Disclaimer: The comments in this blog are my personal opinion and may or may not reflect an adopted position of the city of Glendale and its city council.
Let’s face it. Downtown Glendale is not robust despite years of community stakeholders’ discussion and strategic planning. It’s time to think differently. One of the endemic problems continues to be that downtown property owners think their properties are worth more than the market will bear. As an example, a local restaurant is about to close because they can no longer afford to pay the rent. One would think the property owner would work with them to keep the property in use but that is not the case. After all, some reduced rent is better than receiving no rent at all. So the space will turn into another vacant store front for months, maybe even years.
A little history is in order. In 2008 the city council began preparations to construct a new court house due to the inadequacy of space in the existent building. Workshops were held and in 2009 council hired the International Facilities Group (IFG) as Project Manager with Populous as the architect and New Construction-Arena as the builder to construct a new court house. The project cost was $42 million and it was supposed to be completed in 2010. Some initial underground work was done and then the project stopped. Why? The council realized the city saddled with debt, simply could not afford to build it. I was never very supportive of the project because the cost was exorbitant. I thought we were building a Mercedes when we needed a Ford. In other words I thought the initial cost was too high and as with most construction projects the eventual cost would have ballooned way above the original $42 million. In the past 10 years the court conditions have only become worse and the space they have is woefully inadequate. Here is the conceptual of the 2010 building. Grand isn’t it?
This year the city council is also dealing with the city prosecutors’ facility. They have been using a modular building that has seen better days and that was only supposed to be a temporary fix. The roof is a sieve and in the last monsoon work spaces and many important work documents were flooded. They have need of new work quarters as well. City council is considering moving them to the Sine building.
That got me to thinking. What could be done if we thought “outside the box” to address not only the court space issue and the prosecutors need for a new facility but create a major downtown revival as well?
Downtown Glendale needs a transfusion…in thinking. So here’s a radical proposal. We need to shake things up and rearrange the deck chairs. Let’s move the City Court, the Prosecutors’ Office, Police and Fire Administration into the current City Hall. There is enough room to co-locate a satellite county court into the building as well. There is already adequate parking to service the facility. It would remain a robust facility filled with workers as well as visitors.
Where would the current occupants of City Hall go? How about building a new City Hall? The city already owns land (approximately 14-20 acres) at the southwest corner of Cardinals Way (former Bethany Home Road) and 91st Avenue right next to the city owned Black parking lot. The Black lot was constructed to satisfy the city’s contractual obligation to provide parking spaces for Cardinals games. It would provide instant parking for a new City Hall as the Black lot is unused during weekly business hours. The new facility would not occupy all of that acreage and would provide much needed stimulus to create office development on the remaining acreage surrounding the new City Hall. Glendale is currently at a major disadvantage as there is no available office space in our town. With a location close to the Loop 101 a new City Hall would become more accessible to visitors and residents alike.
The city is currently planning to sell the Bank of America building. If the court, prosecutors’ office and public safety administration were moved into our existent City Hall, the city could also sell the city court building and the public safety building. While we are at it the city should also sell the Civic Center. The proceeds from these sales could pay off bonds issued for a new City Hall. These city owned downtown buildings should be sold only for commercial use that would immediately create a constant and reliable day time worker population for downtown and would in fact create more reliable revenue opportunities for downtown businesses.
Since the historical Sine Building would become vacant let’s consider turning it into a business incubator or museum or art space. How about linking up with the Smithsonian Museum and become eligible for their rotating exhibits?
While we are at it let’s relocate Velma Teague Library to the Bead Museum and bring this much loved library asset technologically into the 21st Century. Then sell or rent the vacant library space to perhaps a restaurant like Positano’s. Let’s remodel the amphitheater space and get programming in it as many nights a year as possible (200 nights?).
I have not articulated nor shared this vision for downtown Glendale with anyone until now. I am sure heads will explode all over the place. How dare she suggest a new City Hall or selling three major city buildings?
This may not be the perfect way to move the city’s deck chairs but I think these ideas could grow not just the daily downtown population but grow consistent evening traffic as well. Then perhaps the downtown merchants won’t have to rely on just a few major festivals every year to produce enough sales for them to keep them afloat. Keep in mind that people like to live close to where they work and this concept could stimulate the need for a downtown apartment building and begin to create permanent residential density that the downtown so desperately needs.
I certainly hope the downtown stakeholders read this blog and once they get over the shock of the idea of radical transformation they will embrace the idea that we can’t keep doing the same things over and over again with exactly the same outcomes for that is the definition of insanity. My ideas may not be the exact way to go but I hope it provokes a real discussion for revitalizing downtown. I would love to get feedback on the concepts I have presented, especially from the downtown community. Perhaps a major change such as I envision will finally make the downtown owners have buildings that are really worth what they think, unrealistically, they are presently worth right now.
© Joyce Clark, 2019
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Some of the ideas you suggested have lots of merit! I like the idea of a new City Hall, the current facility is dismal for a City Hall! I have long thought it was one of the ugliest buildings in Glendale, my opinion only. New ideas need to be suggested as the downtown area had never really taken off despite efforts for years to revitalize! Some items you suggested you would need to check land deeds, etc.
Interesting Ideas.
The Antique shoppers haven’t supported the Downtown area. It’s a Charming destination without a draw. Glendale Avenue 51-59th bottle neck is a road most commuters choose to avoid. Surrounding demographic not supportive of local shopping & Restaurants.
Bold ideas.
What’s the current status/ownership of the Sugar Beet Factory? Could it be renovated/remodeled for city use?
Seems like every half-dozen or so years, there’s a new proposal for the building, which invariably goes nowhere. Would be nice to see a handsome piece of Glendale’s history finally put to useful purpose again.
Re moving City Hall to 91st Avenue: The infrequent occasions I shop or eat in downtown Glendale are almost invariably because I have to be there for something requiring a visit to City Hall. Move City Hall, far fewer reason to go downtown without that two-fer.
The Beet Sugar Factory is privately owned by a Mr. Kemp. When he first purchased the building about 10 or more years ago I did a half hour show on him and his plans for the building. Since then…nada. I don’t believe he has thefunds or has attracted anyone to invest in his ideas. It’s a shame. The best that could happen would be if he sold the building to someone with the funding to renovate and actually use the building.
The most important words you said were, “the infrequent occasions I shop or eat downtown.” There in a nutshell is a major part of the problem with downtown.
Hello Joyce
I think your ideas and drive to revitalize Downtown Glendale are fresh and innovative and would be welcomed by the population , Bringing in some art element like a gallery or a place like the Mesa Arts Center (https://mesaartscenter.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMItZzjxqat4gIVlVuGCh01YQFfEAAYASAAEgJuUvD_BwE) would be amazing. I also see the need of some Science and technology centers or maybe join the national trend to enable STEM related fields with a maker space (https://www.nlc.org/sites/default/files/2016-12/Maker%20Movement%20Report%20final.pdf ) .
Thank you for looking towards the future.
Its a great innovative start to ideas that have been lacking for some time.
Joyce, how would moving the 200 or so employees and the thousands of visitors to the downtown area help make downtown more attractive and viable?
How long has the B of A building and the civic center been up for sale? Are we a part of the inflated market pricing you talk about? What’s happening with the Larry Miller building?
Downtown can only be revitalized through massive government reinvestment. Westgate is only flourishing because of the massive government investment, over $1 billion in government investments in the area and we are still giving.
I will suggest considering some of the government assets in the area condemning some of the blighted area and partnering with some investor who can take some of the “Opportunity Zone” tax relief to build a few high rise multiuse buildings that would bring business and residents to the area. Oh yes light rail would have been a very good stimulus to the area, but that was a part of our catch and release program. Too late for that idea.
How about a multistory (10 or more stories) building with residential, office and ground floor retail on the old Larry Miller site and the Current courthouse and police building? Move the police and the Court house to a newly constructed facility on the civic center and bead museum site take the B of A building if you need to as well. Let’s not forget the old Beat Sugar factory it must go as well too much money and time already wasted on keeping that memory alive.
Yes, this is now a $100 million public/private investment deal.
Another idea the council just voted to get rid of the “audit department” because in the manager’s
mind it cannot do some of the complicated audit work that is needed. Have anyone look at the productivity of the EconDev department? Name one major project in the City that was not the brainchild of the Manager and wasn’t loaded with incentives going back to 1999. Something is wrong when this department is as big of bigger than the planning department where all good physical planning ids done including where the economic engines of a community is hatched.
What else can we move West? Clearly that is the area with the most unmet need, fewest resources and least attended to area in the city. Sell another historic site by all means because really, what is history worth anyway? Hopefully they can demolish the building and put in a Payday loans and a couple charter schools.
I am sure police, fire, the city and county courts would love to share a building. That way, if there is an emergency, they are all in one place. They can just yell down the hall to one another. I am pretty sure that FEMA and EMI highly recommend putting all of your emergency responders in one location, right next to the courts, of course. It’s like a big hunk of cheese in a mousetrap 🙂
Too bad the Southeast side of the city couldn’t be sold all together. Get rid of it. Nothing of real value left anyway.
Joyce, glad to see someone thinking outside the box. I will just comment on your selling the public safety building. It doesnt just have administrators there. It has investigations, crime lab, property room, pol;ice records, information systems and detention/jail. The cost to replicate this at city hall would be very expensive and not practical. The city has spent millions securing that building for the safety and security of its employees who work there. It was built specifically to be a police facility. City Hall is not. Just my thoughts. Building a new city hall by the entertainment area doesnt seem like it would really help current downtown. There are lots available for office space downtown, just need a builder to invest. Maybe city manager can spend a little time courting big business instead to selling Glen Lakes, selling city buildings at a huge loss or instituting a new logo without promised citizen input.
Joyce, this is mind boggling to think that the City wants to spend money in this way. City proposes to BUILD A NEW CITY HALL …locate it away from downtown – 91st and Bethany – use the proceeds of SELLING four downtown properties, Bank of America, City Court, Public Safety and Civic Center – to PAY for a NEW CITY HALL. Plans were previously discussed to remodel, but now it is to BUILD NEW. Relocate City Court, Police and Fire, Prosecutors Office into City Hall. These plans do not guarantee success for downtown. Downtown may not survive this dismantling. City Manager proposed some of this months ago that included remodeling the amphitheater, moving the Velma Teague library and replacing it with a Postinos restaurant. Isn’t there a ban on alcohol on that property? Downtown merchants rejected City Managers plan but now this plan is bigger and wants MORE – A CITY HALL WE DON’T NEED. CITY NEEDS TO SPEND MONEY ON THE PEOPLE, NOT ON AN UNNECESSARY NEW CITY HALL.
Jane, please understand that the ideas presented are all mine in consultation with no one, especially senior management. These were just my thoughts and I characterized them as radical, as an attempt to shake up thinking about how everyone has approached downtown for the past twenty five years.
Don’t give up on downtown! We are making great progress with a great group of merchants and starting to gain traction. City Hall in a historical downtown is vital to its success. Glendale has so much history there and always looking to the next strip mall or bright shiny building on the fringes of a city isn’t always the answer. However, many of your points are well taken on the mindset but stay tuned…it’s shifting!