economic research report

Transcription

CONTENTS
I.
INTRODUCTION
II.
EXISTING CONDITIONS
IV. RECOMMENDATIONS
V.
O F
ECONOMIC RESEARCH
REPORT
T A B L E
III. DEVELOPMENT
OPPORTUNITIES
C O N T E N T S
BRUNSWICK MASTER PLAN STUDY: PHASE I
OCTOBER 25, 2001
2
INTRODUCTION
The City of Brunswick is situated on the Georgia
Coast, approximately 60 miles south of
Savannah, Georgia, and 50 miles north of
Jacksonville, Florida. Founded in 1770, it was
one of the first five customs ports established by
the Constitutional Congress of the United States.
Its proximity to the Atlantic and deep harbor
channels make it a natural location for shipping.
It was originally laid out and planned by James
Oglethorpe with a series of parks and squares
that contribute substantially to its southern
charm and character. Its current population is
approximately 15,600.
Brunswick is probably more known, however, as
the Gateway to the Golden Isles. It sits immediately adjacent to the off-shore vacation communities of Jekyll Island, St Simon's Island, and Sea
Island. With approximately 1.9 million tourists
visiting these islands annually, Brunswick is in a
unique position to capitalize on a market that
would find its history and amenities appealing.
PURPOSE
OF THE
STUDY
The community of Brunswick recognizes that it
has numerous opportunities for growth and
development beyond tourism. In order to maximize Brunswick’s potential for the greater good
of the City, the Department of Community
Development has commissioned a study to identify development opportunities (including a particular focus on hospitality possibilities) which
can be analyzed, prioritized, and placed in a master plan for community growth and development.
The purpose of this study is to gain a preliminary
understanding of the potential development
opportunities in the community and develop a
list of potential projects for further study and
economic evaluation. Included specifically for
consideration are opportunities for a hotel and
/or hotel-conference center.
The study has been divided into two phases.
Phase 1 focuses on understanding the existing
community and identifying potential opportunities for development, including a hotel and conference center. Phase 2 focuses on determining
the feasibility of potential development opportunities and creating a master plan strategy to guide
the city in pursuing these opportunities.
This report describes the findings of Phase 1.
During this phase, the planning team has met
with community stakeholders and organizations
to obtain background information both on existing conditions and perceived opportunities.
Based on these meetings, preliminary planning
diagrams have been prepared which represent
Brunswick's urban use characteristics and locations that have development potential. From this,
a list of promising development sites and project
types has been identified. This has been accompanied by a preliminary economic analysis that
begins to evaluate the market potential for proposed projects.
Upon review and consideration by the City of
desired development options, additional economic research and planning studies will be conducted in Phase 2. These are necessary to identify
viable development projects and to prepare a
master plan strategy for the City to implement
and control future development in the most effective way. Should findings support it, specific programs will be developed for hotel and conference
center projects on selected City sites.
The planning team consists of three consulting
firms who are looking at development opportunities from three perspectives.
• Economic Research Associates (ERA), an economic and market research firm with offices in
Washington, DC, is using its broad experience in
market and economic analysis to evaluate market
opportunities for hotel, conference center and
residential development in the city
GOALS
AND
OBJECTIVES
In discussions with city leaders and business
leaders, the following goals for development
efforts in Brunswick were set forth:
• Establish a long term vision for development of
central Brunswick
• Maintain downtown Brunswick as an authentic,
working commercial center
• Increase tourism
• Attract business
• Improve housing opportunities
• Improve the quality of life for all Brunswick
citizens
These discussions also identified the following
development objectives:
• Use the master planning study to support the
Special Purpose Local Opportunites Sales Tax
No. 4 (SPLOST4) referendum in September
• Determine the feasibility and location of a
proposed hotel and conference center
• Establish a strategy for the city to use in
evaluating proposals by developers
• Determine other opportunities for development
in the historic city
• Attract pedestrians downtown at night
• Improve waterfront areas
• Provide recreation opportunities for youth
I N T R O D U C T I O N
In addition, Brunswick has a unique topography.
It is located on a peninsula of land surrounded by
tidal marshes. The tidal marshes are the spawning ground of a host of shrimp varieties, giving
Brunswick its second historic industry: shrimp
and seafood processing. Georgia pine forests
populate the natural landscape which have generated a large pulp paper industry.
METHODOLOGY
• Gensler, an architecture and planning firm from
Washington, DC, is coordinating the overall
planning. Gensler is applying its experience in
commercial and hospitality planning and design
on analysis and planning of commercial, retail
and hospitality opportunities within the business
district and waterfront.
• Torti Gallas, an architecture and planning firm
from Silver Spring, MD is using its experience in
traditional community planning and design to
focus on community planning strategies from a
historic perspective and analysis of public open
space and residential development opportunities
in the downtown, the waterfront and historic residential areas.
3
EXISTING CONDITIONS
During Gensler’s first trip to Brunswick on
August 16-17, the planning team spent two days
meeting with city and county officials, business
leaders, developers and port officials to discuss
their knowledge of existing conditions. The
team also conducted windshield and walkaround surveys of the downtown area, residential
areas, waterfront areas and city entry points.
Gensler observed the following conditions:
CONTEXT
Highway 17, passing along the eastern waterfront of Brunswick, is the original coastal highway. It is being upgraded from Charleston, SC,
to St. Augustine, FL. This work includes widening of the route in Brunswick to a 6 lane divided
highway, and construction of a new suspension
bridge over the Brunswick River south of town
to eliminate an old lift bridge over the seaport
channel.
Highway 341 leads from downtown Brunswick
northeast to I-16 in Macon, GA, where it intersects with I-75 leading to Atlanta. This road is
currently being upgraded to 4 lanes.
The resort islands attract high-income tourists
and homeowners. Access to the islands is by
causeways from Hwy 17. Most people traveling
to the islands bypass Downtown Brunswick.
However, Downtown Brunswick is located
between the causeways for St. Simons Island and
Jekyll Island. This offers a strong potential to
attract day visitors from the islands and to serve
as a less expensive base for tourists visiting the
islands or people working on the islands.
C O N D I T I O N S
I-95 leads north to Darien and Savannah, and
south to the St. Mary's River and Jacksonville,
Fl. Three interchanges serve Brunswick, Hwy 17
on the south, Hwy 341 in the middle and the Spur
25 highway (Golden Isles Parkway) on the north.
E X I S T I N G
The city of Brunswick is located in Glynn
County, Georgia. To the east is the Atlantic
Ocean and the exclusive tourism and retirement
communities of St. Simons Island, Sea Island
and Jekyll Island. To the west is I-95 and rural
coastal Georgia. To the north is Glynnco Jetport
and the Federal Agencies Training Center on a
converted Navy air base. To the south is the
Brunswick River estuary and the seaport facilities of Colonel's Island.
A considerable amount of the new commercial
development serving Brunswick, the resort
islands and the rest of Glynn County is located
on the Spur 25 highway. This includes a regional retail mall and numerous strip malls. This area
is generating new growth for Brunswick north of
the historic town. The Glynnco Airport area is
generating new growth in the northern part of the
county. Other new commercial development is
located at the I-95 interchanges. This includes
highway-oriented motels and fast food restaurants. It also includes a new business park at the
I-95 / Spur. 25 interchange. Other business parks
include Sterling Industrial Park, CSX Industrial
Park and Brunswick McBride Industrial Park.
“Life in the Wild” theme park and hotel complex
is proposed on the I-95 / Hwy. 17 interchange
north of Brunswick. This is expected to generate
additional residential and commercial development in north Glynn County.
4
THE EXISTING CITY PLAN
The city of Brunswick includes both the historic
town and newer growth areas. The focus of this
study was the historic town.
The historic Oglethorpe Old Town plan is surprisingly intact, with its hierarchy of rectangular
streets and parks. Many of the original park
areas have been bisected by streets, leaving four
small parks on each corner instead of one large
park surrounded by streets. The campus of
Glynn Academy has taken part of an original
park and has closed off some of the original
streets to form two large campus blocks.
North of Wolf Street, the gridiron street plan is
extended similar to New Town and Old Town.
The neighborhood of Dixville is similar to New
Town with alleys between streets.
Two neighborhoods break the rectilinear pattern
of the historic city. Urbana is formed on the
same grid as New Town, but the grid is angled to
follow the general shoreline of the Marshes of
Glynn. Windsor Park breaks the pattern completely with a curvilinear street geometry
focused on a central oval park.
Within the historic community there are two key
districts, the Historic Preservation and National
Register District and the Downtown
Development Authority District (DDA). The
Historic District extends from First Avenue on
the south to H Street on the north, and from
Martin Luther King Avenue on the east to the
East River waterfront on the west. The
Downtown Development Authority District
incorporates the commercial blocks around
Newcastle Street and Gloucester Street. It
extends from George Street on the south to L
Street on the north, from Glynn Academy and
Wolf Street on the east to the East River waterfront on the west. Along Gloucester Street the
DDA extends east between F Street and Monk
Street to Magnolia Avenue and Johnston Street.
The Downtown Development Authority has a
photo of every historic building on CD disk.
C O N D I T I O N S
New Town is similar to Old Town, except that
alleys are introduced between the north-south
streets and there are fewer, but larger parks. The
Glynn County Courthouse is located on one large
green formed by terminating part of Union
Street. The effect, however, is consistent with the
Oglethorpe plan.
West of the historic town, along the East River
waterfront, are the Mayor's Point seaport facility,
several small seafood processing sites, a marine
fuel tank site, a DPW work site and the
University of Georgia Marine Extension facility.
Also along the East River waterfront are Mary
Ross Waterfront Park, a small waterfront office
complex and a large open site on a former rail
yard with boat docks lining the East River. A
large casino boat operates from these docks.
E X I S T I N G
The historic town includes the original
Oglethorpe town plan, called Old Town, an
extension to the Oglethorpe plan to the north,
called New Town, and several extensions of the
town to the east, including the neighborhoods of
Dixville, Urbana and the curvilinear area of
Windsor Park which breaks the classic geometry
of the rest of the historic town. Old Town dates
from the 1700's and New Town dates from the
1800's.
The land between the historic town and the
Marshes of Glynn is divided into irregular areas
that include marshes, Howard Coffin Park, an
open space area owned by the Sea Island
Corporation, a scrap metal yard, a 20 acre wooded parcel and Hwy 17. To the north along Hwy
17 are a number of small and large commercial
sites, including the Glynn Dixie shopping center.
To the south around the end of the peninsula is a
Free Trade Zone district, the King and Prince
Seafood processing plant, a Georgia Pacific
wood products plant and Georgia Port Authority
facilities.
5
CIRCULATION
A hierarchy of roads and streets serves the historic city. This includes highways, major streets,
secondary streets and local streets.
Highway 341 leads into the city from the middle
interchange on I-95 and extends south down
Newcastle Street to Fourth Avenue, then east to
Hwy 17. Where Newcastle Street becomes the
historic main street, Bay Street branches off
along the waterfront as a 4 lane divided roadway
to divert trucks from Newcastle Street to port
facilities along the waterfront. Bay Street diminishes to two lanes and eventually terminates at
the lower Port Authority site.
Important secondary streets include Union and
Norwich.
Union Street runs parallel to
Newcastle and is the location of many of the
most significant historic homes in Brunswick in
the Old Town district. The ornate County
Courthouse is located in a large park on the axis
of Union Street in the New Town district.
Norwich Street runs parallel to Martin Luther
King. In the residential district of Old Town,
Norwich is similar to Newcastle with a series of
parks from the origninal Oglethorpe city plan.
Glynn Academy is located on Norwich in Old
Town. A significant local business district is
located on Norwich in the New Town area.
A curvilinear parkway runs along the eastern
edge of the historic town between Gloucester and
Fourth Avenue. It provides local access to
Dixville, Windsor Park and Howard Coffin Park
parallel to Hwy 17, as well as views over the
Marshes of Glynn.
C O N D I T I O N S
Highway 341 down Newcastle Street forms a
major entrance into historic Brunswick from the
west, carrying car traffic into town and some
truck traffic to the port. Gloucester Street forms
a second major entrance into historic Brunswick,
leading west into downtown from an intersection
on Hwy 17. The Hwy 17 intersection is scheduled to be reconfigured as part of the Hwy 17
widening project. Gloucester Street is the main
entrance into historic Brunswick from the St.
Simons causeway. Fourth Street is a third
entrance into historic Brunswick, leading from
Hwy 17 to Newcastle Street and the port area.
Martin Luther King forms a central north-south
circulation spine down the middle of the peninsula in the historic town. To the north of
Gloucester, Martin Luther King is a four lane
divided roadway with a major power line down
the median strip. It connects with Altama
Avenue which leads diagonally northward to the
new commercial centers along Spur 25 and the
newer parts of Brunswick. This provides another major entrance into the historic community.
South of Gloucester, Martin Luther King
becomes a two lane street. This area is to be
widened to four lanes down to Fourth Avenue.
E X I S T I N G
Roadways in the historic community include
Hwy. 17 and Hwy. 341. The largest circulation
route is Hwy 17 along the eastern Marshes of
Glynn. This road leads north to Spur 25 and I-95
and south across the new suspension bridge over
the Brunswick River to I-95. This is a major
truck route between I-95 and the seaport facilities
along the East River.
along the port areas at the south end of Newcastle
provides access to port facilities and connects
Newcastle with Martin Luther King.
Major streets include Gloucester, Newcastle,
Martin Luther King, Prince, Fourth Avenue and
L Street. Gloucester is the main east-west axis
across the peninsula and is the downtown spine
for city offices and newer businesses.
Newcastle, at a right angle to Gloucester, is the
historic commercial spine of downtown
Brunswick. Fourth Street is a major connection
between the port area and Hwy 17. L Street is a
connector between Newcastle and Hwy 17 at the
causeway to St. Simons Island. This connection
is to be upgraded with a new intersection at Hwy
17 and other improvements along L Street.
Prince Street provides an intermediate connection between Newcastle and Hwy 17. A loop
6
LAND USE PATTERNS
The cross axes of Gloucester Street and Martin
Luther King divide the historic city into four residential quadrants with Old Town on the southwest, New Town on the northwest, the neighborhoods of Dixville and Windsor Park on the
southeast, and the neighborhood of Urbana on
the northeast.
Commercial uses are concentrated along the
Newcastle and Gloucester Street corridors in
downtown. Other commercial uses are located
north along Hwy 17, along the Spur Road, and
along Norwich Street in New Town.
Major institutional uses in the historic community include the Glynn Academy campus and the
Burroughs School campus.
WATERFRONT
Uses along the East River waterfront include the
Georgia Port Authority seaport facilities, fishing
industry sites, a free trade zone complex, a small
office center, a small marina and Mary Ross
waterfront park.
The Georgia Port Authority facilities at the
Mayor's Point Terminal next to downtown
Brunswick include the port authority offices,
deep water berths and a large warehouse for
break bulk cargo. A second site further south
handles grain exports and paper products for
Georgia Pacific. A rail line parallel to Newcastle
and Bay Street services the port facilities with
one train a day.
At the tip of the peninsula is a 110 acre free trade
zone business park and the King and Prince
Seafood packaging plant. Under the new suspension bridge, a public park and boating ramp
are planned.
Along the Marshes of Glynn waterfront are a cluster of
seafood restaurants and a motel complex.
C O N D I T I O N S
Major civic uses in the historic town include the
two historic city halls, the new city hall, the historic county courthouse, the new county offices
and the county jail. A major cultural center is the
Ritz Theater on Newcastle, which is being
restored as a live theater venue.
Individual seafood industries and support services occupy smaller parcels of waterfront land on
the East River between the Port Authority facilities. They include Knight Seafood, Lewis Crab
Company, City Market, OSAN Petroleum, an ice
plant and a city Dept. of Public Works yard. The
University of Georgia Marine Extension also has
a research facility here.
E X I S T I N G
Industrial zones include the Hercules plant site
on the north and the seaport, Free Trade Zone
and fishing facilities along the western and
southern waterfront edges of the peninsula.
and an open parcel that was the former rail yard.
This open parcel includes a small marina, a dock
for a casino boat and parking. The owner of the
marina parcel is proposing a large mixed-use
retail and commercial development on this site.
A separate port authority facility across the Turtle
River at Colonel's Island handles imports and
exports of over 200,000 vehicles a year.
North of the Mayor's Point Terminal are Mary
Ross City Park, a small waterfront office cluster
7
OPEN SPACES
Large open spaces include the waterfront marina
parcel along the East River and the Howard
Coffin Park, Sea Island tract, scrap metal site and
marshes along Hwy 17.
A green space plan is being prepared by the city
and the county.
E X I S T I N G
Parks include the parks along Newcastle and
Norwich in the original Oglethorpe Old Town
city plan, the large rectangular parks in the New
Town city plan, Mary Ross Park on the East
River waterfront, the playground at Burroughs
School, the ball parks on L Street, the oval central park in Windsor Park and a cemetery on
Martin Luther King. Many downtown parks
have been "adopted" by local businesses who
maintain them.
C O N D I T I O N S
8
FIGURE/GROUND DIAGRAM
The figure/ground diagram shows the pattern of
actual footprints of buildings and the spaces
around them. This plan clearly shows the location of large industrial buildings, concentrated
commercial buildings and smaller residential
buildings. From the pattern of solids and voids,
the location of commercial districts, seaport
facilities, residential neighborhoods and open
spaces are evident and the densities of development can be seen.
E X I S T I N G
This plan helps determine where building forms
can be concentrated to enhance urban spaces and
where existing buildings should be relocated or
removed to provide new development opportunities.
C O N D I T I O N S
9
UTILITIES
There is plenty of power capacity to support
growth. Power lines are typically overhead and
generally located out of sight along back alleys.
The exception to this is the large power distribution line down the center of Martin Luther King.
Water comes from the Floridian aquifer. This is
approaching drawdown capacity and water officials are looking at tapping a shallower aquifer
that may be less dependable.
Because of low lying topography and old construction, there are a number of areas in historic
Brunswick that need immediate drainage and
sewer line improvements.
The county and city have a comprehensive, up to
date GIS mapping system.
The following organizations are actively
involved in promoting growth and preservation
in historic Brunswick.
·
The City of Brunswick
·
The Downtown Development Authority
(DDA)
·
The Economic Development Authority
(EDA)
·
The Brunswick Chamber of Commerce
·
The Old Town
Association
·
The Office of Community and Economic
Development
Brunswick
Historic
C O N D I T I O N S
ORGANIZATIONS
E X I S T I N G
There is currently excess sewage treatment
capacity. The city has recently completed a new
sewage treatment plant that also serves Glynn
County.
10
PLANNING CRITERIA
During its second trip to Brunswick on August
26-28, the Gensler planning team conducted a 3day workshop with city and county officials,
business leaders and developers to discuss goals
and objectives, development opportunities and
development strategies. The team also revisited
the downtown area, residential areas, waterfront
areas and other points of interest to gather more
information and confirm or modify development
ideas.
COMMUNITY FEATURES
Brunswick benefits from four extraordinary features:
• A classic Oglethorpe city plan with its rectangular grid and series of rectangular parks
• Location on a peninsula surrounded on three
sides by rivers and saltwater marsh.
• Many dramatic live oak trees with Spanish
moss and other tropical landscape.
The classic Oglethorpe city plan provides a rectangular grid of streets parks that offers a wonderful environment that is human in scale, easy
to understand, easy to move around, and pleasant
to be in. The original scale of streets and parks
was continued in the New Town district to the
north and the newer residential districts to the
east. A super grid of more important streets provides access to downtown and port districts,
organizes circulation within the historic community and helps to define neighborhoods.
The great many large live oak trees with Spanish
moss in parks and along streets create a dramatic
natural environment of form and shade that is an
attraction to both residents and tourists.
KEY ISSUES
From discussions with city and business leaders,
a number of important issues were raised that
need to be addressed in the planning process.
These issues range from market parameters and
social concerns to technical requirements and
strategic approaches.
C O N D I T I O N S
• A large number of historic Victorian residential
homes and early 20th Century main street buildings, many of which are listed on the National
Register of Historic Buildings.
Because the city is on a peninsula, it enjoys wonderful waterfront views on three sides. This
includes broad views to the east over the Marshes
of Glynn, views to the south into the Brunswick
River from the seaport and new bridge, and
views to the west along the East River.
E X I S T I N G
During the workshop, the planning team identified a number of features and key issues that help
to establish parameters for identifying development opportunities and strategies.
commercial buildings. The city is actively
improving Newcastle Street with landscaping,
lighting and restoration of the Ritz Theater and
the Old City Hall. New businesses, including
upscale restaurants and art galleries, are starting
to attract patrons from the off-shore islands.
Two districts stand out as attractions in the historic community, the early twentieth century
commercial main street along Newcastle Street
and the very large number of historic Victorian
era homes along Union Street. These areas
declined in the past, but are now experiencing an
upsurge in popularity as people restore historic
homes and bring new retail activity to historic
11
MARKET PARAMETERS:
Discussions on what is needed to attract new
businesses and tourism to Brunswick raised the
following key issues.
• The downtown area needs to be healthy to
attract businesses to Brunswick
• What is the market for downtown hotels?
• What is the market for a conference center?
• What is the market for upgrading historic residential areas?
• How can city gateway entry images be
improved
• How can downtown activity be increased at
night?
• Consider relocating shrimp boats across river
on Andrews Island
• Can grocery store be attracted to a downtown
site?
• Developers and tenants need to know all of the
conditions that might affect potential sites
SOCIAL CONCERNS:
Discussions related to meeting the needs of the
entire community raised the following issues:
• How can residential areas with large landlords
be upgraded?
• An inventory of empty or derelict residential
sites that can be redeveloped is needed.
• Can Hwy 341 truck traffic be rerouted away
from residential areas?
• Can blocks with large surface parking areas be
redeveloped?
• The public works yard should be relocated
away from Bay Street
• Building heights in the historic downtown
should not exceed existing historic structures
• There is no public transportation and parking is
a problem in residential areas
• There are drainage problems on some streets
and residential areas
STRATEGIC APPROACHES:
Discussions on how to approach overall development planning strategies for the entire community raised the following key issues.
• Need big picture, long term planning concepts
• Determine the best uses for the Oglethorpe site
• Determine the best uses for the Torras site
• Determine the best uses for fishing industry
waterfront sites
• Determine the best use for seaport sites
C O N D I T I O N S
• How can the waterfront be used and linked to
the downtown?
Discussions on roads, parking, utilities and
drainage systems raised the following key issues.
E X I S T I N G
• What is the market for waterfront residential?
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS:
• Can Mayors Point port facilities be relocated?
• Can Andrews Island be used?
• Need to coordinate city and county standards
and ordinances
• More youth services are needed
• The County Health Department must be relocated from the Oglethorpe site.
12
DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES
REVITALIZATION
Using SPLOST funding, the city is restoring its
two historic city halls. The Ritz Theater is also
being restored. Newcastle Street is being gradually relandscaped with a planted median, new
street trees, new sidewalks and period lighting.
There is a plan to replace sidewalks throughout
historic Brunswick to the original pattern of
octagonal pavers.
People are moving back to Brunswick from St.
Simons Island to take advantage of lower real
estate prices. Other people from Atlanta and
other outside areas are seeing investment and
development opportunities in Brunswick, particularly in restaurants, galleries and small hotels.
Other people are buying and restoring historic
homes.
O P P O R T U N I T I E S
Based on observations and discussions with city
officials and business experts, downtown
Brunswick appears to have already begun to revitalize. A number of new businesses along
Newcastle and Gloucester streets are flourishing
and attracting other new businesses. These
include new restaurants, art galleries, a flower
shop, and high tech businesses. There is a strong
demand for second floor residential flats above
retail shops along Newcastle. Several developers
have shown a strong interest in creating new
retail, hotel, marina and residential projects.
D E V E L O P M E N T
As a result of the initial data collection visit and
the subsequent planning workshop in Brunswick,
a view of promising development opportunities
began to emerge. This view evolved from a preliminary list of possible development opportunity locations to a more refined list of development
opportunity sites recommended for more detailed
study in Phase 2. In this effort, it became clear
that Brunswick is already well on the way to
strong revitalization, that many new development opportunities exist, and that the city needs
a strategy not only to encourage more development, but also to manage and control ongoing
development interests.
The utility company Georgia Power stated that
the use of electric power in downtown
Brunswick has gone up in recent years, indicating an increase in economic activity downtown.
13
DEVELOPMENT RATIONALE
Data gathering, site inspections and analysis of
existing conditions from the first trip led to identifying the following target areas as potential
opportunities for development:
• East River Waterfront
• Gloucester Street
• Norwich business district
• Sites along Highway 17
• Oglethorpe Site
Discussions during the data collection visit and
the subsequent workshop session led to identifying development opportunities based on taking
advantage of and enhancing the following attractions for business, tourism and new residents:
• History - city plan, main street, parks, historic
homes, liberty ships, port activity
• Arts and crafts - galleries, southern crafts, international retail
• Downtown rooftops - views, residential, restaurants
Combining potential attractions with potential
development areas generated a preliminary list of
development opportunity locations and uses.
• Waterfront - boating, views, cruise ships,
shrimping tours, UGA marine science center,
seafood restaurant, waterfront promenade
Entry focal points are located on Newcastle at its
intersection with Bay Street, on Gloucester at its
intersection with Highway 17, on Highway 17 at
the intersection of L Street and the St. Simon's
causeway, and on Fourth Avenue at its intersection with Hwy 17. Other focal points are located
at the intersections of Newcastle and Gloucester,
Gloucester and Union and Gloucester and Martin
Luther King.
• Newcastle and Bay Streets
The proposed long-term development strategy
for Brunswick builds on the inherent organizational structure of the existing community. A
cross axis of the Gloucester Street commercial
corridor and Martin Luther King divide the historic town into four residential quadrants.
Mixed-use development is concentrated in the
downtown commercial core of Newcastle and
Gloucester Streets. Upgraded commercial should
be proposed along the eastern extension of
Gloucester Street and the northern frontage of
Hwy 17. Industry would be concentrated in the
lower seaport area and on the Hercules site.
Waterfront development should be expanded
along the East River from a river viewpoint on
Newcastle down to the UGA Marine Extension
site. Open space areas would be retained along
the Marshes of Glynn and along the eastern shore
of Andrews Island.
14
OPEN SPACE/CIRCULATION
The classic grid pattern of streets would be
retained to provide multiple choices of circulation throughout the town. A super-grid of more
larger streets would also be retained and emphasized as major circulation and wayfinding routes.
This includes the north-south corridors of Hwy
17, Martin Luther King and Newcastle/Bay
Street, and the east-west corridors of L Street,
Gloucester, Prince and Fourth Avenue.
The classic open space patterns of the original
Oglethorpe city plan and the New Town expansion plan are retained and emphasized.
Additional parks, expansion of Mary Ross Park
and a continuous waterfront promenade would
be proposed along the East River waterfront.
Existing open space areas would be retained
along the Marshes of Glynn.
15
DEVELOPMENT
OPPORTUNITIES
NEWCASTLE AND BAY
STREET AREA
1
5a
3
5
5
2
5
5
4
Newcastle Street has significant opportunities at
its northern and southern extremities for redevelopment. This includes the old Oglethorpe Hotel
site at the intersection of Newcastle and Bay
Street, and the original city hall at Newcastle and
Queen Square.
Bay St. currently serves as a major traffic carrier
to port facilities and businesses along the East
River waterfront.
However, there is strong
potential to develop retail and parking along the
eastern side of Bay Street and to landscape Bay
Street and the rail line to improve its appearance
for pedestrian use. The parking would serve both
Bay and Newcastle. With features at each end of
Newcastle (the Oglethorpe site and the old city
hall), the opportunity exists to create a pedestrian
loop around both Newcastle and Bay.
Since increased tourism is a goal for Brunswick,
attention should be paid to opportunities that
enhance the visitor experience. Tourists arriving
by car would have convenient parking on Bay
Street that would give them easy foot access to
Newcastle. Visitors by water, entering from the
Several Newcastle blocks also contain upper
level residential units. Encouraging the return of
residents to the commercial downtown would
bring vital activity to the area and promote service business growth to complement tourist
amenities, which would also flourish.
Specific development opportunities in the
Newcastle and Bay Street district include:
SITE 1: THE OLD
OGLETHORPE HOTEL SITE
The original Oglethorpe Hotel Site is among five
potential hotel sites considered in the study. Its
historic linkage to hotel activity and its position
as a gateway block on Newcastle and a connection point to the waterfront, make it a natural
location for consideration for new hotel activity.
As a central feature in downtown Brunswick, this
site also seems a good location for the proposed
Chamber of Commerce center, the Brunswick
Tourist Bureau and a community conference center. Combined with the lobby and dining services of a hotel, these activities could provide a
focal point for tourists, residents and businesses.
SITE 2: OLD CITY HALL
NEWCASTLE
ON
This structure is the landmark redevelopment
project for the southern end of Newcastle Street.
While slated for local government use as a dramatic venue for the Municipal Court and City
Council, this building could also be considered
for temporary commercial benefits, including
rental for special business and social events, and
as an adjunct to a consortium of new hotels in the
downtown area. This is a building of significant
historic interest and character.
Historic Newcastle Street is the classic "main
street" feature of the Brunswick Central Business
District. With rows of early twentieth century
storefronts, amenable to restoration, a series of
vest pocket parks dating back to the original
Oglethorpe city plan, and upgraded street landscaping, this street is starting to attract new
upscale businesses, including restaurants and
galleries, as well as new urban residents living in
flats over ground floor retail. It is also attracting
new investors interested in boutiques hotels,
additional restaurants and specialty shops.
marina portal, would be attracted around the
pedestrian loop down a revitalized Newcastle
Street to Old City Hall and back up Bay Street.
With new landscaping, parking and retail, Bay
Street could also serve as the circulation spine for
new development on the waterfront. The combination of all these improvements would link the
downtown to the waterfront.
During the second visit to Brunswick, the
Gensler planning team studied a variety of
options for addressing the goals and objectives
and development issues. Meetings were held
with private developers and landowners interested in the planning process. On the third day of
the visit, a series of sketches and strategies were
discussed with city officials and business representatives. These discussions generated the following development strategy proposals:
16
SITE 3: TWO BOUTIQUE
HOTEL SITES
SITE 4: VACANT SITE NEXT
TO HANOVER PARK
This site, opposite to the landmark church across
Newcastle, needs to be studied to determine its
best use. Options might include higher density
residential facing both Newcastle and Hanover
Park, a restaurant, a youth center or a special use.
1
SITE 5: BACK SIDES OF
BUILDING LOTS ON THE EAST
SIDE OF BAY STREET
5a
3
5
5
2
5
5
4
To support downtown residential activity, services should be encouraged in the CBD.
Specifically, a medium size urban grocery positioned with parking and upper level residential
along Bay Street between Gloucester and G
Street would be a magnet for existing residents in
the adjacent neighborhoods, as well as new
downtown residents in lofts and apartments.
While preliminary studies suggest that visitor
numbers in the region could support specialty
hotels, clearly, the ability to draw patrons to
either location will require a multi-pronged
development approach designed to enhance the
critical mass of amenity activity in this central
area. For the business hotel and conference center specifically, more research is required to
determine the baseline of initial reasonable occupancy to be expected and how this facility could
be positioned to differentiate itself from others at
I-95 and the off-shore tourist islands.
The back sides of building lots along the east side
of Bay Street are underdeveloped. If the waterfront is redeveloped, Bay Street will become the
central spine for the watefront area, and the lots
along the east side of the street will become
attractive for both retail and enhanced parking.
Upper level residential development with riverfront views could also be considered along Bay
Street.
SITE
Two significant blocks along southern Newcastle
Street are under consideration for hotel/residential/retail development. These sites seem well
positioned to serve a boutique hotel tourist market for historic Brunswick. They seem to complement a proposed business hotel for the
Oglethorpe site at the other end of Newcastle.
SITE 5A: URBAN GROCERY
17
GLOUCESTER STREET AREA
10 10
8
9
6
7
10
Specific opportunities within these target areas
include:
SITE 6: THE NEW CITY
HALL/CUSTOMS HOUSE ON
GLOUCESTER STREET
SITE 7: THE SITE ACROSS
GLOUCESTER FROM THE NEW
CITY HALL/CUSTOMS HOUSE
The parcel directly across Gloucester from the
New City Hall/Customs House currently contains a small, uninspiring commercial building
and a large surface parking lot. Its central location between Newcastle and Gloucester suggests
the opportunity for a much higher value use. Its
position on Gloucester across from the New City
Hall/Customs House suggests a much more
sophisticated building presence facing
Gloucester. A more detailed study is needed to
determine the best use for this site. Options
might include a sophisticated commercial office
building with ground floor retail facing
Gloucester, a business hotel, a mixed-use development and structured parking.
This parcel has been proposed for redevelopment
as parking for the old city hall building. A more
detailed study is needed to determine its best use.
Options might include mixed-use commercial or
a business hotel with shared structured parking.
SITE 9: THE
EMPTY CAR
DEALER SITE ON GLOUCESTER
This site might be a good location for a youth
center to serve nearby residential neighborhoods,
as well as the Glynn Academy.
SITE 10: INFILL
GLOUCESTER
SITES ALONG
Upgrading streetscaping and gateway intersections, and providing business incentives, might
lure businesses with larger building or parking
requirements to locate on redevelopment sites
along Gloucester. This might include large retail
and commercial businesses or government agencies. With careful design, this would upgrade the
appearance of Gloucester as a major entry axis
into downtown from Hwy 17 and the off-shore
islands.
SITE 11: SITES ALONG
UNION STREET TOWARD
COUNTY COURTHOUSE.
THE
Several sites are available along Union Street
between Gloucester and the county courthouse.
An incentive program to lure businesses here
would complete the axis of Union Street from
elegant homes in Old Town to the courthouse
green in New Town.
Although the New City Hall/Customs House is
being restored for reuse, it does not seem to have
the space necessary to meet all of the city's needs
as a municipal center. A more detailed study is
needed to determine the best uses for this building. Options might include leasing the building
to a private sector tenant, locating the proposed
community conference center in this building, or
using the building for more important municipal
offices or activities and leaving other city offices
in the new municipal building,
SITE
Gloucester Street, although not as significant
architecturally as Newcastle, is a broad thoroughfare that pivotally links the east and west
gateways to the CBD of Brunswick. Populated
with banks and government structures, it suggests a civic nature for the street, interspersed
with retail requiring larger sites. Revitalization
along Gloucester will impact all four neighborhoods north and south of it as it passes through
the city. Significantly, sites bordering the Urbana
and Windsor neighborhoods should be targeted
for redevelopment using new government, community, educational or office structures as the
drivers.
SITE 8: THE ELK CLUB
BEHIND THE NEW CITY
HALL /CUSTOMS HOUSE
18
EAST RIVER WATERFRONT
12
12
12
A comprehensive waterfront recovery plan
should be created to include attractions such as
the marina, cruise ship facilities, fishing industry
services, retail, restaurants, residential, promenades, and a marine sciences center. The following waterfront sites offer development opportunities:
12
12
12
SITE 12: THE BRUNSWICK
LANDING MARINA PARCEL
14
14
14
SITE 13: SMALL FISHING
INDUSTRY PARCELS
14
14
14
13
13
13
The multiple sites currently occupied by seafood
and oil companies and by the DWP should be
considered for purchase/relocation and redevelopment. This site is less amenable to residential
development, but is ideally situated to act as a
site for a cultural or marine sciences amenity that
would serve as a feature in a redeveloped downtown pedestrian loop. An association with the
University of Georgia marine extension center to
develop a Coastal Natural History Center or a
Marine Science Center is very appealing.
Although the seafood processing industry is consolidating inland, the current shrimp boat dockage could be maintained in this location as an
adjunct to the marine sciences center, preserving
an historic industry function for the university at
the waterfront.
The relocation of the port facilities to a Foreign
Trade Zone site, if feasible, would preserve the
Port Authority's presence in the City, aggregate
its holdings in the waterfront area closest to
deep-water channel, and mitigate the impact of
seaport- generated traffic by placing it closer to
Hwy 17 access.
Development of the Brunswick Landing Marina
site as residential marina-front property with
some specialty restaurant/retail. This site is critical as a gateway to the city both by land and by
water and as a northern anchor for a revitalized
business district.
Consider relocating the main Port Authority
warehouse and headquarters facilities to
Colonel's Island or a site in the Foreign Trade
Zone. This site is in critical proximity to the
downtown business and residential districts and
is currently a major break in the continuity of the
river's edge. Although a substantial investment,
this site could be redeveloped as riverfront housing. This would be a pivotal project in
Brunswick's urban redevelopment, linking the
city back to the water. A secondary use could be
conversion of the existing dock area to cruise
ship opportunities.
The extensive community waterfront along the
East River represents a tremendous asset that is
currently underutilized. Along the waterfront,
significant parcels for development exist, but
would be strengthened by a program to purchase
or reposition some of the existing waterfront uses
in order to unite the waterfront for residential and
commercial uses.
SITE 14: THE MAYOR'S
POINT PORT FACILITY
19
NORWICH BUSINESS
DISTRICT
15
15
16
15
15
Specific opportunities within this target area
include:
SITE 15: UPGRADING
AND
INFILLING THE EXISTING BUSINESS DISTRICT
Further study is needed on ways to provide
incentives and assistance to upgrade existing
businesses and attract new businesses to this
neighborhood economic center. Options include
creating an enterprise zone for several blocks
around the intersection of Norwich and G
Streets, and establishing streetscape linkages to
Gloucester
NEIGHBORHOOD
Programs are also needed to encourage upgrading of residential areas in the immediate vicinity
of the Norwich business district.
SITE 17: TEMPORARY
LIBRARY PARCEL
Just west of the Norwich area on Newcastle
Street in New Town is a site that will become
available after the library addition is completed
downtown. This site might be a good location
for a youth services center.
SITE 16: UPGRADING THE
NORWICH RESIDENTIAL
This business district traditionally serving the
community in the New Town neighborhood
would benefit from consideration as an enterprise zone. Linkage to Gloucester with improved
streetscape and landscape would be desirable.
20
HIGHWAY 17 CORRIDOR
The Highway 17 Corridor is unrealized as a city
amenity and yet represents significant opportunity given its gateway position for island tourists,
its beautiful sea marsh views and parks, and its
redevelopment opportunities at each end.
20
21
Along the southern stretch from Gloucester to the
new bridge, the existing park should be enhanced
and expanded to include the adjacent Sea Island
Corporation open space parcel. With edge treatment, the park would reinforce the gateway
enhancement to the CBD at Gloucester Street,
and serve as a true community amenity.
Moving toward the bridge, the underdeveloped
parcel adjacent to Dixville should be targeted for
housing to take advantage of the marsh views.
This location, together with the Martin Luther
King street extension would have a regenerative
effect on the Dixville neighborhood.
Finally, the intersection of Hwy 17 and Fourth
Avenue should be improved to carry commercial
traffic from the port area more directly to Hwy
17. This would reduce truck traffic on Bay St.
Rundown motels and fast food restaurants should
be replaced with newer commercial development
with coordinated design and landscaping.
SITE 19:
AT FIRST
THE 20
AVENUE
ACRE SITE
This site with views over the Marshes of Glynn
seems like a good place for new waterview residential development.
SITE 20: THE SCRAP METAL
YARD AT FOURTH AVENUE
Attempts should be made to acquire and clean up
this site for new waterview residential development.
SITE 21: THE OPEN FREE
TRADE ZONE AREA
The open part of the Free Trade Zone area north
of existing buildings offers and opportunity for
waterfront development. This area should be
studied in more detail to determine its best use.
The lower area of the Free Trade Zone should be
considered as a place to relocate the warehouse
and headquarters facilities of the Port Authority
near downtown. This would consolidate Port
Authority facilities in deep water closer to the
ocean and would free the downtown port site for
community waterfront development.
19
Beginning at the north end, the intersection of
Hwy 17 and the St. Simon's Island Causeway is
scheduled for improvement to enhance the linkage of L Street between Hwy 17 and Newcastle.
That presents a couple of clear opportunities. The
first is to create a landscaped gateway feature at
the intersection inviting island visitors to enter
Brunswick. The second is to establish a strong
streetscape along Hwy 17 from L Street to
Gloucester Street. The third is to create another
landscaped entry feature at the intersection of
Gloucester and Hwy 17.
This landscaping
would guide visitors naturally along a path
toward the CBD. Redevelopment zones should
be studied along both L Street and Hwy 17 where
they border the Urbana neighborhood. This
would have a regenerative effect for this portion
of the community as well as an upgraded image
of the city for visitors.
SITE 18: RETAIL SITES AT
THE GLOUCESTER / HIGHWAY
17 INTERSECTION
18
Specific opportunities within this target area
include:
21
OGLETHORPE PLAZA
As originally envisioned by city and business
leaders, the old Oglethorpe Hotel site is a key
location in downtown Brunswick that serves as a
major entrance feature to the downtown area and
a key connection between the downtown and the
waterfront. An entrance feature park is proposed
at the intersection of Newcastle and Bay. A
mixed-use urban gathering place is proposed on
the old Oglethorpe Hotel site that would include
a new business hotel, a community conference
center, the Chamber of Commerce headquarters
and the Tourism Bureau. This complex would
feature grade level gardens, lobby, lounge and
dining that would attract city residents and
tourists and provide a pedestrian connection
between Newcastle Street and proposed waterfront development north of Mary Ross Park.
22
RECOMMENDATIONS
The purpose of the Phase 1 study was to evaluate
existing conditions, determine goals and objectives and identify potential development opportunities and strategies for the historic community
of Brunswick. A second, more detailed master
planning study is needed to take advantage of the
momentum and enthusiasm of the initial study
and provide specific directions and actions that
the city and the business community can take as
it continues to improve Brunswick.
Based on the results of the initial study, the following master planning and feasibility studies
are recommended in the next study.
12
5a
1) Review and reach agreement with City on
which potential development areas should be
included in a final master plan study, and which
of the following proposed focus studies should
be pursued:
• Financing opportunities for all redevelopment
projects including tax and other incentive programs.
• Improvement programs for each neighborhood
to be included in the master plan
• Approach to owners of parcels desired to be
incorporated into city development plans
• Landscape/Streetscape for the entire community with emphasis on gateway and main corridor
projects (particularly those slated for near term
highways improvements).
2) Prepare detailed market analysis for hotel, residential and retail opportunities in downtown.
4) Prepare full master plan, including land use,
zoning, circulation and infrastructure
5) Establish proposed design image and create
design guidelines
6) Prepare a building program for development
of the Oglethorpe/waterfront marina/Hanover
Park sites (square footage by use required).
7) Study multi-use potential for original city hall
on Newcastle based on market analysis and
amend program as necessary
8) Study alternatives for use of new city hall/customs on Gloucester based on economic analysis.
Note:
The adjacent plan highlights three parcels (1, 5a,
and 12) which would be significant generators of
renewal for downtown which should be positioned for development together. Individually
they address housing, hotel, conference, grocery
amernity, and parking needs. Collectively, they
represent a focus for tourism and local business
that begins to establish the critical mass for a
truly revitalized downtown.
R E C O M M E N D A T I O N S
1
3) Prepare an approved final list of potential
development sites
• Focus on Oglethorpe Site, waterfront marina
site, Newcastle corridor sites and the two old city
halls as first priority project locations.
• Focus on the Gloucester corridor and Hwy 17
as second priority project locations.
23
ECONOMIC RESEARCH
ASSOCIATES REPORT
After attending the team meeting on August 28,
2001, ERA has identified three core potential
user groups for downtown Brunswick, each of
which presents a unique set of challenges.
These user groups are:
2.Visitors to the Golden Isles - St. Simons
Island, Jekyll Island, and Sea Island draw thousands of visitors each year, and this market is
primarily composed of affluent leisure visitors
always in search of new and interesting activities. At the present time, there are few reasons
for these visitors to come into downtown
Brunswick, and they usually choose to eat and
shop elsewhere in the region.
As currently conceived, the facility would
include some lodging, but would rely on the
existing hotel room pool to accommodate larger
regional associations and corporate functions.
The conference center will contribute to community life, becoming a venue where such local
organizations as the Chamber of Commerce,
service groups and non-profit associations could
host as many as 300-500 people for a sit down
dinner. Right now many such community events
and celebrations (ranging from wedding receptions to United Way luncheons to fundraisers )
cannot be accommodated in downtown
Brunswick, and potential business is lost to locations on the Golden Isles.
Brunswick's desire to build a conference center is
consistent with its approach to its built environment: deliberate continuous improvement. The
city boasts an extraordinary historic district totaling over 40 blocks and an extensive inventory of
sensitively restored residential and commercial
buildings; City Hall is currently undergoing renovation. The historic district attracts leisure visitors drawn to its gracious ambiance. Although
the nearby coastal islands garner more attention
from the travel press for their resort ambiance,
Brunswick charms visitors seeking authentic
destinations like its working waterfront.
R E P O R T
3.Other Tourists and Visitors - Brunswick lies
along Interstate 95, the major north-south roadway on the eastern seaboard. Most motorists on
I-95 only see the areas around interchanges
when passing through Brunswick. Even those
who stay in Brunswick for the evening most
likely will never venture beyond the area immediately around their roadside motels. With the
impending opening of the Life in the Wild park,
even more people will be passing through
Brunswick-and many more people will stay
overnight in the area as well.
The primary focus of our research concerns the
possibilities for a conference center facility capable of small meetings, cultural events, and social
events. This facility would fit into the larger goal
of elevating Brunswick's profile as a desirable
coastal city to live, work and visit. This concept
evolved from earlier ambitious plans to incorporate lodging accommodations and other ancillary
commercial development.
1.Local residents - The local market serves as
the core of the downtown market, as it is yearround, tied to the area, and can easily pass along
good (or bad) opinions to friends and neighbors
about new downtown businesses.
FOCUS: A CONFERENCE
CENTER FACILITY
E C O N O M I C
Brunswick, Georgia envisions its downtown as
an active destination for residents and tourists
alike. At the present time, the primary role of
downtown is as a center of commerce, with
county offices, other service businesses, and a
major port facility at its heart. However, during
evenings and weekends, downtown Brunswick
tends to empty out, with only a few restaurants,
shops, and bars remaining open.
Starting from this base of understanding, ERA
has compiled a number of different types of data
in order to identify some key market opportunities for downtown Brunswick. This memorandum outlines our understanding of the market
and some suggestions for capitalizing on opportunities.
24
SITE CONSIDERATIONS FOR
THE CONFERENCE CENTER
R E P O R T
While downtown's west side fronts on the water,
it is physically separated from the water by the
pedestrian-unfriendly Bay Avenue and a variety
of industrial/port uses. However, with a few
improvements to the streetscape and to the
waterfront itself, downtown can become more
linked to the water. Another potential linkage is
the marina facility located to the northwest of
the suggested conference center site, which
would provide boating opportunities within
walking distance of the conference center/hotel
site.
R E S E A R C H
Brunswick also wants to encourage additional
downtown housing to provide additional market
support to CBD businesses and increase the
area's vibrancy. Some former manufacturing
facilities offer potential as loft space. The city
is also attempting to have downtown engage its
waterfront more actively than it has in the past.
E C O N O M I C
Brunswick envisions its new conference center
as the centerpiece of a vibrant downtown district including mutually reinforcing public venues. The Ritz Theatre, close to the suggested
conference center site, is a city-owned performance space. Both the Ritz and the conference
center site are slated for funding under the proposed county-wide sales tax referendum
(SPLOST) which passed in September, 2001.
Brunswick hopes that its investment will spur
additional private sector development activity,
inducing complementary hotel, retail, restaurant, and entertainment options.
25
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• Annual, quarterly and special purpose meetings sponsored by organizations operating on a
statewide and regional basis. These groups tend
to rotate their meetings business around their
service area to spread the economic benefits
around and make the meetings convenient to all
members in turn. Brunswick's ability to compete for this market segment will be a function
of the facility's characteristics, the region's reputation as a leisure travel destination, and the
city's appeal to meeting planners as a new
option.
St. Petersburg
• Mandatory training required to maintain professional credentials (e.g., continuing education
credits in medicine, law, occupational safety,
etc.) has become a big business. Venue location
offers an opportunity for providers to gain a
competitive edge. Although junkets to tropical
paradises disguised as training sessions still
capture some of the market, many companies
look askance at such blatant attempts to combine learning and leisure. Brunswick's market
position-a serious place where one can sneak off
to the "Golden Isles" for some golf-could offer
a competitive package at a reasonable price.
TO
BOOKING
In addition to assessing the facility's suitability
and the community's appeal, organizations
booking events at Brunswick's conference center will be considering attendees' transportation
and lodging needs. Air service to Brunswick is
limited-though the Glynco Jetport is served by
regional jets arriving from Atlanta and other
southeastern US hubs, airfares directly into
Brunswick are usually quite high. One positive
is that the Jacksonville, Florida airport is just an
hour away from Brunswick and is served by
Southwest Airlines, whose bargain fares tend to
keep other airlines' fares low as well.
Despite the air travel options (as well as the
Amtrak station 30 minutes away in Jesup), most
visitors arrive by private car, however.
Brunswick enjoys excellent interstate access
and a regional road system that, while a product
of the region's complex geography, offers a scenic, safe driving experience. Nonetheless, any
facility geared towards short (2-4 day) events
where most participants will rely on automobile
transportation is limited to organizations where
most members live within a 3-4 hour drive of
the community. As shown in the map below, a
four hour drive time (or about 250 miles)
encompasses an array of significant southeastern cities, including Jacksonville, Tallahassee,
Gainesville, Orlando, and Tampa in Florida;
Savannah, Macon, Columbus, Albany, and portions of the Atlanta region in Georgia; and
Columbia and Charleston in South Carolina.
R E P O R T
• Small scale national meetings organized by
groups with an affinity for something represented by or available near Brunswick, for example,
preservationists and history buffs for whom
Savannah and Charleston are both expensive
and old hat or industry groups devoted to sectors
represented in the regional economy, like paper
manufacture or commercial fishing.
IMPEDIMENTS
Although plans for the conference center do
include a hotel, facility marketers will still need
to establish cooperative relationships with the
region's existing lodging facilities, in case not
enough rooms are available on site. Negotiating
room block arrangements, special rates, parking
priviledges, etc. will help ensure that events held
in Brunswick enable participants to rub shoulders and engage in the sorts of casual encounters
that make conferences memorable and effective.
R E S E A R C H
4
I"
8
250 MILES
Apart from marketing its proximity to the coast,
taking advantage of the region's thriving leisure
tourism industry represents a longer market play
for Brunswick. It is unlikely that this facility
will host events that draw many free and independent travelers or group tour participants.
Since the Golden Isles attract high end visitors,
however, people who influence meeting decisions number among those exposed to
Brunswick for whom the City represents a
pleasant surprise: a timeless ease and elegance
that seems all the more appealing coming from
the mannered and manicured resort environment.
E C O N O M I C
I-2
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758
Typically, small-scale conference facilities draw
upon several principal sources of market support:
• Events sponsored by community organizations, in turn a function of the region's overall
economic health, and the degree of civic
engagement: the extent to which the region's
people devote time, money and commitment to
groups.
I-20
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8
58
"
N
POTENTIAL SOURCES OF
MARKET SUPPORT FOR A
CONFERENCE CENTER
26
GLYNN COUNTY, GA - POPULATION FIGURES
1990
Number
Percent
2000
Number Percent
Glynn County Employment Characteristics
% Change
1990-2000
62,496
100%
67,568
100%
8.1%
Age of Population
Under 5 years
5 to 9 years
10 to 14 years
15 to 19 years
20 to 24 years
25 to 34 years
35 to 44 years
45 to 54 years
55 to 59 years
60 to 64 years
65 to 74 years
75 to 84 years
85 years and over
4,539
4,681
4,388
4,531
3,925
10,068
9,150
6,873
2,943
2,770
5,218
2,671
739
7.3%
7.5%
7.0%
7.3%
6.3%
16.1%
14.6%
11.0%
4.7%
4.4%
8.3%
4.3%
1.2%
4,398
4,688
4,935
4,871
3,726
8,317
10,348
9,726
3,764
3,034
5,238
3,441
1,082
6.5%
6.9%
7.3%
7.2%
5.5%
12.3%
15.3%
14.4%
5.6%
4.5%
7.8%
5.1%
1.6%
-3.1%
0.1%
12.5%
7.5%
-5.1%
-17.4%
13.1%
41.5%
27.9%
9.5%
0.4%
28.8%
46.4%
Brunswick serves as Glynn County's seat of government and the region's historic central city; it
retains the characteristics of its historic role as a
center of manufacturing, trade and commerce.
Consequently, it comes across as a larger community than population figures indicate. As
detailed in the tables that follow, Glynn County
is home to about 67,500 people; census figures
revealed that population increased by about 5000
people between 1990 and 2000. Meanwhile,
Brunswick's population fell during the same time
period, shrinking from about 16,400 people to
15,600 people. Examining cohort data reveals
slow but steady aging among the populations of
both jurisdictions.
EMPLOYMENT
BRUNSWICK CITY, GA - POPULATION FIGURES
Note that both the labor force and employment
increases outpace the County's population
growth; between 1990, when employment
totaled 29,000 jobs, and 2000 the county has
added about 5,500 positions.
1990
Number Percent
2000
Number Percent
% Change
1990-2000
16,433
100%
15,600
100%
-5.1%
Age of Population
Under 5 years
5 to 9 years
10 to 14 years
15 to 19 years
20 to 24 years
25 to 34 years
35 to 44 years
45 to 54 years
55 to 59 years
60 to 64 years
65 to 74 years
75 to 84 years
85 years and over
1,409
1,370
1,194
1,249
1,018
2,625
2,032
1,482
687
757
1,333
961
316
8.6%
8.3%
7.3%
7.6%
6.2%
16.0%
12.4%
9.0%
4.2%
4.6%
8.1%
5.8%
1.9%
1,178
1,174
1,171
1,229
1,082
2,003
2,227
1,872
671
613
1,139
874
367
7.6%
7.5%
7.5%
7.9%
6.9%
12.8%
14.3%
12.0%
4.3%
3.9%
7.3%
5.6%
2.4%
-16.4%
-14.3%
-1.9%
-1.6%
6.3%
-23.7%
9.6%
26.3%
-2.3%
-19.0%
-14.6%
-9.1%
16.1%
R E P O R T
Total Population
2000
35,710
34,448
1,262
3.5%
R E S E A R C H
Source: U.S. Census, 1990 and 2000
Glynn County shared in the 1990s prosperity,
posting healthy employment statistics as shown
in the chart to the right:
1997
Labor Force
34,560
Employed
33,326
1,234
Unemployed
3.6%
Unemployment Rate
Source: Georgia Department of Labor
E C O N O M I C
Total Population
SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONTEXT
Source: U.S. Census, 1990 and 2000
27
anufacturing
4,163
ansportation and Public Utilities
1,805
G lynn
holesale Trade
838
etail Trade
8,813
nance, Insurance and Real
PublEstate
ic A dm inistration 1,333
ervices
15,079
blic Administration
Services 2,436
Total
Finance,Insurance and RealEstate
11.3%
4.9%
C ount
y Em
2.3%
23.9%
3.6%
40.9%
6.6%
36,900
ploym entD istribution: 1999
EMPLOYMENT DISTRIBUTION
Traditional industries (paper, seafood production) still represent important sources of regional
employment and economic activity; manufacturers number among the region's top employers.
As the chart on the top left reveals, however,
service sector jobs-which include people working in hotels-dominate the economy.
100.0%
RetailTrade
HOTELS
Transportation and Public U tilities
M anufacturing
Construction
A griculture,Forestry and Fishing
0.0%
5.0%
10.0%
15.0%
20.0%
25.0%
30.0%
35.0%
40.0%
45.0%
INDICATORS FOR SELECTED GLYNN COUNTY HOTELS, 1995 - 2000
1995
61.7%
64.7%
40.0%
677,805
418,536
1996
59.1%
64.0%
37.8%
677,805
400,384
1997
62.7%
70.6%
44.2%
677,805
424,669
1998
63.2%
73.6%
46.5%
677,805
428,177
1999
59.4%
78.7%
46.8%
675,914
401,724
2000
57.6%
81.3%
46.8%
664,904
383,262
CAGR
-1.4%
4.7%
3.2%
-0.4%
-1.7%
$27,094
$25,633
$29,959
$31,498
$31,623
$31,145
2.8%
Source: Smith Travel Research, 2001
FY 1999
FY 2000
Stayed in hotels,m otels,resorts or
1.449 m illion
1.766 m illion
cam pgrounds
Stayed w ith friends orrelatives
183,000
188,000
TotalV isitors
1.632 m illion
1.955 m illion
Length ofStay in Lodging
3.32 nights
3.19 nights
TotalExpenditures
$716.0 m illion
$745.7 m illion
D irectand IndirectJobs Supported
22,631
23,336
Source: D avidson-Peterson A ssociates forthe Brunsw ick and the G olden Isles
ofG eorgia V isitors Bureau
In contrast to the data presented above, research
conducted on behalf of the Brunswick and the
Golden Isles Visitors Bureau concluded that person visits (one person visit represents an individual making one stay in one accommodation)
increased from 1.632 to 1.955 million between
FY 1999 and FY2000: almost 20 percent
growth. The table on the lower left reprises
major points from this research:
The region's tourism industry copes with extensive seasonality. During the high season, from
March through August, the region's hotels post
occupancy rates seldom fall below 70 percent
and can exceed 80 percent in July, the peak
month. In contrast, from November through
January, anemic hotel performance translates
into occupancy rates of 40 percent or less.
R E P O R T
TouristBehavior : V isitors to G lynn C ounty
TOURIST VISITS
R E S E A R C H
Occupancy
Room Rate
Rev.P.A.R.
Room Supply
Room Demand
Room Revenue
($000s)
In part, the County's prosperity stems from the
region's tourism economy. As the table on the
middle left reveals, however, the tourism industry peaked several years ago, posting its best
hotel performance statistics in 1998 and 1999.
While room rates (and REVPAR) steadily
increased, both occupancy rates and overall supply have fallen: since the 1998 peak, the region
has lost about 13,000 rooms and watched occupancy rates drop from 63.2 to 57.6 percent.
Since the Georgia Department of Labor identified 39 hotel properties in 1997 and 45 in 2000,
it seems a shakeout it taking place.
E C O N O M I C
W holesale Trade
28
LESSONS
PLACES
FROM
OTHER
Other cities have wrestled with expectations that
investment in a major public assembly facility
would induce desirable private sector investment. Though the case studies below address
larger communities, their experiences are still
pertinent for Brunswick.
In 1992, a new convention center in Providence,
RI opened its doors as a part of a citywide redevelopment plan. Managed by SMG and including 100,000 square feet of prime exhibit space,
the new convention center spawned extensive
new hotel development activity downtown,
including Embassy Suites, Hilton Suites,
Courtyard by Marriott, and an historic building
renovation. All together, properties account for
nearly 1,000 new hotel rooms added to inventory. Each hotel development received some form
of city or state subsidy.
To implement the project, a group of developers
formed a consortium known as Commonwealth
Development. The state made the land available
to the group for a nominal sum, while the city
The City's aggressive approach to reclaiming its
fabric from federal highway projects led to the
Old Harbor/Interstate 195 Relocation Project
designed to provide a much improved access system to downtown. The revealed lands are slated
to become three "new neighborhoods." This plan
will entail using the city's redevelopment powers
and financing capacity due to the high costs of
environmental remediation, land assembly, and
the lack of public amenities. As a result, the city
will drive the project using its redevelopment
powers and financing capacity.
IMPLICATIONS
BRUNSWICK
FOR
• The public sector has been an important "generator" of downtown activity, and offered incentives (free land, operating subsidy) so that the
new retail downtown might be developed.
• Pedestrian linkages were incorporated into the
design of the new retail center.
• The new convention center induced significant
hotel development. As a comparison, although
Providence is a larger market than Brunswick
(Providence currently has just over 900,000 residents), and the downtown currently has 2,585
hotel rooms
Approximately 1.4 million people live in the
Charlotte MSA, which became a financial center
in the early 1990s when NationsBank (now Bank
of America) and First Union Corporation both
moved their headquarters downtown. As a US
Airways hub, more than 5,000 flights serve the
city daily. The downtown district continues to
expand and revitalize. Charlotte opened its new
convention center in 1995 next to its main business and banking area. This project was seen as
a boost of Charlotte tourism, but not as the main
factor driving downtown development. Most of
the recent downtown growth stems from the
demand for new office space, not a need for commercial or entertainment space.
New commercial development in downtown
Charlotte over the past five years has been incremental. Several new brand-name restaurants
such as Capital Grill and Palomino moved into
the neighborhood, in addition to locally owned
establishments. The convention center has
helped the expansion of local restaurants and
generated additional nightlife. In addition, several new hotels opened in response to convention
center demand, one of which received $16 million from the city towards the hotel's meeting
rooms and public areas, as well as credit
enhancement for the parking structure. The city
already plans to renovate or make additions to
the 850,000 square foot convention center in the
next eight to nine years.
Charlotte's downtown residential community
numbers between 6,000 and 7,000 people. City
officials see the potential for that population to
double in the next five years. Both new units and
rehabilitated properties geared towards both
renter and homeowner markets are opening.
While residential development is quite strong in
downtown Charlotte, retail uses along the sidewalk are lacking; too many surface parking lots
and the scarcity of ground floor retail space hinder city growth. Nonetheless, the new residents
created sufficient demand to support a new,
small-scale Reid's Supermarket and a new Dean
& Deluca gourmet food store downtown.
Nightlife in Charlotte also improved; the
R E P O R T
The city planning office maintains that only limited additional development beyond the hotels
could be directly attributed to the convention
center initially. However, in August 1999 a new
$450 million mall featuring 1.2 million square
feet of commercial space opened after over a
decade of planning. This mall links to the convention center through an overpass spanning the
adjacent freeway and linking to an existing
Westin Hotel. Mall anchors include Nordstom's,
Lord & Taylor, Filene's an IMAX theatre and a
16 movie screens.
Downtown revitalization efforts extend to a variety of non-commercial ventures intended to lend
character to downtown Providence, including
Riverplace Park, a $50 million riverfront park
funded using redevelopment agency resources
and state and federal sources. The complex site
preparation process entailed relocating a railroad
and rebuilding a bridge, making it eligible for
funds earmarked for transportation improvements. Additional local funding was provided by
the Providence Redevelopment Agency. The
park includes fountains, docking areas (for water
taxis, gondolas, kayak rentals), and a riverwalk
with an amphitheater. To attract crowds the City
funds Waterfire, a multi-media bonfire installation in which flames appear to shoot up from the
river.
CHARLOTTE,
NORTH CAROLINA
R E S E A R C H
PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND
approved a 20-year tax subsidy. The project
reflects Providence's strong downtown resurgence rather than responding to additional
demand attributable to the convention center.
E C O N O M I C
Part of the planning process for downtown
Brunswick means determining what role a new
conference center and other improvements
should play in catalyzing economic activity in
downtown Brunswick. While many communities accompany conference center construction
with wholesale revitalization of adjacent blocks,
Brunswick is more finely grained and draws
from a smaller market. As such, downtown
Brunswick is more suitable for uses and
approaches that rely on adaptive reuse, infill and
renovation.
29
increase activity from residents, workers and
conventioneers proved sufficient to support two
additional clubs.
IMPLICATIONS
BRUNSWICK
FOR
• The city continues to focus on the importance
of downtown housing, with a critical mass needed in order for development of services such as
grocery stores to occur. The City is also underwriting the rehabilitation of older structures
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE
According to the Center City Commission
(CCC), the group responsible for coordinating
downtown Memphis development, no significant
new commercial development has occurred within the immediate vicinity of the convention cen-
IMPLICATIONS
BRUNSWICK:
FOR
• Although the city residential base has strengthened, the municipality still offers financial incentives to encourage future development.
• Resurgence of the downtown residential market
has not instigated an automatic strengthening of
the retail market.
• Isolating the Convention Center from the
downtown fabric limits its impact.
Indianapolis strategy entailed creating a "sports
identity" for itself, in large part due to the formation of the Indiana Sports Corporation, a group of
business and civic leaders dedicated to using
sports to revitalize the city. The group lured the
NCAA headquarters by pooling $50 million in
public and private sector funds. It also attracted
major sporting events like the Pan-American
games and the pre-Olympic National Sports
Festival. The local business community also
ponied up 60 percent of the $175 million arena
for the Pacers. The Lilly Endowment (created by
Indy-based Elli Lilly) has contributed large
amounts of capital as part of this revitalization
process.
The city Office of Economic Development notes
that most of this development occurred during
the last 10 years as investment moved from city
center to the south; over two dozen new restaurants and hotels have opened and property values
increased substantially. Although reinvestment
has taken place city-wide, the convention center
directly affected the development of hotels and
restaurants. Moreover, the convention center
helped create an "identity" for the city quadrant
and allowed the city officials to bring in more
major developments.
R E P O R T
The Memphis Convention Center is surrounded
by government buildings, a small retail center,
and the river, but not tied directly to its neighborhood. The Center renovated and expanded its
existing facility of 150,000 square feet to include
220,000 square feet of exhibit space and a new
performance theater at a cost of $79 million. The
convention center hotel, a Marriott, spent $40
million to renovate its 405 rooms and added a
new tower of 200 rooms. Nearby an historic
hotel opened with 220 rooms after investing $9
million in rehabilitation. The city financed the
convention center addition through a state grant
and the hotel/motel tax. Each hotel received a
tax freeze on their property. The Marriott taxes
will be frozen for 25 years at its pre-development
cost, while the historic building renovation will
maintain its pre-development taxes for 15 years.
To promote downtown development, the Center
City Commission hired two advertising agencies
in 1999, the first time Memphis invested so substantially in city publicity. The annual budget
totals about $225,000. The downtown has been
growing dramatically, adding 1000 - 1500 new
residents each year. The CCC describes retail
development as the most difficult venture facing
the downtown area today. Memphis is offering
10 year tax freezes, low interest loans and infrastructure improvement assistance to encourage
development in the downtown. The city goal is to
add 500 new residential units to the city stock
each year.
Indianapolis' downtown district has undergone a
major resurgence over the past several years,
with the convention center playing a vital role.
The Indianapolis Convention Center was constructed over 20 years ago in the southwest quadrant of the city. Once considered the sleepiest
part of the city, the area now hums with development. Since the convention center was constructed, city businesses have expanded and new
investment has reached the area. The quadrant is
home to the Center, as well as to the RCA Dome
and Arena (home of the Pacers basketball team),
a new baseball park, NCAA headquarters, an
IMAX, an enclosed mall two and a half blocks
long, a Native American museum and numerous
hotels. An additional convention center hotel
recently added another 750 rooms.
R E S E A R C H
• The retail and entertainment uses development
that came on line after the convention center
opened depends more on residents and downtown employees than on conventioneers for support. As usual, retail follows the creation of a
market and so took several years to materialize.
All of the action surrounds Peabody Place, a
multi-use complex totaling 1.7 million square
feet of usable space containing apartments,
restaurants, retail and office space. This longplanned project is cited as a major instigator for
the rejuvenation of downtown. Major tenants
include NASCAR Speedway, 21-screen movie
complex, IMAX theatre, and Jillian's entertainment restaurant. Big River Breweries opened a
micro-brewery/restaurant downtown: the owners
cite the strengthening housing market and the
development of the baseball stadium, among
other projects, as strong motivators for this
investment. Beale Street continues to thrive and
a steady stream of new restaurants benefits, in
part, from increased convention activity.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
E C O N O M I C
Downtown developers and landowners are
attempting to direct new development towards
multi-use projects. They see the need for retail
and housing units as downtown infill to maintain
the downtown growth. The city government
examined whether public funding was needed to
boost retail development downtown in response
to a developer interested in building a mall on the
site of the old convention center
ter because it is too far from the CBD. The
Center features a rotating exhibit and gift shop,
but no major retail element integrated into its
design. The organization sees the convention
center as a "stand alone" structure, not one tied to
the growth of the immediate area.
As part of its Master Plan for downtown, the City
of Indianapolis co-developed Circle Center Mal
and designated its enclosed portion as a Tax
Increment Finance (TIF) district in the mid1990s. A parking garage connects the mall to the
30
IMPLICATIONS
BRUNSWICK
FOR
• Large public subsidies needed in order to entice
downtown development such as retail.
• Creating a brand identity, in this case revolving
around sports, helped generate new interest in the
market.
The conference center is but one important component of the revitalization of Brunswick's
downtown district. It will, however, help determine the degree to which the new development
includes housing, arts and cultural uses and
improves the quality of the public realm-streets,
sidewalks and open spaces-that can either create
or denude the quality of neighborhood life. As
part of its planning, the City needs to devise
active policy guidelines and appropriate financial
incentives to influence development on nearby
sites and minimize the extent to which it occurs
in an uncoordinated fashion with profit motives
superceding other considerations. A clear vision
about how the conference center fits into
Brunswick's long term strategic plan for its
downtown, a plan to share both opportunities and
costs between the public and private sector, and a
streamlined process to address change will help
ensure that Brunswick's conference center fulfills
its potential as a catalyst for community.
R E S E A R C H
Downtown Indianapolis has also been able to
attract a few nationally known restaurants over
the past several years, including Ruth Chris
Steakhouse, Palominos, Bertolini's Italian
Trattoria, and Rock Bottom Brewery.
IN CLOSING
E C O N O M I C
convention center. The city contributed $187
million in development costs for items such as
site acquisition, a parking garage, infrastructure
improvements, and common area development,
raising the funds through the sale of bonds issued
in 1988 and 1992. Major Indianapolis corporations also contributed funds to supplement project financing. To distinguish itself from surrounding suburban malls, about one-third of the
retailers are new to the area. An arts garden was
incorporated to further differentiate the project.
The designers also attempted to reuse as many
historic structures as possible, to echo the existing streetscape, and to minimize the intrusion of
cars and parking - approximately 3,000 spaces
are located on two levels beneath the entire project-to integrate the project into the neighborhood.
R E P O R T
31

economic research report

Transcription

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