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Urban Land Institute Panelists Coming to Speedway
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Mike Higbee
Photo by Jay Thompson |
(posted May 11)
It will be an intense three days for the Urban Land Institute Advisory Service Panel coming to review Speedway's Master Plan created by American Structure Point.
Mike Higbee, a member of the ULI, said he is not working on this particular
project because his bias of knowing the area. Higbee served as the top
administrator for the Department of Metropolitan Development during Mayor
William Hudnut's administration, and now he is the developer working on
the redevelopment of the Central State Hospital and the Martindale on the Monon project.
He told the Speedway Merchants Association members the team coming May 13 is an unbiased group of planners, designers, marketers, developers and architects who will review the plan for highest and best use of the land. The professionals will also look at the project realistically to see if it can be financed. The group will learn the geography and interview community members.
The planners will study the real estate and physical reconfiguration of
the land, so it can be reorganized for making the best land use decisions.
"Good development is normally preceded by good planning. It just doesn't
happen."
Higbee's presentation was intended to build credibility and trust for the
ULI process.
"They are not coming with preconceived notions," he said. Higbee
guaranteed the panel will not come in with an agenda from the redevelopment
commission.
Higbee's presentation provided a better learning curve for the merchants,
and they were able to gain access for community input. Speedway Redevelopment
Commission Executive Director Scott Harris filled in the details of ULI's
visit. He said it was a request by master developers Mansur Real Estate
Services and Green Street to recruit the assistance of the ULI to review
the plan and to develop a more comprehensive market analysis. He said that
Mansur developed the list of contacts for the ULI advisory panel to
interview.
Higbee explained the panelists do not see the opinions as pros or cons but as perspectives. Although the process may sound cold, the developers involved with ULI come with open minds to understand the community. The panelists will be attuned to understanding the dynamics of the community. "They will hear the heart beating," he said.
He told the merchants he could provide contacts in
Waukegan IL and Buffalo NY for references on how ULI advice paid off,
leading to successful redevelopments. Higbee was part of the advisory panel
for both cities.
Scott Albrecht was skeptical that panelist could come to a town for three
days and learn enough to make recommendations. "If you never stood
on the start finish line you don't know Speedway. If you never walked up
and down Georgetown Road the night before the race, you don't know Speedway,"
he said.
Higbee said "they won't understand everything about Speedway, but they'll understand that it is close knit community and will understand what will and won't work."
Harris explained that SRC members are not part of the briefing process to keep their biases from stilting the process.
Mansur and Main Street have dictated the process and developed the briefing
book for the panel. Mansur determined who would be on the interviewing
list that involved the motorsports industry, economic development and public
finance. Jo Ellen Dotlich, like several other merchants at the meeting,
told Higbee they wanted to be involved with the process.
Higbee suggested the merchants talk to Mansur and let them know they have an interest in giving input, or to submit a written opinion to the panel. "I think the panel would be very distressed that if they found out that input was provided that they didn't receive," Higbee said.
It was at that point that Harris interjected that "I talked to Mansur today" (May 8) to suggest some individuals in the room serve as representatives.
The next meeting of the Speedway Merchants Association will be June 12
at 6 pm in the Speedway Library.
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