City Council Study Session Agenda and Packet 2004 11 09

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REAL ESTATE & DEVELOPMENT • Industrial potential residential, 2B • Mixed -use in North Boulder, 3B Town center proposed for Superior DAVID CLUCAS Superior Town Management Analyst Devin Granbery stands on the property of Superior's proposed town center. Coal Creek, behind Granbery, would be incorporated In the design of the mixed - use project. An architect's rendering, inset, shows a possible concept of a portion of the town center. Under earlier deal, Louisville will g et half of tax revenues BY DAVID CLUCAS Staff Writer SUPERIOR — It isn't often that a town of 12,000 residents gets the chance to build an entire new downtown in the 21st century. But while most communities are focusing on ways to revitalize their city centers, the town of Superior is starting from scratch. Despite celebrating its 100th birthday this year, Superior has never had a major down- town. And for the first 85 years, it really did- n't need one. With its beginnings as a min- ing camp, the town's population fluctuated back and forth before settling into counts of only a few hundred people, which remained steady up to the late 1980s. That all changed 15 years ago when the building of the Rock Creek residential neigh- . boyhood took Superior's population from a few hundred to more than 10,000. =The population boom helped ftiel the _construction of Superior Marketplace _ the big- boa.retail center anchored by -Costco, StiperTarget, Gait Sports and Wild Oats. As developers put the final touches on the mar- ketplace, town officials are shifting their attention to attracting smaller and boutique retailers and restaurants to a proposed town center on up to 180 acres on the east side of McCaslin Boulevard. • 66 It'll be the downtown that Superior has never had. Our vision is that we have a mixed -use center with retail and restau- rants and residential above that." Devin Granbery MANAGEMENT ANALYST, TOWN OF SUPERIOR "It'll be the downtown that Superior has never had," said Devin Granbery, the town's management analyst. "Our vision is that we have a mixed -use center with retail and restaurants and residential above that." Incorporating residential into the town center is a key component, said Michelle Batey, executive director of the Superior Chamber of Commerce. "One of the lessons we've learned with these mixed -use centers is that you need that residential density to make it work," Batey said. "You need people in a town 24 hours a day, seven days a week, not just three hours on the weekends :' Along with the retail, restaurant and res- idential mixed -use concept of the project, Granbery said, "There will definitely be a public investment in the new town center." A possible library, community center and government buildings are being considered. "This is still in the concept stage, Granbery said "We hope to have some preliminary pro- posals to take to the public early next year." Four separately owned properties totaling about 180 acres have been earmarked for the possible development of the new downtown district, Granbery said. Coal Creek runs through several of those properties, bringing portions their land into the flood plain. Since town officials want to incorporate the creek into the design of the new downtown, Granbery said the project might require some special construction techniques to sit the buildings on higher ground as well as leaving some of the flood plain sections undeveloped At this point, the town is focusing on 80 acres owned by Dick Biella and George Men kick. The property, south of U.S. 36 and east of McCaslin Boulevard, is a prime location for access and visibility, Granbery said. But there is one caveat that the town must con- sider: The deal that got Superior the land in 1997 stipulates that 50 percent of any retail tax revenue generated by the property must The Boulder County BU REPORT Oct. 29 - Nov. 11, 2004 Page 1B ROPOSED .SUPERIOR TOWN CENTER ^`:."" ' PEGGY DOYLE Superior's proposed town center will be locat- ed on about 180 acres south of US. 36 and east of McCaslin Boulevard. be given back to the city of Louisville — the land's original municipality. The idea that half of Superior's downtown retail tax revenue would go to neighboring Louisville is about as bizarre as the fact that Kentucky owns most of the Ohio River. The odd deal between Superior and Louisville stems from the construction of the Denver - Boulder Turnpike, now known as U.S. 36, in the 1950s. The road mostly bisect- ed the two communities, but it left a small portion of Superior on the north side and a larger portion of Louisville on the south side. ➢ See Superior, page 88