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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09972 RESOLUTION NO. 9972 A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF PUEBLO TO SUBMIT A CONCEPT PAPER FOR THE HARP PHASE III PROJECT TO THE STATE BOARD OF THE GREAT OUTDOORS COLORADO TRUST FUND, AND AUTHORIZING THE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL TO EXECUTE SAME WHEREAS, City Council supports the completion of the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk (HARP) as identified in the HARP Intergovernmental Agreement's Program Diagram dated November 26, 1996; and BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF PUEBLO, COLORADO, that: SECTION 1. The President of the City Council is hereby authorized to execute and deliver the concept paper for the Harp - Phase III Project on behalf of the City of Pueblo, a Municipal Corporation, to the State Board of the Groat Outdoors Colorado Trust Fund, and the City Clerk shall affix the seal of the City thereto and attest same. SECTION 2. The concept paper is requesting the amount of $500,000 from COCO, with matching funds being provided by the HARP Foundation in the amount of $2,211,000. The total project cost for the Harp - Phase Ilia is estimated to cost $2,711,000. SECTION 3. A copy of the concept paper is attached hereto and is on file at the City of Pueblo's Department of Planning. INTRODUCED October 14, 2003 BY Al Gurule\Councilperson APPROVED: Bill Sova\President of City Council ATTEST: Gina Dutcher\City Clerk Background Paper for Proposed RESOLUTION AGENDA ITEM # I IQ DATE: OCTOBER 14, 2003 DEPARTMENT: PI.~NNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT/JIM MUNCH TITLE A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF PUEBLO TO SUBMIT A CONCEPT PAPER FOR THE HARP PHASE III PROJECT TO THE STATE BOARD OF THE GREAT OUTDOORS COLORADO TRUST FUND, AND AUTHORIZING THE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL TO EXECUTE SAME. ISSUE Should the City Council agree to submit a concept paper to the State Board of the Great Outdoors Colorado Trust Fund (GOCO) to construct river walk improvements in Phase III along the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo (HARP) project and authorize the President of Council to execute same? RECOMMENDATION Approval of the Resolution. BACKGROUND The HARP Foundation is requesting the City to apply for a $500,000 "Regional Local Government" grant from GOCO to construct river walk improvements in Phase Ilia of the HARP Project. The project will consist of installing an urban park area (lawn and irrigation), dver channel, benches, park trees, retaining walls, environmental education, play area, pedestrian walkway, and gateway facility. City Council approved Ordinance No. 6844 on May 28, 2002 establishing Phase III of HARP as a Capital Improvement Project in the amount of 5.6 million dollars. Phase Ilia is estimated to cost approximately $2, 711,000 of which, the $500,000 requested under this concept paper is a pert thereof. FINANCIAL IMPACT If GOCO approves this concept paper then the City will be invited to submit a full grant application for the funds. The HARP Foundation will be obligated to provide the matching funds. REGIONAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT GRANT SUMMARY INFORMATION Please review all eligibility requirements before completing this two-page summary. The summary should be included as a cover to the concept paper. Please respond in the space provided. 1. Project Sponsor(s): The HARP Foundation 2. Primary Sponsor (must be eligible recipienO: City of Pueblo Address: 211 E. D Street Pueblo, CO 81003 Contact Name: Mr. Jim Munch Title: Assistant City Manager Planning and Community Development Telephone #: 719-543-6006 Fax #: 719-543-0572 3. Project Partners: City of Pueblo, Pueblo County, the Board of Water Works,, the Pueblo Conservancy District, Pueblo Urban Renewal Authority, the HARP Authority and the HARP Foundation Please provide an attachment with names, addresses, contacts/titles, and telephone/fax numbers for all project partners. 4. Project Title: Historic Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo Phase III A-1 5. Project Location: The Historic Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo is located in downtown Pueblo beginning at Lake Elizabeth on Victoria Street and running southeast to the intersection of Santa Fe and Grand avenues. The proposed expansion will extend north toward the convention center crossing Grand Avenue and running parallel to Main St. (Site map attached.) U.S. Congressional District: 3rd Colorado House District #s: 46, 47, 60, 62 County: Pueblo Colorado Senate District #s: 2, 3 6. Brief Description of the Project (In the space provided, please describe the scope and nature of this project): The Historic Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo Phase III A-1 Expansion will build out the current Riverwalk north toward the Pueblo Convention Center through the construction of a navigable water channel flanked by pedestrian trails that will expand the trail network at HARP and create a continuous pedestrian and bicycling trail system around the entirety of HARP. The channel will culminate in an oval-shaped boat basin that will feature a boat storage facility where boats can be docked and repaired as needed. The facility will also allow for the expansion of the boat excursion portion of the attraction. The boat basin will be surrounded by a multiuse events pla?a that will also serve as the major trailhead into the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo park and create a gateway between the main draw of visitors from outside of Pueblo, the convention center and Pueblo's unique water park. 7. Project Funding: (Refer to Eligibility Requirements before responding.) Grant Request: $ 500,000 Cash Match (for 2-year project period) $ 2,210,398 In-Kind Match (for 2-year project period) $ 00.00 Total Project Cost: (for 2-year project period) $ $2,710,398 General Instructions: - Please provide seven (7) copies, including one unstapled copy. - Maps shouM be no larger than 11" x 17" Please return 7 complete copies of the concept paper to: The State Board of the Great Outdoors Colorado Trust Fund 1600 Broadway Suite #1650 Denver, CO 80202 Attention: REGIONAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT GRANT CONCEPT PAPERS MUST BE RECEIVED BY 5:00 p.m. Friday, Octoberl7, 2003. Questions should be directed to Wally Pieeone, Senior Program Manager, at 303-226-4522 or Aimee Wesley at 303-226-4523 HISTORIC ARKANSAS RIVERWALK OF PUEBLO PHASE III A 1 PROJECT PARTNERS -Qiw...o. fP~gb~ Pueblo Urban Renewal Authority Mr. Jim Munch Mr. Gary Tmjillo Assistant City Manage~ Planning and 201 S. Victoria Ave. Community Development Pueblo, CO 81003 211 E. D Street 719-584-7676 Pueblo, CO 81003 719-584-7658 (fax) 719-543-6006 719-543-0572 (fax) ~ Mr. Steven Meier Mr. Mark Hess Senior Planner Executive Director 211 E. D Street 200 W. 1st Street, Suite 203 Pueblo, CO 81003 Pueblo, CO 81003 719-543-6006 719-595-0242 719-543-0572 (fax) 719-583-4696 (fax) Pueblo County. Mr. Gus Sandstrom Chairperson Mr. Matt Peulen 201 W. 8t~ Street County Commissioner Pueblo, CO 81003 215 W. 10m Street 719-583-6030 Pueblo, CO 81003 719-583-6666 (fax) 719-583-6000 719-583-3908 (fax) ~ Pueblo Board of Water Worlm Mr. Peter McCarthy Executive Director Mr. Alan Hamel 301 N. Main Street, Suite 303 319 W. 4m Street Pueblo, CO 81003 Pueblo, CO 81003 719-542-2433 719-584-0221 719-542-2564 (fax) 719-584-0222 (fax) Mr. Ken West Pueblo Conservancy. District Chairperson HW Houston Construction Mr. Gus Sandstxom 210 S. Victoria 201 W. 8m Street Pueblo, CO 81003 Pueblo, CO 81003 719-544-2791 719-583-6030 719-544-0635 719-583-6666 (fax) CONCEPT PAPER GREAT OUTDOORS COLORADO REGIONAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT GRANTS HISTORIC ARKANSAS RIVERWALK OF PUEBLO PHASE III A ! EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Since its inception in 1991 and dedication in 2000, the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo (HARP or Riverwalk) has successfully transformed a blighted area of downtown Pueblo into a cultural, educational, recreational, economic and social centerpiece for the citizens of Colorado. The HARP project commemorates and celebrates Pueblo's relationship with the 2~rkansas River through a unique, river-based recreational opportunity that demonstrates the region's appreciation, stewardship and reliance upon the Arkansas River. This concept paper describes Phase III of the planned six-phases of the HARP project and supports the request to Great Outdoors Colorado for a $500,000 Local Government Grant for Part A-1 of Phase III. XXThen complete, Phase III will create a major trailhead to the Riverwalk between the Pueblo Convention Center and the Riverwalk, as well as provide the bridge between the two main arms of the Rivet'walk: the completed Phases I and II and the planned Phases IV, V and VI. Phase III will become a major component of Pueblo's River Greenway Trail System: the dual bicycle and pedestrian trail system paralleling the waterways of Pueblo and linking most of the area's major recreation sites including the Thomas Phelps Creek Natural Area, Runyon Field Sports Complex, the Runyon Lake State Wildlife Area, the Greenway and Nature Center of Pueblo, Lake Pueblo, the Pueblo Zoo and CSU Pueblo. Phase III is divided into thxee distinct parts: A-l, A-2 and B. Broadly, Phase III will extend the Riverwalk's navigable channel and adjacent paths and trails north to the Pueblo Convention Center and culminate in an oval-shaped boat basin surrounded by a multiuse events plaza. The project will expand the current land and water trail system of HARP and provide a continuous network of walk-able nails around the entirety of the Rivexwalk for both active and passive recreational pursuits at an outdoor water-based park in the center of an urban area. The boat basin and storage facility will allow for expansion of the boat excursion operations of the Riverwalk allowing for additional boats for touxs and events, boat storage and boat repair. Each part of Phase III is described below. 1. Part A-1 will construct a 470 foot, navigable channel flanked by 1,200 feet of new trail. Specific accomplishments will be the site preparation; cleating, demolition and removal; utility and drainage improvements; navigable channel elements, water aeration; and pedestrian access and crossing. 2. Part A-2 will add the amenities to the channel area. Specific accomplishments will be pavement, curbs and gutters; seat walls, retaining walls, stairs, and miscellaneous elements; site furnishings and lighting; plantings; and a restroom/boathouse and an interpretive stormwater plaza. 3. Part B will construct the mulfiuse events plaza that will become the transition area and interface between the Riverwalk and the convention center. The estimated design and construction cost of Phase III A-1 and A-2 is just over $5 t, illion. Plans for Phase III B are not finalized and will require close collaboration between all partners as this phase will create the transition between the planned expansion of the Pueblo Convention Center and the Rivezwalk. PRIMARY SPONSOR AND PROJECT PARTNERS The primary sponsor of this request is the City of Pueblo. Mr. Jim Munch, Assistant City Manager for Planning and Community Development, is the primary contact and can be reached at 211 GOCO Concept Paper - 10-17-03 Page 1 of 6 CONCEPT PAPER GREAT OUTDOORS COLORADO REGIONAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT GRANTS HISTORIC ARKANSAS RIVERWALK OF PUEBLO PHASE III A 1 E. D Street, Pueblo, CO 81003, 719-543-6006. The project sponsor is Mr. Peter McCarthy, Executive Director of the HARP Foundation. Mr. McCarthy can be contacted at 301 N. Main St., Suite 302, Pueblo, CO 81003, 719-542-2433. The Historic Arkansas Rivet'walk of Pueblo is an urban park and recreation venue owned by the City of Pueblo and managed by the HARP Authority. The HARP Authority was created through an intergovernmental agreement between the project's four major partners: the City of Pueblo, Pueblo County, the Pueblo Conservancy District and the Pueblo Board of Water Works. The Authority assumes the responsibility of the day-to-day operations of the Riverwalk using revenue derived from boat tours, paddle boat rentals, special events, and the sale of surrounding property for private development to provide for the ongoing upkeep and vaaintenance of the Riverwalk. The HARP Authority consists of six paid staff and a five-member board of directors comprised of two appointees from the City of Pueblo, one from Pueblo County, one from the Board of Water Works and one from the Pueblo Conservancy District. The HARP Foundation raises funds necessary for construction projects and amenities associated with the Riverwalk. Pugh Etringer McCarthy Associates, LLC, works under the direction of the HARP Foundation and with the HARP Authority to provide full administrative support as well as prepare grants and written materials, and research and explore corporate and individual contributions. Peter McCarthy is a Principal of Pugh Eti~nger McCarthy Associates, I.I.C, and acts as Executive Director for the HARP Foundation. A fifreen-member board of directors made of up of community and business leaders oversees the work of Foundation staff and interfaces with the HARP Authority in planning future projects of HARP. The City of Pueblo's Department of Planning and Community Development and the Pueblo Urban Renewal Authority are key participants in this project. Because Phase III will interface with the planned expansion of the Pueblo Convention Center by the Pueblo Urban Renewal Authority, it is essential to the success of both projects that the HARP Authority, the HARP Foundation, the Department of Planning and Community Development and the Pueblo Urban Renewal Authority effectively collaborate in the design and implementation of this project. A resolution Was signed September 9, 2003, between the HARP Foundation and the City of Pueblo establishing the commitment of both entities to proceed with the necessary steps to begin construction of Phase III A-1 in February of 2005. The HARP Foundation is now raising the funds necessary for construction costs and the City has begun planning the move of the Municipal Courts currently located on the project site. In addition, the citizens of Pueblo will vote on a ballot question this November determining if, how, where, and when a new police building will be built. Should this ballot question pass, the City of Pueblo will immediately begin planning the construction of a new police station paving the way for additional project expansion for HARP. Regardless of the election, the current plans for Phase III will go forward with spedal accommodations made to provide access to the Police Station if necessary. The Pueblo Urban Renewal Authority is in possession of the necessary funding to expand the convention center with the addition of an exhibition hall. The expansion will directly impact the HARP Phase III project as it brings the convention center adjacent to the Riverwalk expansion creating a natural and scenic gateway from the convention center complex to the Riverwalk and thus to Pueblo's River Greenway Trail System, the Union Avenue Historic District, El Pueblo History Museum and the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center's Buell Children's Museum. Because of its critical impact on the use of the GOCO Concept Paper- 10-17-03 Page2of6 CONCEPT PAPER GREAT OUTDOORS COLORADO REGIONAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT GRANTS HISTORIC ARKANSAS RIVERWALK OF PUEBLO PHASE III A 1 Riverwalk, the convention center expansion is significant to I-IAI{P. The Pueblo Convention Center hosts over 550 events a year attended by over 83,000 people, with approximately 50 multi-day conventions each year. REQUEST TO GtCO ANn PROJECT COST The proposed request to GtCO is $500,000 or 18 percent of the total project cost for Phase III A-1. To date, $638,046 of the needed funds have been raised: $402,368 from a Community Development Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; $40,000 from Pueblo County; and $195,678 from individual donors in the Pueblo community. Additionally, the City of Pueblo Department of Planning and Community Development will provide expertise throughout the design and construction of the project, which is a significant contribution of the City of Pueblo not included as part of the cash budget. The HARP Foundation is working to raise the remaining funds from private foundations, the Pueblo community, and additional government grants. Phase III A-1 is estimated to cost $2,710,398. Project components and cost estimates with a 20 percent contingency added are as follows: · Site Preparation $585,156 · Clearing, Demolition and Removal 281,520 · Utility and Drainage Improvements 407,538 · Navigable Channel Elements 980,544 · Water Aeration 300,000 · Pedestrian Access & Crossing 155,640 PROJECT NARRATIVE In 1991, a coalition of interested citizens conceived the idea to create a river walk through downtown Pueblo, Colorado, modeled after the famous River Walk in San Antonio, Texas. These citizens labeled the project the Historic _Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo and their goal was to develop an urban park that would restore the Arkansas River to its historic path through Pueblo. In 1993, the City of Pueblo formed the HARP Commission to initiate a citizen-led fund-raising drive and to oversee the construction process. It was agreed by the Commission that the City of Pueblo would retain ownership of the Riverwallc and the HARP Commission would oversee the construction process. Upon completion of Phase I construction, the City of Pueblo dissolved the HARP Commission and a new entity, the HARP Authority, was formed through an intergovernmental agreement between the primary stakeholders and assumed the responsibility of the daily operations of the Riverwalk. The HARP Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was created on March 31, 1994, by the HARP Commission and Pueblo's Department of Planning and Community Development for the purpose of soliciting funds from the public and private sectors to finance the beautification of the Riverwalk and enhance the basic infrastructure. In November of 1995, the citizens of Pueblo passed a 20-year, $12.85 million bond issue to create the basic infrastructure of the Riverwallr and groundbreaking for construction took place on September 27, 1996. The HARP Foundation kicked offits initial capital campaign on August 15, 1996, and completed raising the needed $7 million by the autumn of 2000. The first two of the planned six phases of HARP were officially dedicated and opened to the public on October 6, 2000. The most recent construction project, which includes the Boettcher Outdoor GOCO Concept Paper - 10-17-03 Page 3 of 6 CONCEPT PAPER GREAT OUTDOORS COLORADO REGIONAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT GRANTS HISTORIC ARKANSAS RIVERWALK OF PUEBLO PHASE III A 1 Education Center and the natural area just below the navigable portion of the water channd, was dedicated in September 2003. Planning for Phase III is now well underway and the fund raising has begun in earnest. The completion of the initial phases of HARP has had a dramatic effect on the landscape of the surrounding area and added significantly to the transformation and revitalization of Pueblo's downtown. What once was an unused section of Pueblo is now a beautiful outdoor recreation attraction where at any given time pedestrians strolling along the waterway are joined by groups of schoolchildren on their way to the education center or cyclists winding their way along the brick paths to other recreation sites in Pueblo. The Riverwalk is the only urban park in the center of downtown Pueblo and contributes greatly to the quality of life for the residents of Pueblo and the surrounding areas. HOW THE PROJECT MEETS THE OBJECTIVES OF GOCO's MISSION Phase III A-1 of the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo is in keeping with GOCO's mission to facilitate people's ability to appreciate and enjoy the outdoors through the enhancement of a park that incorporates a river, trails, wildlife and open space in a predorninandy urban setting. The primary emphasis of the Riverwalk is both active and passive recreation in the form ofwalklng and biking trails, picnic areas, boating; outdoor historical and environmental education, places for outdoor reflection and solitude, areas for large public and private events, and affordable outdoor recreation for individuals and families of all ages and abilities. The project provides for open space and open water within an urban setting and includes small wetlands for plains-native fish, migratory waterfowl and small non-game species of birds, animals, amphibians and reptiles. It is unique to Colorado and has been identified as an important area to the Pueblo and surrounding communities in two planning documents fimded by GOCO planning grants: Pueblo Integrated Resource Management and Conservation Plan, "River Corridors and their Environs" 1996 and in Strate~c Natural Resource and Environment Education Plan for the Pueblo Reoon. LOCAL, REGIONAL AND STATEWIDE SIGNIFICANCE Since the Riverw~lk celebrated its grand opening in October 2000, it has become the centerpiece of Pueblo's downtown attracting over 250,000 visitors each year from around the state. A study conducted in late 2001 by The University of Southern Colorado, now CSU-Pueblo, and the HARP Authority found that nearly 63 percent of all visitors are coming from within a 50-mile radius. The largest feeder market, 17.6 percent, is Colorado Springs. Pueblo residents heavily utilize the recreational amenities surrounding the Rive~valk with 29 percent of the respondents saying they come to the Riverwalk for recreation and exercise. Repeat visitation is also henW among this group with 26 percent of the respondents visiting HARP on a weekly basis to use the trail system surrounding the park. Numerous events have become annual attractions, including the popular Blues, Boats and BBQ Festival that this year drew over 15,000 people to the banks of the Arkansas River. Weddings, Easter sunrise sexvices, boat excursions, classes and concerts take place along the Riverwalk and there is rarely a week that goes by without a planned event adding its own color to the natural beauty of HARP. The Riverwalk is a unique park in Colorado. Senior citizens from the Joseph Edwards Senior Center can easily access the walking paths. Workers in downtown Pueblo have a place of beauty and serenity where they can enjoy a cup of coffee or get some exerdse in during their lunch hours. Families have an affordable venue where parents can stroll and children can nm in and out of the fountains on GOCO Concept Paper - 10-17-03 Page 4 o f 6 CONCEPT PAPER GREAT OUTDOORS COLORADO REGIONAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT GRANTS HISTORIC ARIr~d~ISAS RIVERWALK OF PUEBLO PHASE III A 1 hot summer evenings. Fieldtrips of schoolchildren throughout the region utilize the outdoor education center and learn about the significance of the Arkansas River to the development and sustainability of southern Colorado. The Riverwalk is an oasis in the midst of a typically urban area where generations of visitors will create memories and take away images that will last a lifetime: memories of playing in the fountains, ringing the Weaver Bells, finding the hidden wildlife sculptures ha the gardens, learning about the flow of water through the Arkansas Valley at the outdoor education center, and catching a fish from the natural area just below Houston Commons. HARP is publicly owned and is available free of charge to all populations within the region. It is easily accessible to all individuals who either live in or visit Pueblo by the Pueblo transit system, automobiles and trails PROJECT NEED AND URGENCY Phase III is the next step in the six-phase HARP project as originally conceived in 1991. This phase is critical to the viability and success of the already completed phases as it provides for the interface between the largest draw of visitors from outside of Pueblo and the Riverwalk. The new multiuse events plaza will become a major tmilhead from which visitors can access the park and system of trails. This project also provides the necessary bridge between the first two phases of the HARP project and the next phase, which will extend the Riverwalk further south to Runyon Lake and the natural open space near the confluence of thc Fountain Creek and Arkansas River. With the planned expansion of the Pueblo Convention Center imminent, it is vital that the partners in the HARP project work with the Pueblo Urban Renewal Authority to complete Phase III A-1 and A-2 and plan for Phase III B to ensure that all components of Phase III are in keeping with the original design and distinctive look of the Riverwalk. With all of the partners now ready to move forward with their respective roles in the planning and implementation of Phase III, now is the time to initiate this funding request to GOCO. Proiect construction is slated to begin in October 2004, and be complete by February 2006, well within the timelines of this particular GOCO grant guidelines. Additionally, this $500,000 GOCO grant will build upon the original $I million dollar GOCO Legacy grant and the $175,000 in Local Government grants awarded to Pueblo that played a significant role in the construction of phases I and II of HARP. GOCO funding of the HARP proiect helped complete the most distinct portion of the Pueblo River Greenway Plan and this grant will add to that achievement and also assist Pueblo in levcraging the $500,000 to the nearly $3 million necessary to complete phase III A-1. STATEMENT OF PROJECT OWNERSHIP~ OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE The Historic Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo is owned by the City of Pueblo. The HARP Authority has managed the day-to-day operations of the Riverwalk since its grand opening and has done so successfully. Through the commitment of the four governmental agendes that created the Authority, this project will continue to receive the financial support and community commitment necessary to keep it a beautiful and viable park used by generations of people for years to come. ATTACHMENTS 1. Project site map GOCO Concept Paper- 10-17-03 Page 5of6