tool online for two weeks after the workshop, are able to try different approaches to filling the site with cultural, open space and private land uses and to match the resulting selections with associated financing options to pay for both capital and net operating costs. In doing this, the tool demonstrates the land use and financial tradeoffs associated with funding new cultural and open space uses on the Civic site through both private on-site real estate development and other public and private sources, such as taxes, bonds, and philanthropy.

During the workshop, the results were analyzed in real-time such that it was possible to share the input gathered that day with the full group of participants. The tool helped the CWG and the City’s Cultural Affairs Division to collect and share perspectives from a larger group of stakeholders than is the norm at public workshops. HR&A will continue to support the CWG in analyzing the public’s feedback and designing implementation recommendations to the City Council for the iconic Civic and the mixed-use arts and cultural campus it is planned to anchor.

Find more information about the project at the City’s website. Read more in The Santa Monica Mirror and The Santa Monica Dispatch. For any questions regarding the tradeoff tool, or its development process, please contact Remy Monteko at rmonteko@hraadvisors.com.

HR&A is pleased to announce that on January 12, the Philadelphia 30th Street Station District Plan project website, www.PhillyDistrict30.com, launched. The website launch marks the beginning of the District Plan’s public outreach efforts and will serve as a major resource for communicating project information and updates. The launch of the website also coincides with the first public open house on January 28th at 30th Street Station.

On behalf of a partnership consisting of Amtrak, Brandywine Realty Trust, Drexel University, and SEPTA, the 30th Street Station District Plan is being created for the area surrounding Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station, which encompasses the station, adjacent rail yards, and nearby property including sites that make up Drexel’s planned Innovation Neighborhood. The District Plan seeks to create a vibrant and cohesive community surrounding the station and improve connectivity with the city and region.

The 30th Street Station District Plan is being prepared by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP in association with Parsons Brinckerhoff, OLIN, and HR&A. HR&A is evaluating commercial opportunities and crafting an implementation strategy for the master plan. HR&A will guide decisions for phasing development and structuring sources of capital for funding infrastructure and other catalytic investments.

HR&A congratulates the 30th Street Station District Plan’s Project Principals on the launch of the Plan’s website and reaching its public outreach milestone. More information about the District Plan and ways to get involved can be found at www.PhillyDistrict30.com.

On November 10, 2014 the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) Fulton Center officially opened its doors to riders. The station, spanning 180,000 square feet over three buildings, connects 300,000 daily passengers to nine subway lines to function as downtown Manhattan’s largest transit hub. Fulton Center also provides over 63,000 square feet of retail, restaurant, and commercial office space accompanied by the installation of more than 50 LED screens, which provide advertising opportunities and live-transit information. A central part of the City’s downtown revitalization efforts, Fulton Center transforms an area devastated by the attacks on September 11, 2001, into a bustling hub for transportation, retail, and public space.

HR&A served as strategic business advisor to the MTA on the Fulton Center project, creating a retail vision, developing and managing the master lease RFP process; evaluation of bidders, and assisting in final bidder selection and deal-term negotiations.

HR&A congratulates the MTA and the Fulton Center’s master lessee, the Westfield Group, on their innovative public-private partnership. Under the partnership, Westfield will manage and fund the Center’s leasing, operations, and maintenance, dedicating private dollars to the upkeep of a landmark public space. Westfield and the MTA will share revenues generated by commercial operations and digital advertising displays.

Read more in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and the official press release on the MTA’s website.

HR&A Expands Capacity to Support Land Use Approvals

“The addition of Jee Mee Kim to our New York office increases our capacity to manage complex projects from inception, through approvals, to project implementation.”
– John Alschuler, Chairman

HR&A is thrilled to welcome Jee Mee Kim as a new Principal in our New York office. Jee Mee brings over 15 years of experience in project management for public and private clients. Her experience leading complex land use approvals and multidisciplinary planning studies will broaden the capacity of the firm in New York City and around the country.

Prior to joining HR&A, Jee Mee was a Director of Planning and Design at Sam Schwartz Engineering (SSE), a transportation planning and traffic engineering firm. At SSE, Jee Mee spearheaded land use approvals, environmental review, and traffic studies for some of New York City’s largest development projects. Her extensive portfolio includes the Atlantic Yards, the New York Presbyterian Hospital Master Plan, and the Brooklyn IKEA.

Jee Mee is currently managing the New York Rising Community Reconstruction Program in Southeast Brooklyn on behalf of the New York State Office of Storm Recovery. She is also providing technical support for the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities Centennial Challenge, an ambitious program to help cities become more resilient to increasing physical, social, and economic challenges.

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. With the addition of Jee Mee to the HR&A team, we look forward to continuing to support the economic development and public policy goals of our clients. She can be reached at jkim@hraadvisors.com.

The Urban Land 40 Under 40 winners are the top real estate professionals under 40 years of age. HR&A congratulates Kaye Matheny as a member of this inaugural group.

“This honor again affirms her stature as a leader. Kaye’s values and capacities embody HR&A’s mission and our vision for the future of cities. We value Kaye as a member of our community and as a resource for our clients.” – John Alschuler, HR&A Chairman

Kaye Matheny, Principal at HR&A, was named one of the winners of Urban Land magazine’s first ever 40 Under 40 competition. Urban Land, the flagship publication of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), announced the winners on Tuesday October 21st at the ULI Fall Meeting at the Javits Center in New York City. This select group is comprised of the best and brightest young professionals from around the world as determined by a jury of leading ULI members.

ULI Global Chairman Lynn Thurber recognized the honorees “These professionals are already making an impact on the industry,” Thurber said. “They are demonstrating outstanding leadership in all areas of real estate — design, development, finance, planning, sustainability, public policy, and academia. Their work is helping to keep ULI at the forefront of community building in the 21st century.”

Kaye co-leads HR&A’s resilience practice, managing large-scale programs such as the New York Rising Community Reconstruction program on behalf of the New York State Office of Storm Recovery’s, the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities program, as well as the Foundation’s national capacity-building initiative to support HUD’s National Disaster Resilience Competition. These programs engage stakeholder groups to develop long-term resiliency strategies. “I am driven by the opportunity to shape our increasingly urban world by integrating and improving complex networks of built, economic, and social systems to impact everyday life,” says Kaye.

Kaye also serves as a practice lead and strategic advisor for the firm’s housing projects, providing leadership on projects that have an emphasis on affordable housing and policy. Prior to joining the firm, Kaye served as the Chief of Staff and Deputy Commissioner for Strategy and Operations at the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). Prior to that she was the Assistant Commissioner for Strategic Planning. Kaye is an active member of ULI and a volunteer with the NYC HOPE Homeless Survey and New York Cares organizations.

Technology has the power to transform our world, and with this challenge, we’re empowering the sharpest minds in tech, design and business to help solve some of the city’s toughest civic challenges.

– Mayor Bill de Blasio

On Tuesday, September 16th, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Kyle Kimball, President of the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), announced the winners of NYC BigApps 2014, a competition that empowers the sharpest minds in tech, design, and business to solve NYC’s toughest challenges with technology. Winners were selected from 20 finalists – $20,000 cash prizes were awarded for the best Live, Work, Learn, and Play products, and $5,000 cash prizes were awarded to the best Mobile Apps, Web App, Data Tool, Connected Device, and Game. Mayor de Blasio and NYCEDC also announced that they will launch a sixth year of the competition that builds on this year’s success.

BigApps 2014 engaged over 3,000 New Yorkers and received more than 125 submissions, twice as many as last year. The 2014 competition winners are:

Issue:
Live – Heat Seek NYC
Work – NYC Hired
Learn – CourseKicker
Play – Explore NYC Parks

Product:
Mobile – Mind My Business
Web – Dream See Do
Data – Explore NYC Parks
Device – Heat Seek NYC
Game – PIPs (Positive Impact Points)

This year’s Selection Committee members were Google Chief Information Officer Ben Fried, Cornell Tech Dean Dan Huttenlocher, New York Public Library Chief Library Officer Mary Lee Kennedy, NYCEDC President Kyle Kimball, Collective(i) Chairman and Co-Founder Heidi Messer, Counsel to the New York City Mayor Maya Wiley, New York City Chief Technology Officer Minerva Tantoco, and Robin Hood Foundation President Deborah Winshel.

As competition administrator, HR&A led all aspects of BigApps’ design and implementation, including developing the competition’s structure, timeline, and guidelines; designing an interactive web platform; raising private funds for prizes and events; recruiting and managing relationships with more than 100 partner organizations and individuals; marketing the competition to entrants and the public; managing the submission and judging process; and producing eight high-impact events.

In addition to BigApps, HR&A also designed and administered NYCEDC’s Take the HELM and Staten Island Storefronts competitions, and the Open Society Foundations’ Talking Transition initiative, three programs that have used civic engagement and competitions as tools to support economic development in New York City. We are thrilled to be a part of these exciting initiatives and look forward to participating in more projects that support the innovation economy nationally and around the world.

To learn more about the competition and the winning teams, check out these articles in WNYC, amNY, Forbes, the New York Observer, and Fast Company.

HR&A Advisors invites Tribeca pedestrians to join us in celebrating vibrant urban public spaces on Friday, September 19th, when we transform three parking spaces into a temporary park as part of PARK(ing) Day 2014! First conceived in 2005 by Rebar, a San Francisco-based art and design studio, 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.

Our temporary pocket park will be located on the northern curb of Harrison Street, between Hudson and Greenwich Streets, from 9 am to 5 pm. We will replace pavement with grass, and cars with community, offering comfortable spaces for relaxation and a unique set of programs throughout the day. The “parklet” will reflect HR&A’s commitment to creating compelling mixed-use environments and dynamic urban public spaces that strengthen communities and help to catalyze economic development. Drawing on insights from our open space practice, the parklet will be designed for maximum versatility, to accommodate a diverse set of users and events throughout the day.

Our parklet will consist of several flexible spaces open all day for public use:

The “Street Suite” celebrates new flexible working spaces by offering an outdoor office with tables, chairs, and Wi-Fi for street-side productivity and creativity. Join HR&A staffers, cross some items off your to-do list, and get your daily dose of Vitamin D!

The Tribeca Meadow recognizes the joys of living in the city, and the value of flexible open space for all urban residents and visitors. Come relax in our hammock, take a break on the grass, enjoy some lemonade, and join us for various events throughout the day.

Schedule of Events:

• 9:00: Turf’s up!
• 10:00-12:00: City Stories – Our parklet will be host to a traveling library curated with city-themed books and poetry by two local favorites: New York City Public Library and Poet’s House
• 10:00: Storytelling with the New York Public Library
• 2:00: Flexibili–(City) – Integral Yoga Institute will host free yoga sessions in our parklet – stop by with your mat or simply pull up a piece of grass!
• 4:00: Street Sounds
• 5:00: Park Teardown – see you next year!

“At the core of HR&A’s mission is the creation of vibrant urban centers that sustain a high quality of life for diverse communities,” said HR&A Managing Partner Kate Collignon. “PARK(ing) Day is a one-of-a-kind opportunity not just to promote HR&A’s vision and mission, but also to engage New Yorkers in celebration of public open spaces that we expect, and hope, to see more of in New York City and around the world.”

Read about our Park(ing) Day installation last year on our website, and at WNYC, Untapped Cities, Tribeca Citizen, and on NTD Television, and spread the word with our PARK(ing) Day Flyer!

HR&A is pleased to announce our partnership with the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA) in the launch of The Lawn on D, an innovative outdoor event space which celebrated its official opening on August 15th. “By having The Lawn On D, we’re taking another step in having the city be more innovative,” said Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh at the opening event. “It’s another step in showcasing our city… giving people places to come, giving kids places to come… It gives the neighborhood a sense of pride.”

Located on D Street at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center (BCEC), this exciting 2.7-acre space uses innovative programming, including free public festivals and events, lawn games, food trucks, 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.

Last night we celebrated the opening of Swing Time, which lights up the space with an architectural “swing” installation. This interactive installation, equal parts artwork and playscape, features an ethereal network of 20 glowing doughnut-shaped swings. Designed by Meejin Yoon and Eric Höweler of Höweler + Yoon Architecture to encourage physical interaction, the colors of the swings change with the rider’s movement, creating a technicolor glowing effect generated by the motion of the swings. At last night’s opening reception, we turned the lights on and celebrated the experimental outdoor space with a live swing band, bocce, ping-pong, food trucks, and a special Swing Time cocktail in the tent! For those of you not in Boston, check out Swing Time in action here.

HR&A, 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.

In addition to The Lawn on D, HR&A is currently involved in a number of other projects within our program design and implementation practice area. HR&A is administering NYC BigApps 2014, the largest civic technology competition in the world, awarding over $100,000 in prizes to teams developing the best apps, connected devices, and other digital products that improve civic life in New York. We also designed and produced Take the HELM, Staten Island Storefronts, and Talking Transition, three programs that have helped to support economic development and civic engagement throughout New York City.

For more information on the schedule of events, hours, and more, visit The Lawn on D’s official website. We invite you to like the official Facebook page or follow the project on Twitter and Instagram for updates. Read more about Swing Time in the Boston Globe and Lawn on D in Boston Magazine, the Boston Globe, and BostInno.