Bellefontaine Road Commercial Improvement Plan

St.
Louis County Planning Department

Spring 2008
Spanish Lake - Bellefontaine Road
Commercial Improvement Plan

Adopted by St. Louis County Council July 29, 2008

Publication Date April 2008

Published by St. Louis County Department of Planning
41 S. Central Ave
St. Louis, Missouri 63105

(314) 615-2520
(314) 615-5467 (TTY)

Website: www.stlouisco.com

BILL NO. 191 , 2008
ORDINANCE NO. 23,686 , 2008
Introduced by Councilmember Burkett for OMara

AN ORDINANCE

AMENDING THE GENERAL PLAN OF ST. LOUIS COUNTY
BY INCORPORATING THE SPANISH LAKE BELLEFONTAINE
ROAD COMMERCIAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNTY COUNCIL OF ST. LOUIS COUNTY, MISSOURI, AS
FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The General Plan of St. Louis County is amended by including
therein the Spanish Lake Bellefontaine Road Commercial Improvement Plan
recommended by the Planning Commission in its communication date June 3,
2008 and received and filed by the County Council on June 24, 2008.

ADOPTED:_____JULY 29, 2008________ _____KATHLEEN KELLY BURKETT
CHAIR, COUNTY COUNCIL

APPROVED:___JULY 30, 2008________ _____CHARLIE A. DOOLEY____
COUNTY EXECUTIVE

ATTEST:______JEANETTE O. HOOK_____
DEPUTY ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR

APPROVED AS TO LEGAL FORM:

___PATRICIA REDINGTON___
COUNTY COUNSELOR

89-1072

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
St. Louis County Officials
Charlie A. Dooley, County Executive

St. Louis County Planning Commission
Douglas Morgan, Chairman
Maureen Ramshaw, Vice-Chairman
William Ballard
Wayne Hilzinger
William Sneed
Arnold Crutchfield
Matthew Lampe
Charles Nicastro
Keith Taylor

St. Louis County Department of Planning
Glenn A. Powers, Director of Planning
Lori Fiegel, Comprehensive Planning Manager
Gail Choate, Current Planning Manager
Debi Salberg, Zoning Section Head
Solana Rice, Planner
Andrew Meyerkord, Planner

St. Louis County Economic Council
Jackie Wellington, Senior Vice President of
Real Estate and Community Development Division
Daryl Cothran, North County Sector Specialist

Business Advisory Committee
Lou Clines
Anthony DiCarlo
Nick DiCarlo
Joseph S. DiCarlo
Dora R. Gianoulakis
Tonya M. Lloyd
Elveeta Macon
Steve McIntyre
Michelle and Mike Miller
William Stowers
James E. Williams, Jr.
Kip Williams

PLAN CONTENTS

Section 1 Introduction

Section 2 Existing Conditions and Analysis
Existing Conditions in Spanish Lake
Bellefontaine Road in Spanish Lake
Spanish Lake Bellefontaine Road Commercial Districts
North Study Area
South Study Area

Section 3 Public Input Analysis
Community Design Workshops
Youth Design Workshops
Real Estate Professionals Interviews
Business Professionals Interviews
Business Organizations Interviews

Section 4 Synthesis of Qualitative and Quantitative Input

Section 5 Recommendations
General Recommendation
Node Specific Recommendations

Section 6 Implementation
Implementation Chart and Timeline

Section 7 Appendix
Recent Development and Zoning Petitions
Plan for Redevelopment for 1703-1829 Dunn Road
Zoning Petition for 1627 Dunn Road
Community and Youth Design Workshop Questions
Marketing Brochure Example
Frequently Asked Community Improvement District Questions
Guide to Conducting Business Market Analysis
Designing and Executing a Buy Local Campaign Workshop Description
Organizational Support Resource Descriptions
Urban Land Institutes Ten Principles for Rebuilding Neighborhood Retail

LIST OF MAPS

Map Number: Map Title:

1-1 Bellefontaine Road Corridor

2-1 Spanish Lake Area 2000 U.S. Census Tracts

2-2 Bellefontaine Road Traffic Counts

2-3 #36 Spanish Lake Bus Route

2-4 Bus Stops

2-5 Age of Structure (for all structures with data)

2-6 Parcel Land Use for North and South Nodes

2-7 North Node Land Use

2-8 North Node Aerial with Commercial Parcels

2-9 North Node Zoning

2-10 North Node with COGIS Areas

2-11 South Node Land Use

2-12 South Node Aerial with Commercial Parcels

2-13 South Node Zoning

2-14 South Node with COGIS Areas

3-1 South Node Workshop Input

3-2 North Node Workshop Input

5-1 Recommendation Areas for the North Node

5-2 Recommendation Areas for the South Node

Introduction
Spanish Lake-Bellefontaine Road Commercial Improvement Plan
1-1

INTRODUCTION
The purpose of the following commercial improvement plan is to outline strategies for future
reinvestment and improvements in two specific areas along Bellefontaine Road in Spanish
Lake. The plan fulfills objectives identified in the 1999 Spanish Lake Community Area Study
and is intended as a reference and guide for future development. This document includes
data analysis, public input, and local practices research to support recommendations for an
action plan and to assess the feasibility of funding strategies.

Objectives:
o Analyze existing conditions and trends
o Identify business-related goals and objectives from past plans and gathered
community input
o Develop short- and long-term priorities and implementation strategies
o Design an implementation plan for business improvement

Project Participants
St. Louis County Department of Planning: The department served as the project management
team. With the help of other County departments, the team gathered data, organized public
input, and prepared the plan. The Comprehensive Division of the Planning Department
chaired this team, and was responsible for managing time and information, gathering input
from the team, and compiling the final plan.

Community Representatives: The project management team collaborated with the Spanish
Lake Community Association (SLCA) to identify business community leaders and active
residents to serve as representatives on an advisory committee. The advisory business
committee provided input throughout plan development.

Background and References
In 1997, St. Louis County Department of Planning initiated a Community Area Study in
Spanish Lake. This study was largely in response to residents concerns that quality of life
issues in Spanish Lake needed to be maintained despite development pressures such as aging
infrastructure and decline of commercial services. The area study process resulted in a plan
that reflects substantial resident input and sets forth several goals and recommendations that
have been implemented over the last decade.

One of those goals was to create new commercial opportunities including improved retail
choice for residents and new businesses for job growth. The following plan addresses this
goal by focusing on two commercial nodes along Bellefontaine Road, identifying needs,
gathering community input, and exploring potential use of economic development tools.
While the Spanish Lake Community Area Study is the basis for this plan, the Spanish Lake
Youth Needs Assessment, initiated in 2007 by St. Louis County staff, will provide much of the
necessary demographic data and some relevant qualitative community input as well.
1-2
Introduction

The I-270/Highway 367 Corridor Study (2003) was created upon request from County
Councilman Michael OMara. This study will be used for reference to relevant transportation
and development issues.

Geographic Focus Areas - Nodes
This plan concentrates on commercial properties along Bellefontaine Road between Scenic
Lake Drive (northern boundary) and Dunn Road (southern boundary). The map shows the
two business nodes: one centering around Belle-Parke Plaza at the intersection of Parker
Road and Bellefontaine Road, and the other node surrounds Sierra Vista Plaza at Dunn Road
and Bellefontaine Road. The existing conditions analysis includes much of the commercial
properties in these nodes. The map that follows highlights over 119 parcels totaling
approximately 155 acres of land. The nodes are significantly different in character, and the
plan presents both general and node-specific analysis and recommendations.

Introduction
1-3

Map 1-1: Nodes along Bellefontaine Road
1-4
Introduction

Existing Conditions
Spanish Lake-Bellefontaine Road Commercial improvement Plan
2-1

EXISTING CONDITIONS IN SPANISH LAKE
This section of the plan is a description of demographic trends and characteristics of Spanish
Lake. As Map 2-1 below shows, Spanish Lake is comprised of three census tracts labeled
2101.00, 2107.01, and 2107.02. The U.S. Census data collected in the following sections refer to
these three census tracts. This plan focuses on the stretch of Bellefontaine Road that runs
through census tracts 2107.01 and 2107.02.

Map 2-1: Spanish Lake Area 2000 US Census Tracts
2-2
Existing Conditions

Population
In 2000, the Spanish Lake population totaled 21,872 people; the 2005 estimated population was
22,195. This change is an increase of 1.5 percent between 2000 and 2005. As of 2000, Spanish
Lake made up 6.8 percent of St. Louis Countys unincorporated population. As the table below
shows, the population growth in Spanish Lake outpaced the population growth in St. Louis
County between 1990 and 2000.

Population Change 1990-2000
1990 2000 % Change, 1990-2000
Spanish Lake 20,801 21,872 +5.1
St. Louis County 993,508 1,016,300 +2.3%
SOURCE: 1990 & 2000 U.S. Census, Summary File 1

Age
As the graph below shows, between 1990 and 2000, there were significant increases in the
number of people under 19 years of age. In 2000, 33 percent (7,248) of people living in Spanish
Lake were under 19.

SOURCE: 1990 and 2000 U.S. Census, STF 1

1920
2036
1729
1563 1560
1447
1432
1341 1329
1597
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
Under 5 years 5-9 years 10-14 years 15-19 years 20-24 Years
P
o
p
u
l
a
t
i
o
n
Age
Comparison of Age Ranges in Spanish Lake, 1990-2000
1990
2000
Existing Conditions
2-3

Race
Between 1990 and 2000, diversity increased across St. Louis County, but Spanish Lake has far
outpaced the County in growth of non-white populations. In 1990, the Spanish Lake population
was 81 percent white and 17 percent African-American. By 2000, only 43 percent of the
population was white and 54 percent was African-American. This represents a 230 percent
increase in the African-American population in Spanish Lake. The African-American population
increased by 39 percent in St. Louis County between 1990 and 2000.

Population by Race in Spanish Lake
1990 2000
Population
% of Total
Population Population
% of Total
Population % Change, 1990-2000
White 16,943 81% 9,448 43% -44%
African-American 3,574 17% 11,776 54% +229.5%
Asian 172 1% 148 1% -14%
Two or more
races/other
112 .5% 351 2% +213.4%
SOURCE: 1990 and 2000 U.S. Census, STF 1

Household Type
In 2000, there were 8,559 households in Spanish Lake and nearly 40 percent of the households
had children under 18 years of age. As the chart below shows, this share represents a 30 percent
increase from the number of households with children under 18 in 1990.

Households in Spanish Lake
1990 2000
Total
Households
% of
Households
Total
Households
% of
Households
% Change,
1990-2000
Total Households 8,232 8,559 +4%
Households with
children under 18
2,678 33% 3,574 42% +33%
Single parent
households with
children under 18
711 26.5%

1,851 51.8% 160%
SOURCE: 1990 and 2000 Census, STF 1, and Census data summarized on http://www.Dataplace.org

Between 1990 and 2000, there was a 20 percent decrease in married-couple households with
children under 18. In 2000, of households with children, half were single-parent headed
households. Of the recent increase in households with children, most appear to be single-parent
headed. Female-headed households increased in number by 143 percent from 1990 to 2000.
Income
In 2000, the median household income for the three census tracts ranged from $33,246 to
$39,394. This range is significantly lower than the St. Louis County median household income of
2-4
Existing Conditions

$50,532. There was a tremendous increase in the percentage of people in families living in
poverty, from 5.3 percent in 1989 to 11.6 percent in 1999. The St. Louis County rate of poverty
also increased from 5.6 percent in 1989 to 6.9 percent in 1999. Despite the growing rates of
poverty, the following chart shows that 46 percent of households earn more than $40,000.

SOURCE: U.S. Census, 2000

9%
11%
19%
15%
12%
10%
10%
8%
4%
2%
Median Income Ranges for Households in Spanish Lake, 2000
Less than $10,000
$10,000-20,000
$20,000-30,000
$30,000-40,000
$40,000-50,000
$50-60,000
$60,000-75,000
$75,000-100,000
$100,000-150,000
More than $150,000
Existing Conditions
2-5

5.1%
12.6%
31.0%
27.5%
6.9%
12.2%
4.8%
3.9%
8%
24%
22.70%
6%
22%
13%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
P
e
r
c
e
n
t
a
g
e

o
f

P
o
p
u
l
a
t
i
o
n
Educational Attainment for Population Age 25 and Older, 2000
2000 Spanish Lake 2000 St. Louis County
Education
The chart below shows the maximum educational attainment for persons over 25 years of age in
Spanish Lake. Thirty-one percent have a high school diploma as compared to 24 percent in the
County. On the other hand, 22 percent of those in the County have a bachelors degree, compared
to only 12 percent in Spanish Lake. The census data also show a decrease in enrollment in
private schools from 1990 to 2000 in Spanish Lake. This decrease is likely due to the closing of
several Catholic parishes in the area.
SOURCE: U.S. Census, 2000
2-6
Existing Conditions

Employment
Over 6 percent of the people in the labor force in Spanish Lake were unemployed in 2000. In
1990, there were just over 11,000 people in the labor force and 5 percent unemployment.
Comparatively, the St. Louis County unemployment rate for 1990 was 4.5 percent and 4.6
percent in 2000.

Employment for residents 16 years and over
1990 Percent of
total
2000 Percent of
total
Percent
Change
In Labor force 11,368 10,838 -4.6%
In Armed Services 83 1 % 23 .2% -72%
Employed 10,708 94% 10,131 93.5% -5.4%
Unemployed 577 5% 684 6.3% 18.5%
SOURCE: 1990 & 2000 U.S. Census, Summary File 3 sample data

Housing
As of 2000, there were 8,559 occupied housing units, 56 percent of them were owner occupied.
This percentage includes multi-family units as well as single family homes that are rented.
Median values for owner-occupied units in the three tracts ranged from $69,000 to $80,000 in
2000. Of the 5,238 single family homes in Spanish Lake in 2007, 87 percent were owner-
occupied.

Housing Characteristics
1990 Percent of total 2000 Percent of total
Number of Housing Units 8,832 9,035
Occupied Housing Units 8,251 93.4% 8,559 94.7%
Owner-Occupied 4,839 58.6% (of occupied
units)
4,778 55.8% (of occupied
units)
Range for Median Housing
Value
$63,000-$77,000 $69,000-$80,000
SOURCE: 1990 & 2000 U.S. Census, STF 3

Transportation
Access to transportation is important for Spanish Lake households to meet basic service needs.
Nearly 8 percent of occupied housing units (rental and owner) do not have access to a vehicle.
This is compared with 6.4 percent of households in St. Louis County. The majority of renter-
occupied units in Spanish Lake have one car available, while just over 40 percent of owner-
occupied units have access to two cars.

Vehicles Available to Occupied Housing Units (2000)
No Vehicle Available 1 Vehicle 2 Vehicles 3-5 Vehicles
Owner- Occupied Units 122 1,594 1,968 1,094
Rental Units 523 2,224 899 135
Total 645 units (7.8%) 3,818 units (46%) 2,867 units (35%) 1,229 units (15%)
SOURCE: 1990 & 2000 U.S. Census, Summary File 3
Existing Conditions
2-7

BELLEFONTAINE ROAD IN SPANISH LAKE
Street Maintenance and Traffic
The St. Louis County Department of Highways and Traffic maintains the 1.68 mile stretch of
Bellefontaine Road between I-270 and Parker Road. In 2007, Highways and Traffic completed a
$7.3 million improvement project that created a new center turn lane, curbs, gutters and
sidewalks from Larimore Parkway to Horizon Village Drive. The project helped relieve
congestion for turning lanes and created a safer environment for pedestrians.

St. Louis Countys I-270/Hwy. 367 Corridor Study (2003) made several recommendations for
Bellefontaine Road based on a 2002 study of North County arterial roads conducted by Parsons,
Brinckerhoff, Quade and Douglas. The following is an excerpt from the I-270/Hwy. 367 Corridor
Study.

Future projections to the year 2020 show traffic increases on Bellefontaine Road
north of I-270 as well as New Jamestown, Parker and Redman Roads, with the
greatest increases projected for Redman Road east of Highway 367 and Parker Road
west of Highway 367. The St. Louis County Arterial Study suggests three potential
improvement options for Bellefontaine Road near I-270, including: development of
one-way outer roads along I-270; realignment of Dunn Road to the north and
conversion of the signalized Larimore Parkway intersection to a right-in, right-out
configuration; and installation of adaptive signal controls to allow for real-time
adjusted signal timing and optimization. The study also recommends monitoring
Bellefontaine Road at Belgrove Drive and Parker Road, with possible signalization of
Belgrove Drive and intersection improvements at Parker Road. The St. Louis County
Department of Highways and Traffic will continuously monitor Bellefontaine and
Parker Roads before, during and after construction of the Highway 367
improvements.

Map 2-2 shows average weekday traffic counts for several intersections. June 2005 traffic counts
for Bellefontaine Road show that the intersection of Larimore Road and Bellefontaine Road has
the highest average weekday traffic and the average count decreases traveling north. Friday
between 5pm and 7pm are the peak hours for all of the intersections except those just south of
Parker Road.

Segment Average Weekday Traffic Exiting Bellefontaine Road
A Larimore Road to Larimore Parkway 5,970
B Larimore Parkway to Redman Road 1,660
C Redman Road to Trampe Ave. 5,420
D Trampe Ave. to Parker Road 3,470
E Parker Road to Spanish Pond Road 1,920
SOURCE: St. Louis County Dept. of Highways and Traffic
2-8
Existing Conditions

The previous table illustrates how many cars exit Bellefontaine Road along each segment based
on the average weekday counts shown in Map 4-2. A significant number of cars are exiting near
the Sierra Vista Plaza and between Redman Road and Trampe Ave.

Map 2-2: Bellefontaine Road Traffic Counts
SOURCE: St. Louis County Highways and Traffic
Existing Conditions
2-9

Public Transportation
Map 2-3 shows the Spanish Lake bus line (Number 36) that connects points along Bellefontaine
Road with Jamestown Mall, Paddock Forest Shopping Center, the Mayfair Shopping Center and
Christian Northeast Hospital. The #36 Spanish Lake bus line connects to 8 other bus lines not
shown on the map. As shown on Map 4-4, the bus makes several stops along Bellefontaine Road
including near the shopping areas. The bus runs once an hour in this area.

Map 2-3: #36 Spanish Lake Bus Route
SOURCE: MetroBus St. Louis, http://www.metrostlouis.org/

2-10
Existing Conditions

Map 2-4: Bus Stops
SOURCE: St. Louis County Planning Department
Existing Conditions
2-11

SPANISH LAKE BELLEFONTAINE ROAD COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS
The study focuses on two nodes: one area is around the intersection of Bellefontaine Road and
Parker Road (north node), and the other area surrounds the intersection of Dunn Road and
Bellefontaine Road (south node). There are several similarities between the two study areas:
they each have a multi-tenant retail strip center, are adjacent to large apartment complexes, and
include approximately 60 parcels.

The following sections look at each
node separately. The nodes are
different in many ways. While both
areas have the same number of
parcels, the south node is significantly
larger in area compared to the north
node. The northern node is composed
of characteristically neighborhood-
scale retail uses, while the southern
node has larger lots with more
exposure to Interstate 270 traffic. As a
result, the North Node has smaller,
locally-owned businesses, while the
South Node has more national chains.

Map 2-5: Age of Structure (for all structures with data)
2-12
Existing Conditions

Map 2-6: Parcel Land Use for North and South Nodes
Existing Conditions
2-13

NORTH NODE

As the table above shows, of the 59 parcels in the node, 28 are currently used commercially or
have the potential for commercial use. Potential commercial uses include parcels currently
zoned commercial but are vacant or have a vacant structure. Eleven parcels (18 acres) are either
vacant or have a vacant structure. While this is a significant portion of the study area, it should
be noted that 5 acres of this vacant land is an undeveloped greenfield.

The median year built for the 28 commercial structures is 1972. Building dates of structures
range from 1917 to as recently as 2000. The median appraised value for the commercial parcels
is $194,000.

According to the St. Louis County Department of Revenue data, there are 2,546 residences within
a quarter-mile radius of the north node.

Parcel Inventory: North and South Nodes

North Node South Node
Parcels 59 (60 acres) 60 (95 acres)
Commercial Parcels (current or potential use) 28 (33 acres) 34 (68 acres)
Vacant Commercial Parcels 4 (8 acres) 10 (40 acres)
Vacant Commercial Structures 7 (on 10 acres) 3 (on 2.8 acres)
Land Use

Residential 14 4
Institution 9 0
Industrial/Utility 4 4
SOURCE: Field Study, May 2007 and St. Louis County Revenue Data
2-14
Existing Conditions

Map 2-7: North Node Land Use
Existing Conditions
2-15

Map 2-8: North Node Aerial with Commercial Parcels
SOURCE: St. Louis County Department of Planning
2-16
Existing Conditions

Zoning
Most of the north node is zoned C-2 or C-3 Shopping District that allow for stores and facilities
that provide goods and services usually used, consumed, or needed in the home or by
individuals. In addition, some parcels are zoned C-8 Planned Commercial District, a designation
that permits a site-specific commercial
use. According to the St. Louis County
Zoning Ordinance (1003.145), a Planned
Commercial District facilitate[s] the
establishment of combinations of
developments and uses for which no
provision is made in any other single C
Commercial District. Such approved
plans and conditions shall be consistent
with good planning practice and
compatible with permitted developments
and uses in adjoining districts, so as to
protect the general welfare. In this node,
C-8 zoning includes a storage facility, a
Taco Bell, an insurance agency, a dentist, a
day care and a vacant parcel.

Since 1994, there have been ten petitions
requesting a zoning change filed with the
Planning Department. Three petitions to
change from a residential to commercial
use were approved. Several were changes
to an existing commercial designation and
two were conditional use permits. A list
of recent petitions is included in the
appendix.

Map 2-9: North Node Zoning
Existing Conditions
2-17

Businesses
As previously mentioned, the north node is home to several
locally-owned businesses. Built in 1963, Belle-Parke Plaza is
a multi-tenant retail shopping center, centrally located with
the node. Belle-Parke Plaza (12103 and 12145 Bellefontaine
Rd.) has over 70,000 square feet of leasable space,
approximately 30 percent of which is vacant. Available
spaces include retail, medical office, and administrative office.
Lease rates are $12.00-$14.00 per square foot. Current
businesses include a laundromat, a pharmacy, a few
restaurants, a discount store, an investment and tax
preparation services and a St. Louis County Police substation.
As shown in the aerial map, all of the businesses have ample
parking; there are approximately 150 parking spaces
available in Belle-Parke Plaza.

At 12100 Bellefontaine Road is a smaller retail strip that
includes a clothing retailer, a bait & tackle shop, barber,
tattoo parlor and a former bar. There is no prominent
roadside signage. Farther north on Bellefontaine Road is
another small retail strip (pictured below) with tax
preparation services and a convenience store. Next to this
strip center is a former banquet hall, and to the south is an
automotive repair shop.

Pattern Drive connects Parker and Bellefontaine Roads.
A local bank, a self-serve car wash, an automotive repair
shop, a vacant ice cream shop and a vending machine
company are all along this road.

Belle-Parke Plaza has prominent
signage along Bellefontaine Road
Rinderers Pharmacy is one of the
oldest tenants of theBelle-Parke Plaza
Businesses at 12310 Bellefontaine Road. There is no longer a
florist at this location.
Strip center at 12100 Bellefontaine Rd.
Local bank at the corner of Bellefontaine and
Parker Roads. (1626 Pattern Dr.)
2-18
Existing Conditions

Crime

The St. Louis County Police Department
categorizes crime into two types: Part I
crimes and Part II crimes. Part I crimes are
serious crimes , including criminal homicide,
forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault,
burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft
and arson. Most other crimes are classified
as Part II. They are less severe and include
disorderly conduct, fraud, littering,
trespassing and vandalism. The County
Police also collect data involving incidents
that are often not considered criminal such
as vehicle accidents, suicide and accidental
injury.

The crime statistics below show trends for
the areas surrounding the north node
pictured in the map to the right. Note that
the geography is much larger than the focus
area. The important issue is that Part I and
Part II crimes in this north area have
increased between 2004 and 2006.
Map 2-10: North Node with COGIS areas
SOURCE: St. Louis
County Police
Department
374
384
403 408
586
687
702
590
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
2004 2005 2006 2007
N
u
m
b
e
r
Year
Part I and Part II Crimes in the Northern Node
2004-2007
Part I
Part II
Existing Conditions
2-19

SOUTH NODE
The southern study area extends .4 miles east, .3 miles north and .5 miles west of the intersection
of Bellefontaine and Dunn Roads. The study area includes 59 parcels totaling 95 acres of land.
There are 34 parcels currently used as commercial or have the potential to be commercial. Nine
of these parcels are vacant and five are parcels with vacant structures. The median year built for
these commercial properties is 1977. The most recent structure is the McDonalds Restaurant at
11111 Bellefontaine Road. The median appraised value for the commercial properties is
$290,000. According to St. Louis County Revenue Department data, there are 1,232 residences
within a quarter mile radius of the south node.

Map 2-11:
South Node
Land Use
SOURCE: St.
Louis County
Department of
Planning

Parcel Inventory: North and South Nodes
North Node South Node
Parcels 59 (60 acres) 60 (95 acres)
Commercial Parcels (current or potential use) 28 (33 acres) 34 (68 acres)
Vacant Commercial Parcels 4 (8 acres) 10 (40 acres)
Vacant Commercial Structures 7 (on 10 acres)
3 (on 2.8 acres)
Land Use
Residential 14 4
Institution 9 0
Industrial/Utility 4 4
SOURCE: Field Study, May 2007 and St. Louis County Revenue Data
Existing Conditions
2-20

Map 2-12: South Node Aerial with Commercial Parcels

Existing Conditions
2-21

Zoning
Most of the commercial uses are zoned C-2, C-4 or C-8. As mentioned earlier, C-2 zoning allows
for neighborhood scale commercial uses. The C-8 Planned Commercial District permits a site-
specific commercial use. Highway Service Commercial Districts are zoned C-4. According to the
St. Louis County Zoning Ordinance (1003.137), they are areas adjacent to major or arterial
highways wherein certain commercial activities are regulated in such a manner that will reduce
conflicts, congestion and other hazards related to high volume and high speed traffic on the
highways. It is the purpose of these regulations to encourage the establishment of certain
highway service commercial activities while prohibiting those uses which provide no important
service to highway users. In the south node, uses such as fast food restaurants, gas stations and
a hotel are in C-4 zoning. Also of note is the Flood Plain District (FP) that overlays part of the
zoning in the west part of the node due to Watkins Creek. This overlay is meant to protect
human life and health, to minimize damage to public facilities and utilities and to minimize
expenditure of public money for costly flood control projects. Developing property in a Flood
Plain District requires a series of plan approvals that demonstrate, among other things, the
development will not increase flooding problems of other properties.

Map 2-13: South Node Zoning
2-22
Existing Conditions

Businesses
Like the north node, the south node also features a
large, multi-tenant, retail shopping center. The
Sierra Vista Plaza is 74,710 square feet, with
approximately 1,200 square feet vacant as of
January 2008. Built in 1993, Sierra Vista includes
a major local grocery store, a neighborhood bar,
several beauty supply shops, a dry cleaner, tax
preparation services, a dentist, and a laundromat.
There is signage along Bellefontaine and ample
parking.

A smaller, older retail strip center just south of
Sierra Vista Plaza includes a liquor store, a former
pizza shop, and a laundromat.

As mentioned previously, the southern node has
businesses that cater to customers exiting or
entering the interstate. The southern node has six fast
food restaurants, several auto-related services, and two
motels.

There are several significant pending developments in the
south node. A former post office has been converted to a
lease-to-own furniture store. There are plans to redevelop
1627 Dunn Road to office space (see appendix for details).
At 1615 Dunn, there are tentative plans for additional
development. The largest new development is at 1829
Dunn Road, just west of the study area. There are plans for
the construction of a military personnel records facility for
the National Archives and Records Administration. The St.
Louis County Assessors Office has estimated the
future appraised value of the 500,000 square foot
development to be $50 million. The new facility is
projected to bring 500 employees to the area. To
encourage additional development of adjacent
vacant parcels, the Planning Department proposed
(and the County Council approved) the
establishment of a redevelopment corporation for
1703-1829 Dunn Road. The corporation would
take ownership and begin redeveloping with 100
percent, ten-year property tax abatement under
Chapter 353 of the Missouri Revised Statutes. (See the Appendix for the redevelopment plan
describing blight and the corresponding ordinance.)

Sierra Vista Plaza
Smaller strip at 11040 Larimore Road
View along Dunn Road
Existing Conditions
2-23

Crime
The map below shows the southern node around the Sierra Vista Plaza. The following crime
statistics are associated with the geographic area outlined in orange on the map.

The following graph shows very small
increases in Part I crimes between
2004 and 2006. Part II crimes have
fluctuated over the same time period,
increasing nearly 10 percent between
2004 and 2005 and decreasing by 10
percent between 2005 and 2006. If the
crime rate is steady for the remainder
of 2007, there will be fewer Part I and
Part II crimes than the 3 years
previous.

Map 2-14: South Node COGIS Areas
SOURCE: St. Louis County Police Department
349
385 388
397
446
493
445 449
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
2004 2005 2006 2007
N
u
m
b
e
r

o
f

R
e
p
o
r
t
e
d

C
r
i
m
e
s
Part I and Part II Crimes, Southern Node
2004- 2007
Part I
Part II
2-24
Existing Conditions

Qualitative Input
3-1

QUALITATIVE INPUT
The qualitative input for the Spanish Lake - Bellefontaine Road Commercial Improvement Plan
took place over the course of several months and included community residents, youth, business
leaders, property owners, business organizations, real estate professionals, and a business
advisory committee. Information was gathered from these community stakeholders and
professionals through surveys, design workshops, and interviews. Surveys were sent to all
business owners and property owners, the design workshops were open to all residents of
Spanish Lake, and interviews were conducted with businesses owners, business organizations,
and real estate professionals. Throughout these various means of qualitative research, planning
staff received input from about one-hundred individuals.
Community Design Workshops
In mid-October 2007, over forty community members gathered at Hazelwood Southeast Middle
School to participate in a design workshop facilitated by St. Louis County Department of Planning
staff. After a brief background presentation, the attendants divided into groups of ten or more,
answered a series of discussion questions, and participated in an interactive mapping exercise.
Questions concentrated on evaluating shopping preferences, perception of the existing
conditions, and visions for improvements or future development. A complete list of questions
can be found in the appendix.
Attendee Profile
While nearly fifty residents participated, thirty-eight participants filled out comment cards and
submitted their personal information. Of those participants, the average age was fifty and nearly
75 percent of the participants were women. The average length of residency in Spanish Lake
was twenty years.

Summary of Conversations
Shopping preferences

Many of the participants do most of their shopping outside of Spanish Lake. Residents cited lack
of choice, poor quality, and security as reasons they do not shop in Spanish Lake. Many
participants agreed that safety was not an issue during the day, but mostly in the evening. When
asked where they shop in Spanish Lake, participants mentioned Schnucks in the south node and
Rinderers Pharmacy in the north node and the stores along Highway 367.

Desire for new businesses:

While groups had varying ideas for additional businesses, all of the groups mentioned the need
for restaurants and a local grocer. All groups stated the need for commercial uses that attract
customers from outside of Spanish Lake, but also serve the residents of the area. Attracting new
business is important, but many recognized that big box type retail uses are not a necessary or
viable option given the locations and market of the two nodes.
3-2
Qualitative Input

Improving existing businesses:

Participants contributed several ideas about how to improve existing businesses and
infrastructure which suggests that many residents find value in existing businesses. They
perceive a need to make physical enhancements like faade improvements, landscaping, and
trash removal. Several participants suggested that residents and tourists should be encouraged
to shop in Spanish Lake and that there is a need for more positive marketing of the Spanish Lake
area.

Although all of the questions were business-related, participants emphasized the need for
community services such as a library or a community center. (The Spanish Lake Community
Association is presently renovating the Twillman House as a community center. Located
between the north and south nodes at 11840 Bellefontaine Road, the community center will be
used to provide many services to the community.) There was also mention of the need for
businesses that cater to families and young people like recreation centers and sit down
restaurants and medical facilities. Everyone agreed that the vacant properties are an issue and
need to be addressed. Most groups felt that there was not a need for additional land to be zoned
commercial.

Mapping results
Participants also gave input by using large aerial maps
of the two shopping districts. They were asked to
mark areas that needed additional street lighting with
yellow stickers, places where they did not feel safe
with red stickers, and places that had a lot of trash
with green stickers. Lastly, they were asked to mark
places with a blue sticker where access (walking,
driving, or riding a bike) was difficult because of
traffic, signals, signage, or road surface issues. Each
participant could use as many stickers as necessary.
The maps on the following two pages show the results of their input and include specific
improvement ideas or concerns for each node. The adult responses are the larger, darker dots.
By the quantity of stickers, participants across all the groups seemed most concerned with trash
and litter. Safety was the second most cited issue; it was more of a concern in the Sierra Vista
area than the Belle-Parke node. Lighting and access were the least concerns of the community
design workshop attendees.
Community Design Workshop at Southeast Middle School
Qualitative Input
3-3

Map 3-1: Workshop Input for South Node
3-4
Qualitative Input

Map 3-2: Workshop Input for North Node

Qualitative Input
3-5

Youth Design Workshops
Similar to the Community Design Workshops, the Youth Design Workshops were
designed to understand the shopping preferences and issues related to commercial
development from the perspective of young people. Given that over thirty percent of
people living in Spanish Lake in 2000 were under the age of 19, gathering and including
this populations perspectives was important to understanding this market. The youth
workshops took place at Hazelwood Southeast Middle School on two days at the end of
October and beginning of November 2007. The students were part of the Hazelwood
School Districts accelerated program designed for gifted students. After a brief
introduction to the project, the class split into two groups, with Planning Department
staff leading each group. Students first participated in a mapping exercise, followed by
a series of questions. A complete list of questions can be found in the appendix of this
document.
Attendee Profile:
The small groups consisted of 25 female and 18 male students. The median age of the
middle school respondents was nearly twelve years old and included 6
th
, 7
th
, and 8
th

grade students. The median length of residency in Spanish Lake was 6.7 years.
Summary of Conversations
Shopping Preferences
The students offered a spectrum of responses when asked about shopping in Spanish
Lake and in the two business nodes. When asked about where the students families
shopped in Spanish Lake, two themes were prevalent. Students reported that their
families stay in Spanish Lake to do their grocery shopping and to dine at fast food
restaurants. On the other hand, students said that their families leave Spanish Lake to
do their shopping at area malls and large multi-good retailers, like Target, Wal-Mart,
and St. Louis Mills. When asked what businesses they would like to see in Spanish Lake,
most students indicated a Boys and Girls club, followed by recreational opportunities
like a YMCA, racetrack, community center, park, or a skating rink.

Desire for new businesses

The students offered a multitude of responses when asked about new businesses they
would like to see in Spanish Lake. Though very few students had the same response,
the major theme was that there is a need for more recreational opportunities for youth
in Spanish Lake. Frequent responses related to recreational activity, including a Boys
and Girls Club, a library, and a YMCA. Aside from a desire for more recreational
opportunities, students expressed a desire for a Target store in Spanish Lake.

3-6
Qualitative Input

Improving existing businesses

The most pressing concerns of the students involved the aesthetics and the accessibility
of the south and north nodes. Students repeatedly noted that trash is a problem and
suggested that additional trashcans and penalties for littering could help improve the
look of the two commercial nodes. Secondly, students found the nodes to be difficult to
access without a car. Conditions, such as cracked sidewalks, or a lack of sidewalks,
make safe pedestrian or bike access difficult.

Mapping Results
Students were asked to place color coded stickers onto an aerial map, with each color
representing a different issue related to the two nodes on Bellefontaine Road. Similar
to the Community Design Workshop, students marked areas that needed additional
street lighting with yellow stickers, places where they did not feel safe with red stickers,
places that had a lot of trash with a green dot, and places that were difficult to access
(either walking or bicycling), for reasons such as traffic, no crossing lights, or road
surfaces with a blue dot. Each student could place as many stickers on the map as
deemed necessary.

The preceding maps display the results of the students input and include specific
improvement ideas or concerns for each node.
The youth input is represented by the smaller,
lighter dots. Similar to the mapping results of
the Community Design Workshop, the students
placed the most green stickers (160) in the two
retail nodes, indicating that trash was their
greatest concern. Safety (129 red stickers),
followed closely by lighting (123 yellow
stickers), were the second and third most
significant concerns in the two nodes. The
concern that mattered least to the students was
accessibility in the two nodes, with 88 blue
stickers being placed on the maps.

Business Surveys
A business survey was distributed to all the businesses and property owners in both
commercial nodes. The survey asked the respondents to comment on a myriad of
business related issues including customer base, operations, and opinions about the
business climate. Of the nearly one-hundred surveys distributed, only eleven were
completed and returned. The following information highlights some of the re-occurring
themes of the survey responses.
Youth design workshop
Qualitative Input
3-7

The survey respondents indicated that throughout their years of operation, they have
noticed many changes in the Spanish Lake business climate: businesses have closed,
leaving vacant buildings and storefronts; there are fewer customers and more crime in
the area.

Survey respondents disliked a couple of key aspects of operating in Spanish Lake.
Crime in the area, particularly perceptions of safety, was a concern for their customers
as well as their employees.

Business survey respondents would like to see additional businesses open on
Bellefontaine Road. About half of the responses indicated a desire to see more retail
stores open in the corridor, followed closely by more office space and restaurants. One
respondent suggested opening a small business incubation facility in Spanish Lake,
which could help provide assistance to entrepreneurs and start-up businesses.

Despite these changes in the business climate, businesses indicated that their
customers are why they continue to operate in Spanish Lake, whether it is the
relationship with the customer or the steady business customers provide. Also,
businesses like the benefits that location provides, such as transportation access and
proximity to customers.

Survey respondents noted a number of ideas for improving the Bellefontaine Road
nodes. The majority of the respondents indicated that they would like to see an
improvement in the look of the nodes. Ideas offered by the respondents include finding
funding to revitalize the two nodes; adding lighting, community gardens, and
community projects; rehabbing commercial space; and increasing the overall charm of
the corridor. Two other respondents commented on improving the business corridor
by increasing the number of businesses and the amount of security in the corridor.

Interviews with Real Estate Professionals

To better understand the condition of the real estate market in the Spanish Lake
Bellefontaine Road Commercial Corridor, representatives from Hilliker Corporation,
The Desco Group, and ND Consulting were interviewed. They provided their
professional observations and insight on the strengths, weakness, opportunities, and
threats to the north and south nodes of the corridor. An analysis of the qualitative data
received from these interviews follows and is organized by node and topic.

3-8
Qualitative Input

North Node:
Vacancy

Most of the commercial real estate professionals
cited vacancy as a priority concern for the
viability of the north node. To reduce vacancy,
commercial realtors suggested creating a
marketing document that could be given to
realtors or potential business highlighting the
positive attributes of relocating and doing
business in Spanish Lake. Information that would
be helpful to interested businesses includes a
listing of available commercial properties and
rental rates, traffic counts, number of
surrounding households, incentives available to
businesses, ease of access, improved
transportation infrastructure, local attractions,
future business development, etc. The goal of creating a marketing document is to
make it as easy as possible for new or relocating businesses to decide to operate in
Spanish Lake. The marketing document would provide all of the information that a
realtor or business would need to know before making a decision to locate in Spanish
Lake.
Commercial real estate professionals recommended growing grass and adding
landscaping on vacant lots. Well maintained grass and landscaping helps a potential
developer or buyer to envision the possibilities better than if it is a vacant lot with
cracked concrete and litter. Other ideas put forward to reduce vacancy included
encouraging more leasing occupants to own commercial buildings and encouraging
local entrepreneurs to lease commercial space, rather than operate out of their homes.
Improved Image

Real estate professionals expressed concern for the appearance of the north node.
Building faades, surrounding parking lots and grounds must be maintained to attract
customers and businesses to the area. Suggestions included stricter enforcement of St.
Louis County commercial building codes to prevent further deterioration and
encourage investment. Another professional suggested creating a special business
district because it would bring property and business owners together in a forum
where they could discuss ways of improving the areas aesthetic appeal. This business
district could also raise funds, through membership dues and fundraising activities, to
help pay for district-wide improvements such as trash cans, landscaping, and Spanish
Lake-Bellefontaine Road banner signs.

Vacant lot in the north node (12090 Bellefontaine Rd.)
Qualitative Input
3-9

South Node:
Access and Visibility

The south nodes location off of Interstate 270 provides it with unique benefits and
challenges that are different from the north node. Commercial realtors noted that the
south node benefits from its proximity to Interstate 270 because of the traffic that stops
in to shop and its visibility from the
interstate. The interstate also presents
a challenge to the traffic pattern. The
network of interstate exits and on
ramps makes it challenging for
motorists to navigate along the south
part of the business area. This is
particularly noticeable in the area west
of Bellefontaine Road and north of
Dunn Road. Commercial real estate
professionals noted that if Interstate
270 ingress and egress were corrected
and additional roadways constructed,
business along Dunn Road may
improve.

Crime

Commercial realtors identified crime as an issue facing the south node. Security in
Sierra Vista Plaza is a concern especially for prospective tenants despite having an off-
duty St. Louis County police officer on patrol. These security issues have concerned
potential tenants and affected their decision to locate in Sierra Vista Plaza.

Interviews with Business Professionals

Planning Department staff interviewed business managers, business owners, and
property owners in the north and south nodes to supplement the input from the
business surveys. Five business representatives were asked questions about their
businesses, the issues facing their businesses, how business could improve, and about
the future of business in the Bellefontaine Road corridor.

Interstate 270 and Dunn Rd. visibility and access
3-10
Qualitative Input

North Node:
Vacancy

All business owners in the north node identified that the amount of vacant space is a
serious concern. Empty storefronts in Belle Parke Plaza and other retail buildings are
detrimental to existing businesses. Vacant space means less shopping and fewer
customers spending their money in existing businesses. One business owner suggested
that property and business owners need to collaborate together to advertise the area to
relocating businesses and customers. He suggested making a document that could be
presented to interested businesses and owners seeking to relocate. This document
would highlight the positive aspects of conducting business in Spanish Lake. The same
business owner also suggested marketing the area to local residents and explaining to
them the benefits of shopping locally.

Improved Image

The north commercial node also needs to improve its image and appearance.
Interviewed business professionals commented that buildings and infrastructure in the
node needs to improve. Current conditions of many buildings and infrastructure is
dated and inadequate to modern
shopping standards and customer
desires. Of particular note, two of the
three business professionals stated that
Belle Parke Plaza needs to be
revitalized or completely redeveloped.
The size and location of Belle Parke
Plaza make it the default center of
commercial life in the north node.
Businesses believed that if Belle Parke
Plaza is not maintained and updated as
necessary, then it would negatively
reflect on the smaller commercial
developments.

Crime

Crime in the north node is perceived to have increased over the last few years. Of the
three business professionals interviewed, only one stated it was a priority. While they
perceived police and fire protection adequately serve the north node, there was a
suggestion for increased nighttime street lighting.

Weeds growing from vacant property (12149 Bellefontaine Rd.)
Qualitative Input
3-11

South Node:
Access and Visibility

Business professionals in the south node also identified access and visibility as one of
their largest concerns. They enjoy the access and visibility that Interstate 270 and
Dunn Road brings to the area. This proximity to major transportation routes has
brought steady business to the south node. Businesses expressed concern over
improving the visibility of the commercial area to more customers, particularly those
people travelling on Interstate 270, Dunn Road, and Bellefontaine Road. Business
professionals were pleased with the overall look of the commercial area, but felt that it
is important that property owners maintain their properties. Business professionals
also expressed concern over a private drive in the south node. This private drive is
located between many commercial properties and has a history of sporadic
maintenance. The private drive provides access to several businesses in the south
node. To provide ease of access to businesses, owners of the drive need to continue
routine maintenance of the road.

Crime

Crime is another concern of business managers in the south node. Over the last couple
of years, business managers perceive an increase in crime. Certain areas, such as
wooded and vacant lots, need to be addressed with improved lighting and security
measures. Identifying and addressing crime in the south node is important so that
customers feel safe and not threatened when shopping or using the commercial
services in the south node.

Interviews with Business Organizations

Two local business organizations, Downtown St. Louis Partnership and the South Grand
Community Improvement District, provided insight into their operation, challenges, and
successes. The Downtown St. Louis Partnership is a non-profit, private, membership-
based organization who represents businesses, community organizations, and other
interested parties in improving the economic life of downtown St. Louis. The
Partnership focuses its efforts on advocacy, planning, and development of initiatives in
Downtown St. Louis, as well as operating a community improvement district (CID).
South Grand Community Improvement District originally started as a business
organization called Grand South Grand, whose mission was to improve business along a
six block area on South Grand Boulevard in South St. Louis City. Consisting of property
owners and business owners, this group paid dues to help fund events and initiatives
that promoted the areas ethnic restaurants and unique retailers. Desiring more
improvements along South Grand Boulevard, the Grand South Grand business
association eventually formed into the South Grand Community Improvement District.
3-12
Qualitative Input

These representatives provided in-depth descriptions of their business organizations
and input on the two business nodes of Bellefontaine Road. The summary of the
content of the interviews is classified into three categories: organizing, clean and safe,
and self-promotion.
Organizing

Both the Downtown St. Louis Partnership and Grand South Grand business
organizations are highly organized. Both operate with an active membership of
businesses and a core group of membership leaders that guide the progress of their
organizations. Without a devoted effort by membership and board members, both
organizations would have found it difficult to change their commercial districts.
Structure and planning helped to ensure the commercial districts success.

Clean & Safe

Both South Grand and Downtown St. Louis prioritize security and beautification in their
efforts to revitalize and maintain the commercial districts. South Grands initial efforts
to keep the district clean started with raising funds for trash cans through business
association membership dues. Both business organizations currently operate as
Community Improvement Districts (CIDs). A CID is a special benefit district created to
collect taxes and/or special assessments
within the district for community
improvements and services (similar to a
special business district). South Grand
and Downtown St. Louis partnership use
part of their collected funds to pay for
regular street and sidewalk trash pick-
up. These organizations also use the CID
funds to have a security officer, or
guides, patrol the area. These guides
not only provide security to the districts
residents and customers, but also serve
as a source of information about the
districts goods and services.

Self-Promotion (Advertising)

Business organizations emphasized that commercial districts need to promote
themselves to customers and other businesses. A major reason why Downtown and
South Grand have been successful in their revitalization efforts is that they have made
concerted efforts to advertise their area. These organizations have used mostly print
and internet presence to advertise their districts unique advantages. The Downtown
St. Louis Partnership has promoted its assets, such as downtowns residential lofts, its
successful business climate, and its great entertainment venues. South Grand has
Downtown St. Louis Partnership Clean Team
SOURCE: www.downtownstl.org

Qualitative Input
3-13

promoted itself as a focal point for international restaurants, shops, and unique stores.
This self-promotion has helped these districts to attract new customers and grow
business. South Grand has been successful in promoting their commercial district by
partnering with local neighborhood organizations and attractions. An example of this
partnership can be seen in the South Grand restaurant and shopping district brochure
included in the Appendix. While listing the shops and restaurants along South Grand,
the brochure also contains large sections highlighting Tower Grove Park and the
Missouri Botanical Garden. The South Grand CID encourages collaboration with local
attractions and neighborhood organizations to do cross-promotion as well as
coordinate fundraising opportunities.


The business advisory committee served as representatives of community interests
related to commercial improvement. The committee was made up of 12 business
owners and managers and active residents. Planning Department staff met with the
business advisory committee four times over five months to gather input, help organize
community participation, and to help develop recommendations. The business
advisory committees feedback regarding the Spanish Lake/Bellefontaine Road
Commercial Improvement Plan focuses on three main areas: crime, improved image,
and attracting business and customers.

Crime

Business advisory committee members identified crime as one of their largest concerns
in the north and south nodes. In particular, the committee reported crimes such as
security related crimes, vandalism, and loitering in the area. Despite having an off-duty
police officer in the south node, and a St. Louis County Police substation in the north
node, committee members believe that the area needs an increased police presence.
Improved Image
Improving the image of the north and south nodes of Bellefontaine Road was a concern
because of its impact on how potential customers and potential businesses would view
the two commercial nodes. The committee shared that while some property owners
have taken steps to improve their buildings and infrastructure, others have let their
buildings slowly deteriorate. Committee members believe that efforts need to be taken
to encourage building owners to make improvements.
Attracting Business and Customers
A third concern of the business advisory committee was the importance of attracting
business and customers to the Bellefontaine Road business nodes. Ideas for attracting
3-14
Qualitative Input

businesses to the area included using financial tools such as tax breaks, opening a small
business incubator, and marketing the area to franchises and small businesses. These
ideas, along with reducing crime, and improving the physical appearance of the nodes,
will help to attract customers and businesses to Spanish Lake.

Synthesis of Input
4-1

SYNTHESIS OF INPUT
Many residents, business and property owners and real estate professionals shared their
opinions and perceptions of the two nodes. The following synthesizes the existing conditions
data with this qualitative input to illustrate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats
identified for each study area. This summary is the basis for subsequent recommendations.
North Node
This node is characterized by neighborhood scale retail that is dependent on local traffic and a
customer base of surrounding residents. Many businesses are in Belle-Parke Plaza, the anchor
multi-tenant strip center in the node.
Strengths
Observations and community input highlighted physical and historical assets of the north node.
These are attributes that should be acknowledged and capitalized in future efforts. For example,
Belle-Parke Plaza is a recognized retail node for local residents and who have a long history of
patronizing local establishments. This is a strength that business owners can advertise and
celebrate.
From an organizational perspective, the north node has existing businesses and property owners
that are local to the St. Louis region. Local owners are likely to have a vested interest in the
quality of the area and may be easier to contact, organize, and engage. The only national chains
are H&R Block, Taco Bell and Family Dollar. Regional businesses include Commerce Bank and
Midwest Petroleum.
While its location hinders exposure to large amounts of traffic, the north node is proximate to
many community institutions like day care centers, churches, and schools where people
frequently travel. Other strengths include the existing mix of retail and office space that helps
attract a diversity of customers and employee base.
Weaknesses
While the nodes strengths are assets to build from and promote, there are also weaknesses that
demand attention. From a business market perspective, the operating businesses must be in
communication with each other to tackle issues strategically and broadly. The perception of
crime and safety is an issue that affects all businesses in the node and should be addressed
collectively. Crime is a deterrent to both new businesses and customers. Regular property
maintenance, consistent trash removal and beautification elements are physical signs of business
health that positively influence consumer perceptions. These are important elements to
coordinate since the node has a wide diversity of architectural styles, setbacks, building types
and ages. Consistent visuals, like signs and street furniture, could help mitigate a disjointed
appearance and begin to better mark the node as a comfortable place to shop. Because the node
has limited exposure to high volume traffic, it is dependent on local traffic, which means that
4-2 Synthesis of Input

businesses should acknowledge the socio-economic realities and potential of the surrounding
neighborhoods and consumers.
Opportunities
Input and observations also highlighted potential assets like the Spanish Lake Community
Association Business Members Group. The group is part of an established organization that can
support business development and collaboration. Opportunities abound with over 2,500 living
units within a quarter mile radius of the nodes boundary. Additional office or medical space
could provide needed services and also support existing retail. While vacancy is a problem,
undeveloped land and available leasing space also gives opportunity for a greater diversity of
new businesses and the potential for redevelopment. With ample promotion, businesses may
also be able to benefit from the local recreational and tourist sites that attract hundreds of
people throughout the summer months.
Threats
While opportunities are identified assets, there are developments that can threaten the vitality of
the north node as well. Increased lack of property maintenance is a threat that directly impacts
business health. Nearby shopping centers always present a threat as they split market share and
compete on retail and leasing prices. The development along Hwy. 367, especially on Parker
Road necessitates the north node businesses to organize and increase promotion. National
macroeconomic factors, specifically, recession and increasing foreclosures, are constant threats
to which businesses must adjust.
South Node
Because of its proximity to the interstate, the south node is characterized as a major entry point
to Spanish Lake. Businesses located in the south node are mostly national chain retailers, auto-
related uses and restaurants. Sierra Vista Plaza is the largest multi-tenant strip center in the
node and Schnucks Supermarket is the anchor tenant.
Strengths
The south nodes greatest asset is visibility and access from the interstate. This is the gateway to
Spanish Lake neighborhoods and the first major exit for westbound traffic leaving Illinois. There
are not as many residences in the vicinity as the north node, but the constant traffic exiting the
highway translates into customers. There are few vacancies or unoccupied buildings in this node
which speaks to market demand and vitality. While safety remains a concern in this node, there
is a security presence in the Sierra Vista Plaza.
Weaknesses
There is also room for improvement in the south node. The businesses of this area could benefit
from collaboration, specifically on issues of beautification. National chain businesses may be
difficult to organize on a local level and could hinder possibilities of cross-promotion. As
Synthesis of Input
4-3

mentioned earlier, security, perception of safety, as well as litter and improper trash disposal can
deter customers. Property maintenance and signage along Dunn Road were mentioned as areas
in need of improvement as well. While there is an existing Spanish Lake sign, it is not a
prominent marker or visual cue that creates a sense of place and alerts visitors and residents
that they have entered into a community.
Opportunities
The south node benefits tremendously from its location, but could capture more highway traffic
with additional signage near the exits. The vacant land in the node presents development
opportunity. The new National Archives and Records Center is estimated to bring 500
employees to the area, the vacant Burger King building at 1627 Dunn Road will be redeveloped
for office space, and there are pending development plans for the adjacent lot owned by DESCO.
The Chapter 353 redevelopment plan also provides real incentive for future development on
currently vacant property. Although organizing the national chains may be difficult, the Spanish
Lake Community Associations Business Members Group is an underutilized asset.
Threats
The major threats to the south node are perceptions of crime and safety, competitive
development along Highway 367, and property maintenance of existing buildings. The fact that
the node is mostly national chains means that they may better adjust to macroeconomic shifts
and threats mentioned earlier as threats to the north node.

4-4 Synthesis of Input

General and Node Recommendations
5-1

RECOMMENDATIONS
From analysis of existing conditions, public input, interviews with real estate professionals,
and business owners, three goals emerged that are applicable to both commercial nodes.
The recommendations and strategies listed are based on achieving these goals. While the
shopping districts are different in character, the objectives and recommendations listed
below are for both nodes.
OBJECTIVE A: Maintain and improve business climate for current businesses.
OBJECTIVE B: Increase customer base.
OBJECTIVE C: Attract additional quality businesses that are tailored to existing and potential
market demands.

General Recommendation: Organize within the Spanish Lake Community Association
Grow the number of Spanish Lake Community Association Business Members and
increase capacity of the Business Members Group.
Develop an informational packet featuring the priorities and accomplishments of the
Business Members Group and perks of membership.
Gather and present market-related information and data

General Recommendation: Market to attract customers and businesses
Develop cohesive written and visual marketing tools (advertising, promotions, etc.).
Encourage and implement physical improvements.

General Recommendation: Invest to propel further growth and development
Create opportunities for private investment.
Encourage continued and new improvements through incentives.
Develop resources within and without the coalition.

5-2

General Recommendation 1: Organize current Spanish Lake area businesses,
property owners and community groups interested in commercial revitalization.
The Spanish Lake Community Association and its Business Members Group are valuable
assets in partnering with local entrepreneurs and property owners to develop a unified
commercial vision for both nodes. The current business members can expand or spin-off
coalitions to focus on the two nodes if necessary. Efforts to create a common vision,
develop a branded image, and work collectively will support all three of the objectives
mentioned earlier.
Strategy 1a: Enhance the existing coalition of partners. Part of creating visual
and perceived unification for the shopping districts is organizing a group of
stakeholders that initiates and supports projects, gathers information, and promotes
the area. The business members group provides a forum for collective decision-
making and information-sharing, provide an outward representation of the
commercial interests of Spanish Lake.
Further develop the Spanish Lake Community Association Business
Members Group by appointing or electing a chairperson and possibly
formalizing a committee structure. The group can still function as a part of
the charter of the Spanish Lake Community Association, and should begin to
widely publicize its mission, goals, and membership perks to actively recruit
new members. The group should have an opportunity to regularly report out
to SLCA board members and general members.
Expand the membership of the Spanish Lake Community Association
Business Members Group. Through this planning process, several business
and property owners were contacted, as well as real estate professionals.
Continue their engagement by sharing these recommendations and inviting
them to future committee meetings and events.
Invite community organizations (churches, schools, residents, local industry)
to participate in the business coalition, promotions, and events.
Task the committee with tangible short-term goals like contacting local
businesses to share this planning document, or developing a newsletter, or
circular, or compiling a welcome packet for new businesses.
Eventually, the business members should consider hosting a SLCA event that
features local businesses. Develop ways to showcase local businesses as an
additional component to existing SLCA events like the annual plant sale,
general meetings, or youth events. In the past, the business members have
hosted a networking event. The business members could host a networking
event as a reception to a larger community-wide business fair.
Eventually, the Spanish Lake Community Association Business Members
Group should actively collaborate and consult with North County Inc. and St.
5-3

Louis County Economic Council to connect with developers, commercial real
estate professionals and other business associations.
Organizational support is also available through a partnership between the
St. Louis County Office of Community Development in the Planning
Department and the Regional Housing and Community Development Alliance
(RHCDA). The program provides technical assistance to build organizational
capacity including leadership and community engagement, organizational
development, and planning, implementation and evaluation.
The Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis also
provides limited technical assistance to not-for-profit organizations. The
Taylor Community Consulting Program pairs student teams with not-for-
profit organizations to focus on market research, brand audit, financial
assessment, operational assessment, and strategic planning. The consulting
team could be a valuable resource in expanding the business members group
and supporting the Spanish Lake Community Association. Connecting the
SLCA with a local business school could attract additional business members
as well as give the business members group a tangible project, with a
defined timeline and deliverables. More details about both the RHCDA
program and the Taylor Community Consulting program can be found in the
appendix.

Strategy 1b: Develop an informational packet for new business members and
prospective businesses. Once coalition partners have agreed to common goals and
a vision, create a packet that will present prospective business owners and
developers with a clear, consistent picture of the Spanish Lake business
environment and business members. The packet should showcase the strengths of
the market, present relevant information (vacancy rates, rents, available properties,
sales tax numbers, etc.), present a market position statement and all of the other
statistics and characteristics that highlight the nodes positive attributes. This
consolidated material should clearly demonstrate the interests and
accomplishments of the coalition and illustrate the potential that the Spanish Lake
real estate and business markets offer. Information can also be incorporated into a
welcome packet for new businesses. An excellent resource how to gather and
develop information can be found at the University of Wisconsin Extension website
at http://www.uwex.edu/CES/cced/downtowns/dma/index.cfm. Excerpts are also
listed in the Appendix.
Strategy 1c: Conduct a market analysis to understand the markets capacity. A
market analysis can help generate the information included in a promotional packet.
There are several community assets that a typical market study may overlook or
underestimate using readily available data sources like the U.S. Census. A market
analysis that includes characteristics beyond the typical indicators could help reveal
5-4

a more optimistic market. A national non-profit organization, Social Compact,
analyzes data that uncover more information about possible informal economies.
(www.socialcompact.org) Consult with North County Inc. or Social Compact directly
to understand more about the type of data they collect, or may already have to
incorporate into a market study. Again, the University of Wisconsin Cooperative
Extension website is a good resource for types of data and how to collect it.
http://www.uwex.edu/CES/cced/downtowns/dma/index.cfm
Performance Measures:
Increase in attendance at business group meetings over a one year period.
Increase in business association membership over a one year period.
Increase in completed business group projects or initiatives.

General Recommendation 2: Market Bellefontaine Road as a desirable place to
shop and visit for residents, visitors and tourists.
Strategy 2a: Attract consumers with cohesive written and visual marketing.
There is a need to present Spanish Lake as a great place for residents and visitors to
shop. Residents should be made aware of existing local businesses and the benefits
of shopping locally. The following strategies aim at welcoming, informing and
enticing customers.
Incorporate Spanish Lake Community Associations logo in marketing
materials,
Develop way finding signage to local amenities for tourists/visitors,
Design a community coupon book or calendar that includes business
advertisements and offers discounts or specials,
Consider opportunities for cross-promotion between businesses,
Develop a page on the Spanish Lake Community Association website that
advertises local businesses and promotions,
Consider developing and distributing a customer survey to collect
information about amenities, services, and products that patrons prefer,
Consider developing promotional material, newspaper articles, website
features that highlight the benefits of shopping local. Refer to Build St. Louis
for research material.
Strategy 2b: Make physical improvements that welcome and attract
customers. Improving the physical appearance of the commercial nodes is
5-5

important for attracting and keeping patrons. Customers respond positively to
physical signs of investment such as:
faade improvements,
landscape and streetscape improvements,
lighting,
establish and enforce sign requirements,
establish vacant property policies for maintenance and signage,
trash receptacles and dumpster shelters.
(See Node-Specific Recommendations for additional strategies for beautification.)
Customer surveys and website feedback can measure effectiveness of marketing
efforts in increasing awareness and exposure,
Individual businesses may track increase in sales or customer traffic based on their
specific marketing efforts
General Recommendation 3: Develop a sustainable pool of funds to support
reinvestment and redevelopment activities. As mentioned earlier, customers, prospective
businesses and residents respond positively to signs of investment.
Strategy 3a: Investment Several of the recommendations listed require
significant financial capital. Investment is important for maintenance and upkeep of
existing buildings as well as implementing upgrades to facades, landscaping,
lighting, and infrastructure. While there are several ways to coordinate investment
among stakeholders, the Community Improvement District (CID) tool can facilitate
collective investment. A Community Improvement District can levy assessments
(property or sales tax) for improvements to public infrastructure, amenities and
programming. Property owners in the district develop a 5-year plan with a budget
and a maximum assessment rate. This plan is included in a petition that 51 percent
of the property owners (who own 51 percent of the assessed value) in the district
must sign to put the district on the ballot for a vote. The CID is governed by an
elected or appointed board and may be structured as a not-for-profit corporation or
a political subdivision. It is a flexible tool and depending on the amount collected, a
CID could fund many of the above recommendations. Refer to the appendix for more
information on Community Improvement Districts.
Strategy 3b: Incentives Attracting new business owners and developers may
require developing a competitive advantage through incentives. As mentioned
earlier, conducting an in-depth market study could provide information to help
5-6

determine the scale and extent of incentives necessary to compel growth and
development. Incentives can range from federal, to state, to local, to private
programs that encourage not only new business, but also improvements to existing
business. Tax abatement, tax credits, small business loans, and match programs are
a few options for incentives.
For both nodes, but especially the north node where vacancy is higher, property
owners may want to consider developing a leasing program that encourages
businesses to stay current with their rent and stay long-term. An offer like one
month of free rent per twelve months of on-time rent payment could encourage
businesses.
Strategy 3c: Resource Development Once organized, seeking additional
resources (time, money and general support) will be important for building and
sustaining projects, investments and incentives. Work with coalition partners to
identify potential investors, funders and grantors to support coalition activities and
goals.
One organization that offers technical assistance in business corridor development
is the Main Streets Program. The national Main Streets Program is designed to
assist business districts that have a concentration of older, historic buildings with a
pedestrian-oriented development pattern and fairly low vacancy rates. While the
Spanish Lake Bellefontaine Road nodes are more automobile oriented, with few
historic commercial buildings, there are several fundamental revitalization
approaches that are salient for the two nodes. The national and state Main Streets
Program agencies would be helpful partners and advisers once the nodes are well
organized to take advantage of the technical assistance and trainings that they offer.
(National Main Streets organization: www.mainstreet.org or Missouri Main Streets:
www.momainstreets.org)

5-7

Increase in the number of operating businesses or decrease in vacancy square
footage.
Increase in leasing rates per square foot relative to comparable markets.
Tracking new construction or major improvements to existing structures.

Organize
Market
Invest
In short, the general
recommendations can be
combined in an effort to:
Organize interested
stakeholders to establish a
cohesive presence;
Market to customers and new
businesses; and
Invest to facilitate
improvements and sustained
development.

5-8

North Node Recommendations: Recommendations for improving the commercial and
business viability of the north Bellefontaine Road commercial node fall into two different
economic development approaches: reinvestment and redevelopment.
As the following map shows,
the recommendations focus
on the properties south of
Parker Road. After
observation and
conversations, it was
apparent that the
neighborhood-scale of the
north node means that
improvement efforts should
be concentrated. Focusing
on a smaller area will allow
for greater impact and
effectiveness. Although the
node-specific
recommendations do not
include addressing the area
north of Parker Road, the
general recommendations
would still apply and further
recommendations could be
phased in following
reinvestment or
redevelopment efforts. Any
improvements to the study
area will benefit the entire
area.

Map 5-1: Recommendation Areas for the North Node
5-9

Organizing Businesses

Prior to beginning efforts to revitalize or redevelop the north node, business and property
owners must first organize and create common goals to address the commercial concerns
of the entire node. Use the current business members group meetings to gather a core
group of owners and stakeholders to discuss this plan and their concerns. The north node
property and business owners should consider first organizing to increase the promotion
of their businesses locally. These efforts could be accomplished by developing promotional
material, newspaper articles, and website features that highlight the benefits of shopping
locally. Widely distributing material at community institutions and community events will
highlight the importance of shopping local and may increase awareness of the existing
businesses already in the area. Refer to the appendix for materials from Businesses United
for Independent Local Development (BUILD) St. Louis and the American Independent
Business Alliance (AMIBA) that describe the importance of supporting locally-owned
businesses. Also included is a brochure from a local shopping district in the City of St.
Louis. Organizing the north node businesses together, and creating a forum for regular
discussion, will allow them to not only promote themselves locally, but develop the
framework for cooperating on more in-depth redevelopment or revitalization efforts.

Reinvestment Option

The other approach to improving commercial viability in the north node would be to
revitalize existing buildings and infrastructure. This could be done by empowering local
business groups and the Spanish Lake Community Association with the tools and support
to spearhead economic development efforts. Economic development incentives, such as a
Community Improvement District (CID), could be used to improve upon the current
buildings and infrastructure. A Community Improvement District in the north node would
create a sustainable pool of funds controlled and managed by elected or appointed
property and business owners. Community improvement districts can finance a variety of
physical improvements mentioned previously. Specifically,
Landscaping (along frontage of Belle Parke Plaza)
Trash (concealing trash receptacles behind or along retail development)
Lighting
Installing shopping cart corrals for the Belle Parke parking lot
Faade enhancements
Security service for the entire node

CIDs can also provide for programs and services like improved security or marketing
efforts. CID funds can be leveraged with additional financing to increase funding for large
scale capital improvements or programs.

5-10

Redevelopment Option

Map 5-1 shows the redevelopment area encompassing all of the parcels south of Parker
Road on both sides of Bellefontaine Road and parcels on either side of Pattern Drive. This
area would also include 12204 Bellefontaine Road, which is currently a vacant parcel just
north of Parker Road.

Throughout research on recommendations for the north node, large scale redevelopment
plans were discussed as possibilities for improving viability. This approach would
concentrate on creating new commercial opportunities as well as improving existing
businesses. Redevelopment would allow for a more concentrated, pedestrian-accessible,
possibly mixed land use development pattern. Redevelopment is an opportunity to create
a commercial destination where shopping is not a chore for customers or a pit stop for
visitors, but is an experience, a chance to see your neighbors, and relax. Developing
commerce that serves a wide range of clientele and presents informal community-building
opportunities, addresses the concerns voiced at the community workshops. Suggestions
for a farmers market and family-oriented restaurants and recreation highlight the fact that
residents are looking for more than additional goods and services, but also a communal
experience.

One way to create a feasible amount of land for redevelopment is to create a land bank in
the north node. By slowly buying and collecting land from private owners to be held in
trust, the land bank would control enough land to qualify for economic development
incentives like tax increment financing and tax abatement programs like Chapter 353. This
redevelopment approach would likely raze current buildings and infrastructure to build
new commercial developments. This recommendation is long-term and redevelopment is
only encouraged after completion of a comprehensive market study and consultation with
additional commercial real estate professionals to better assess the strength of and the
interest in the market. Implementing this approach requires high levels of partnership and
additional strategic planning as to avoid the displacement or disruption of currently
vibrant businesses or occupied homes.
Conceal trash receptacles behind or alongside buildings Landscaping recommended for frontage of Belle-Parke Plaza
5-11

South Node: Improvement of the commercial viability of the south node includes
reinvestment, redevelopment, and development.
The south node can be characterized as the gateway to Spanish Lake; it is the first
commercial exit off I-270 from Illinois and has frontage on the well-traveled Dunn Road.
This node is oriented toward auto, fast-food and convenience retail.

Map 5-2: Recommendation Areas for the South Node
5-12

Reinvestment

The recommendation for reinvestment in the
south node is concentrated more to the parcels
which are north of Dunn Road and east of
Bellefontaine Road. The reinvestment area is
different in character from the other
recommendation areas because it is mostly
developed land (there are a few vacant parcels)
and there is an established business presence.
Improving visibility, accessibility and visual
cohesion is important in this node that welcomes
tourists and residents. Creating a Community
Improvement District in this area could address
these goals as well as many of the issues
mentioned in the community charrettes such as:

Trash receptacles and trash shelters
Improve Spanish Lake welcome sign and
signage along Dunn Road near the
highway exit
Repair road connecting Larimore Road
and Dunn Road
Additional security throughout, but
especially at Sierra Vista Plaza
Faade improvements

Redevelopment

The sections shaded in blue (1829, 1795, and
1703 Dunn Road) are included in a Chapter 353
urban redevelopment designation which
provides 100 percent ten-year tax abatement to
a prospective developer. Further west of this
property and also on Dunn Road, the National
Archives and Record Center is building a new
facility to house military records. This facility is
slated to bring 500 employees to the node. This
and future development along Dunn Road west
of Bellefontaine Rd. will necessitate an
evaluation of accessibility and traffic patterns.

1471 Dunn Road is in need of facade improvements
Spanish Lake welcome sign
Shelters needed for dumpsters and grease bin
5-13

Development

The south node has considerably more vacant land than the north node. The areas shaded
in green, fronting Dunn Road are parcels that present opportunity for commercial growth,
especially with the addition of the Records facility. There are currently pending plans for
the vacant Burger King (1627 Dunn Road) and development is pending for the lot just to
the east, 1615 Dunn Road. The lots 11125, 11147, and 11155 Bellefontaine Road are
included in the Reinvestment Area recommendations, but should also be included as sites
in need of development.

5-14

6-1 Implementation

IMPLEMENTATION
The following tables prioritize the recommendations, include estimated timeframes, and identify possible partners and stakeholders. The short-term
timeframe refers to action items to be implemented within the first two quarters (six months) after a start date to be determined by potential
partners. Mid-range refers to three to four quarters out and long-range is a year or more.
Strategy Timeframe Schedule Potential Partners
Organize Goal: Increase the number of SLCA business members.
Continue to gather contact information for business and
property owners.
Short-term 3 months Planning Dept., Economic Council,
SLCA Business Members
Based on the current SLCA Business Members mission
statement, decide on three priority projects that fulfill parts
of the mission. Advertise the ways that businesses can
support these projects in addition to attending meetings.
Refer to potential project ideas in the plan recommendations.
Having concrete action items and direct outcomes may
compel businesses to join.
Short-term 3-4 months
(3 meetings)
SLCA Business Members,
Economic Council
Meet with owners individually to introduce the business
group mission, action items, potential outcomes, and
upcoming meetings. (on-going)
Short-term
(and on-going)
3 months SLCA Business Members
Because the nodes are very different in character, once
membership increases, evaluate the need to form
geographically-based committees and establish node-specific
projects and initiatives. Projects for promotional marketing,
beautifying the area, or pooling resources are projects that are
tangible and produce results.
Mid-range 2 months SLCA Business Members with
facilitating support from Planning
and Economic Council
Once the business group has a well-established group of
interested members and a tangible set of project goals, seek
facilitation/technical assistance for organizational support.
Mid-range 4 months SLCA Business Members ,
Economic Council, RHCDA, Taylor
Community Consulting Program at
Olin School
Track the performance measures associated with business
health and the plan progress.
On-going SLCA Business Members ,
Economic Council, Planning Dept.

6-2 Implementation

Strategy Timeframe Schedule Potential Partners
Market Goal: Increase awareness and visibility of local businesses.
Increase internet presence by developing advertising and
promotions on the Spanish Lake Community Association
website and advertising the website to consumers.
Short-term 2 months SLCA Business Members
Develop promotional material, like a community calendar
with business coupons.
Mid-range 3 months SLCA Business Members , with
advice and review from North
County, Inc.
Contact the Missouri Department of Transportation to
discuss process for increasing highway signage. Contact
business owners in south node to gauge interest in additional
signage.
Short-term 3 months SLCA Business Members and
Planning Dept.
Develop a brief customer survey to investigate preferences,
demographic data, and spending patterns. This could
supplement a market study.
Mid-range 3 months Local businesses, SLCA Business
Members , with technical
assistance from Planning Dept.
Invest Goal: Increase resources to support aforementioned activities.
Consider small projects that business member dues could
support such as developing a coupon book or calendar for
local promotion.
On-going SLCA Business Members
After establishing node-specific committees, business
members may be interested identifying priorities and
resources for each business area. For example, if business
owners agree to prioritize specific projects or programs like
shared security services or new signage, developing a
Community Improvement District or a formal business
association could help pool funds for public improvements.
Long-range 1 year SLCA Business Members with
technical assistance support from
Planning Dept.
Conducting a market study can be extremely valuable to
business and property owners because it can help identify
potential market changes and development necessary for
competitive advantage. Market analysis will be a long-term
benefit for all stakeholders.
Long-range 1 year SLCA Business Members with
support from Planning Dept.
Implementation
6-3

Strategy Potential Partners Schedule
Organize 1
st
Quarter (3 months) 2
nd
rd
th
Quarter (3 months) +1 Year
Continue gathering contact information for business
and property owners.
Planning Dept., Economic
Council, SLCA Business
Members

Meet with current business members to introduce
this plan and decide on three priority projects that
are relevant to the business committees mission
statement. Make a list of ways businesses can be
involved. Refer to potential project ideas in the plan
recommendations. Having concrete action items and
direct outcomes may encourage businesses to join.
Economic Council

Meet with owners individually to introduce the
business members mission, action items, potential
outcomes, and upcoming meetings. (on-going)
Planning Dept. support

Because the nodes are very different in character,
once membership increases, evaluate the need to
form geographically-based committees and establish
node-specific projects and initiatives.
Once the business members have a well-established
group of interested business/property owners and
tangible set of project goals, seek
facilitation/technical assistance for organizational
support.
RHCDA, Economic Council,
Taylor Community Consulting
Program at Olin School

Market 1
st
nd
rd
th
Consider advertising and promotions on the SLCA
website.
Develop promotional material, like a community
calendar with business coupons.
SLCA Business Members, North
County, Inc.

Contact the Missouri Department of Transportation
to discuss process for increasing highway signage.
Contact business owners in south node gauge
interest.
SLCA Business Members and
Planning Dept.

Develop a brief customer survey to investigate
preferences, demographic data, and spending
patterns. This could supplement a market study.
Local businesses, SLCA Business
Members, with technical
assistance from Planning Dept.

Invest 1
st
nd
rd
th
After establishing node-specific committees, business
members may be interested identifying priorities and
resources for each business area.
Planning Dept.

Conducting a market study can be extremely valuable
to business and property owners because it can help
identify potential market changes and development
necessary for competitive advantage.
SLCA Business Members with

After establishing node-specific committees, consider
developing a Community Improvement District or a
formal business association to help pool funds for
public improvements.
SLCA Business Members with

Track performance measures. SLCA Business Members, Econ.
Council, Planning Dept.

APPENDIX
Section 2: Existing Conditions and Analysis
Recent Development and Zoning Petitions
Below is a list of zoning petitions filed with the Department of Planning from 1994 to 2007. These were
petitions to change zoning designations for properties within the two study areas. Only one petition of
thirteen requests was denied, and one was withdrawn by the petitioner. (C.U.P. stands for Conditional
Use Permit, LPA stands for Landmark and Preservation Area).

NORTH NODE
PETITIONER ADDRESS REQUEST PROPOSED USE ACTION
P.C. 60-94 Kinealy 12068 Bellefontaine
Road
R-2 to C-8

Mobile cellular
office, sales and
service
Approved, Ordinance
17,132
P.C. 77-95 Bassett 12068 Bellefontaine
Road
Amended C-8 Day care center Approved, Ordinance
17,757
P.C. 65-96 Coastal 12090 Bellefontaine
Road
C-2 to C-8

Filling station,
convenience store,
and canopy
Approved, Ordinance
18,259
P.C. 71-98 Casey
General Store
12188 Bellefontaine
Road
C.U.P. in C-2 Convenience store
with gas pumps
Approved, C.U.P. 774
P.C. 68-99 Bassett
& Kids Child
Development
Center
12060 Bellefontaine
Road
R-2 to C-8 Child Care Center Approved, Ordinance
19,663
P.C. 42-01 Spanish
Lake Fire
Protection District
12220 Bellefontaine
Road
R-2 to C-2 Fire Station Approved, Ordinance
20,586
P.C. 81-03
Midland Auto &
Tire
1660 Pattern Drive C.U.P. in C-3 Vehicle repair Approved, C.U.P. 827
P.C. 01-06
Midland Auto &
Tire
1660 Pattern Drive C-3 to C-4 Auto Sales Denied
P.C. 03-06 James
Dearing
12245 Bellefontaine
Road
Amended C-8 Child Care Center Approved, Ordinance
22,696
PC. 61-06 James
Dearing
12245 Bellefontaine
Road
C-8 to R-2 Approved, Ordinance
23,008

SOUTH NODE
PETITIONER ADDRESS REQUEST PROPOSED USE ACTION
P.C. 12-97 A T & T 11040 Larimore Road C.U.P. in C-2 100'
telecommunication
tower
Withdrawn by
petitioner
P.C. 10-99
Blackstone Group
Bellefontaine,
L.L.C
11155 Bellefontaine
Road
R-3 & C-4 to C-8 Retail Center Approved, Ordinance
19,465
P.C. 32-05 Kris D.
Suntra
11024 Larimore Road C.U.P. in C-2 Car Wash Approved, C.U.P. 845
P.C. 06-08 HWRT
Management
Company
1627 Dunn Road Amended C8 Replace vacant
Burger King with
new office
Council should give
final approval on
4/2/08

APPENDIX
Chapter 353 redevelopment plan for 1703-1829 Dunn Road

APPENDIX
Zoning Petition for 1627 Dunn Road

The report listed below is St. Louis County zoning petition P.C. 06-08, for the rezoning of the
property to amended C-8 planned commercial district. The property is located in the south
node, next to the future site of the National Archives and Records Administration building.

INFORMATION REPORT
PLANNING COMMISSION EXECUTIVE MEETING
March 10, 2008

Petition No.: P.C. 06-08
Petitioner: HWRT Management Company
Request: Amended C-8
Tract Size: 0.935 acres
Location: North side of Dunn Road, approximately 500 feet west of
Bellefontaine Road.
Hearing Date: March 3, 2008
Report: Attachment A
Departmental
Comments: Attachment B
Conditions: Attachment C
Preliminary
Development Plan: Attachment D
Fire District: Spanish Lake
School District: Hazelwood
Council District: Fourth

Recommendation: Approval

1. Redevelopment of the vacant fast food restaurant with a new office building is an
appropriate use at this location.

Pat/Reports/HWRTManagementPC06-08

ATTACHMENT A

AREA LAND USE AND ZONING

The subject 0.935 acre site is located on the north side of Dunn Road, the outer service road for
Interstate Highway 270 in this section of north St. Louis County, approximately 500 feet west of
Bellefontaine Road. At the present time, the property is zoned C-8 Planned Commercial District
and is occupied by a vacant Burger King fast food restaurant. Most of the site was graded prior
to the construction of the restaurant building and parking lot, and is relatively flat. Heavily
wooded buffers along the north and west property lines drop away from the site toward the
floodplain of Watkins Creek, which is located on the adjoining property. Surrounding land uses
and zoning include the following:

To the north: Abutting the site to the north and east is a heavily wooded tract of land
that contains an advertising sign along its Dunn Road frontage, which
was zoned C-8 Planned Commercial District and FPC-8 Flood Plain
Planned Commercial District via P.C. 142-88 WPW Ventures, Inc.
Watkins Creek diagonally traverses this property from the northwest
corner to the southeast corner. Further north are several vacant lots
zoned FPR-3 Flood Plain 10,000 square foot Residence District and/or R-
3 10,000 square foot Residence District. Beyond are several single-family
residential subdivisions zoned R-3 Residence District.

To the east: East of the L-shaped property that abuts the subject site to the north and
east is another vacant parcel of land that is also bisected by Watkins
Creek, which is zoned C-4 Highway Service Commercial District and
FPC-4 Flood Plain Highway Service Commercial District. Further east, at
the intersection of Dunn Road and Bellefontaine Road, is a service station
that was zoned C-8 Planned Commercial District and FPC-8 Flood Plain
Planned Commercial District via P.C. 35-87 Cross Oil Company. Moving
north along the west side of Bellefontaine Road are a parking lot, two
restaurants, two single-family homes and a McDonalds restaurant, all
zoned C-4 Highway Service Commercial District and FPC-4 Flood Plain
Highway Service Commercial District. Further north are a vacant parcel of
land, a single-family residence and a vacant retail store that were zoned
C-8 Planned Commercial District via P.C. 10-99 Blackstone Group-
Bellefontaine, L.L.C. On the east side of Bellefontaine Road, on either
side of Larimore Road, are numerous commercial uses including service
stations, restaurants, a grocery store, a bank and other retail uses, all
zoned C-2 Shopping District.

To the south: Dunn Road, the service road for Interstate Highway 270, abuts the site
along its southern boundary. The west bound entrance ramp to the
highway is located across Dunn Road directly south of the site. Across
Interstate Highway 270 is the Bellefontaine Habilitation Center located in
the City of Bellefontaine Neighbors.

To the west: Five undeveloped parcels that front on Dunn Road are located west of the
subject site. Two of these parcels contain advertising signs. Further east
is a large vacant parcel zoned C-3 shopping District. Beyond is another
large tract of land that was recently zoned M-1 Industrial District via P.C.
43-07 St. Louis County Planning Commission.

DEPARTMENTAL/AGENCY COMMENTS

The St. Louis County Department of Highways and Traffic, the Missouri Department of
Transportation and the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District have submitted comments relative
to this petition and said comments are included in Attachment B of this report.

BACKGROUND

With the adoption of the St. Louis County Zoning Ordinance in 1965, the subject site and
properties to the west and north were zoned R-3 10,000 square foot Residence District.
Portions of some lots that contained land in the flood plain of Watkins Creek were also zoned
FPR-3 Flood Plain 10,000 square foot Residence District. Properties to the east that fronted on
Dunn Road, Bellefontaine Road and Larimore Road were zoned C-4 Highway Service
Commercial District or C-2 Shopping District. Likewise, portions of these properties were also in
the Watkins Creek flood plain and zoned accordingly. Most of the commercially zoned
properties have been developed with commercial uses permitted by the underlying zoning
districts. A few sites have been rezoned as planned districts with site specific governing
ordinances and others have been granted Conditional Use Permits for specific uses. Thirty
acres approximately 600 feet west of the subject site were occupied by the GEM retail store and
were zoned C-3 Shopping District. Subsequently, the GEM Store was razed and the site is
currently vacant.

Originally, the 0.935 acre subject site was included in 4.35 acres rezoned by P.C. 83-84 Burger
King, which was a request for a change in zoning from R-3 10,000 square foot Residence
District and FPR-3 Flood Plain 10,000 square foot Residence District to C-8 Planned
Commercial District and FPC-8 Flood Plain Planned Commercial District for a fast food
restaurant with drive through facilities. In its recommendation for approval the Commission
noted that there was commercial zoning to the east and west of this site, that there was a fast
food restaurant adjacent to the site, and there were several other restaurants in the immediate
vicinity. The Commission was of the opinion that this infill development was consistent with
other uses in this predominately commercial area and that the C-8 District zoning would allow
the Planning Commission control over the overall site design. A substantial buffer was provided
between the undeveloped residentially zoned properties to the north to avoid disturbing the
Watkins Creek floodplain, and the entrance was situated as far west as possible to minimize
confusion at the Dunn Road and Bellefontaine Road intersection. The County Council concurred
and adopted Ordinance 11,625 on July 19, 1984.

Subsequent to the construction of the Burger King restaurant, P.C. 142-88 WPW Ventures, Inc.
requested an Amended C-8 Planned Commercial District to reduce the size of the C-8 District
development approved by P.C. 83-84 Burger King from 4.35 acres to 0.935 acres and approve
another C-8 District for the remaining 3.39 acres for an advertising sign. The Planning
Commission recommended approval of the request noting that a major portion of the site was in
the Watkins Creek flood plain and that the topography of the site made development of uses
other than an advertising sign very difficult. On October 3, 1988, the County Council concurred
by approving C-8 Ordinance 14,110 for the 3.39 acres petitioned by P.C. 142-88 WPW
Ventures, Inc.. On the same day, the Council rescinded Ordinance 11,625 as amended and
approved C-8 Ordinance 14,111 for the 0.935 Burger King property that is the subject of the
petition currently before the Planning Commission. At the present time, an advertising sign is
located on the property adjacent to the petitioned site.

Recently, 23.5 acres located west of the subject site on Dunn Road were rezoned from R-3
10,000 square foot Residence District and C-3 Shopping District to M-1 Industrial District via
P.C. 43-07 St. Louis County Planning Commission. The Planning Commission was of the
opinion that the federal government records storage facility and office proposed on the property
was appropriate at this location, in keeping with the Spanish Lake Area Study and would be
beneficial for north County. The County Council concurred and passed Ordinance 23,385 to
rezone the property on October 17, 2007.

SPANISH LAKE AREA STUDY AND I-270/HIGHWAY 367 CORRIDOR STUDY

The Spanish Lake Area Study was initiated by the Department of Planning in the Fall of 1997 in
order to identify community issues, develop goals and objectives of the community and devise
strategies to achieve these specified goals. The Department of Planning staff, along with an
appointed steering committee, held public meetings. Task forces comprised of residents,
business owners, neighborhood officials and county officials were formed to work on various
components of the study. The Study was completed in October 1998 and has been adopted by
the Planning Commission. Several of the recommendations within this document pertain to land
use, economic development, and the aesthetic character of the area. A specific objective was to
redevelop the old GEM store site on Dunn Road. In addition in 2003, the Planning Commission
adopted the I-270/Highway 367 Corridor Study Plan to bring about redevelopment and
reinvestment within the corridor by promoting job opportunities. Redevelopment of this quadrant
was also highlighted in that study.

PETITIONERS REQUEST

The petitioner, HWRT Management Company, is requesting an Amended C-8 Planned
Commercial District. The petitioner proposes to replace the vacant Burger King restaurant with a
10,000 square foot office building for an oil company. As presented at public hearing, no grading
was proposed on the site. The existing parking lot would be upgraded and restriped, the
entrance on Dunn Road would remain where it is currently located, and all storm water inlets
and easements would be kept in place. The petitioners representative stated that the trash
enclosure would be moved to a different location on the site and new landscaping would be
installed around the proposed office building.

PUBLIC COMMENTS AND CONCERNS

At the public hearing held March 3, 2008 there were no speakers. By a show of hands two
people were in favor of the petition and no one opposed the petition.

ANALYSIS

The primary questions in reviewing this request are the appropriateness of the use and its
compatibility with adjoining properties, and the adaptability of the site design.

First, the Department would note that the intersection of Dunn Road and Bellefontaine Road
was commercially developed prior to the adoption of the 1965 Zoning Ordinance and that
commercial zoning for a fast food restaurant has been in place on the subject site for almost 25
years. Therefore, the appropriateness of commercial zoning at this location is not an issue.

Next, as evidenced in both the Spanish Lake Area Study and the I-270/Highway 367 Corridor
Study, the need for new development and redevelopment of sites containing obsolete uses has
been an ongoing concern of citizens in this area of St. Louis County. The Department is of the
opinion that the demolition of a vacant fast food restaurant building is desirable, and the
construction of an office building is reasonable. The Department would note that the less
intense office use will be more aesthetically pleasing and will create fewer traffic problems in the
area than the fast food restaurant that previously occupied the site. The Department believes
that the reuse of this commercial site for an office building should be supported and
encouraged.

Lastly, the Department is of the opinion that the site plan is basically sound. As presented at
public hearing, no grading is proposed on the site. The existing parking lot is to be upgraded
and restriped, and the entrance on Dunn Road would remain where it is currently located. The
new building shall not be greater than 12,000 square feet in gross floor area and shall be at
least 20 feet from all property lines. Landscaping will be required around the proposed office
building. These and all other conditions of development are found in attachment C of this report.

SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATION

Based on the preceding considerations, the Planning Department is of the opinion that C-8
Planned Commercial District zoning continues to be reasonable and appropriate at this location.
Therefore, the Department recommends that Ordinance 14,111 be rescinded and recommends
approval of P.C. 06-08 HWRT Management Company, subject to conditions in Attachment C of
this report.
ATTACHMENT C

1. PERMITTED USES

The uses permitted in this C-8 Planned Commercial District shall be offices.

2. FLOOR AREA, HEIGHT AND BUILDING REQUIREMENTS

a. The uses shall be contained in one building, with a total floor area not to exceed twelve
thousand (12,000) square feet.

b. Architectural elevations, showing building design and construction materials shall be
reviewed and approved by the Planning Commission in conjunction with the Site
Development Plan.

3. SITE DEVELOPMENT PLAN SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENT

Within eighteen (18) months of the effective date of the Ordinance and prior to issuance of any
occupancy permit, the developer shall submit to the Planning Commission for its review and
approval a Site Development Plan. Where due cause is shown by the developer, this time
interval may be extended through appeal to and approval by the Planning Commission. Said
Site Development Plan shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

a. The location, size, and height of all proposed structures, and general use of the buildings.
b. Building and parking setbacks.
c. Location and size of all parking and loading areas, retaining walls over three (3) feet in
height per section, light standards, fencing, freestanding business sign, and trash
enclosures.
d. Existing and proposed roadways, ramps, drives, and walkways on and adjacent to the
property.
e. Areas to be dedicated for road right-of way and required road improvements.
f. Approximate curb cut locations.
g. Existing and proposed contours at intervals of not more than two (2) feet.
h. A landscape plan including all landscaped buffers indicating, but not limited to, the location,
size and general type of all plant and other materials to be used.
i. General location map indicating the subject site.
j. The approximate location of all stormwater facilities and sanitary sewer facilities.
k. All other applicable preliminary plat requirements of the St. Louis County Subdivision
Ordinance.
l. Outboundary and legal description of the property.
m. Location and extent of all existing easements, including both public and private.

4. SITE DEVELOPMENT PLAN DESIGN CRITERIA

The above Site Development Plan shall adhere to the following specific design criteria:

Structure Setbacks

a. No building or structure, other than boundary and/or retaining walls, ramps, fences and/or
signs shall be located within the following setbacks.

(1) Twenty (20) feet of the right-of-way of Dunn Road.
(2) Ten (10) feet of the other limits of this C-8 Planned Commercial District.
(3) All detention storage facilities shall be a minimum of twenty (20) feet from the right-of
way of Dunn Road.

Parking Setbacks

b. No parking stall, loading space, internal drive or roadway, excluding points of ingress and
egress, shall be located within the following setbacks:

(1) Five (5) feet of the right-of-way of Dunn Road as approved on the Site Development
Plan.
(2) Five feet of the other limits of this C-8 Planned Commercial District as approved on the
Site Development Plan.

Access and Road Improvements, Including Sidewalk

c. Conform to the requirements and/or recommendations of the Missouri Department of
Transportation regarding Dunn Road (North Outer Road of I-270) and the entrance ramp
onto I-270.

d. Provide a sidewalk conforming to St. Louis County ADA standards adjacent to Dunn Road,
in a public easement outside of State right-of-way. Maintenance of sidewalks along State
highways must be the responsibility of the property owners.

e. Access to this development shall be as directed by the Missouri Department of
Transportation.

f. Ingress and egress must conform to MoDOTs Access management Guidelines and must
be reviewed and approved by MoDOT. Any improvements within MoDOTs right-of-way will
require a permit. The entrance geometrics and rainage design shall be in accordance with
MoDOT standards.

Lighting Requirements

g. The location and number of all lighting standards shall be as approved by the Planning
Commission on the Site Development Plan. No on-site illumination source shall exceed
sixteen (16) feet in height or be so situated that light is cast directly on adjoining properties
or roadways. Illumination levels shall comply with the provisions of Section 1003.167
Miscellaneous Regulations of the Zoning Ordinance. Light standards shall be shielded and
maintain a cut off angle of not more than 85 degrees.

Sign Requirements

h. Signs shall be permitted in accord with the regulations of Section 1003.168 of the Zoning
Ordinance pertaining to C-3 Shopping District.

i. No temporary, portable or advertising signs shall be permitted within the limits of this C-8
development, except as permitted per Section 1003.168 D of the Zoning Ordinance.

Landscape Requirements (General)
j. The developer shall submit a landscape plan, either as part of the Site Development Plan
or on a separate drawing, to be reviewed as part of the Site Development Plan to comply
with the following:

(1) Showing all existing vegetation, indicating that which is to remain, and that which will
be removed.
(2) All new landscaping materials shall meet the following criteria:
(a) Deciduous treestwo and one-half (2) inch minimum caliper.
(b) Evergreen treessix (6) feet minimum height.
(c) Shrubstwenty-four (24) inch minimum diameter.
(d) Flowering treesone and one-half (1) inch minimum caliper.

Landscape Requirements (Specific)
k. The areas between parking aisles, drive aisles and buildings shall be landscaped with a
combination of trees and shrubs as approved on the Site Development Plan.

Parking Requirements
l. All parking and loading requirements shall be as set forth in Section 1003.165 Off-Street
Parking and Loading Requirements of the Zoning Ordinance.

Miscellaneous Conditions

m. All trash areas shall be located at locations as approved by the Planning Commission on
the Site Development Plan and shall be enclosed with a six (6) foot high sight-proof fence
and appropriately landscaped.

n. Parking, circulation and other applicable site design features shall comply with Chapter
1101, Section 512.4 Physically Handicapped and Aged of the S.L.C.R.O. 1974, as
amended.

5. PARKER-REDMAN TRAFFIC GENERATION ASSESSMENT ROAD TRUST FUND

The developer shall contribute a Traffic Generation Assessment (TGA) to the Parker-Redman
Trust Fund established by Ordinance No. 14,471. This contribution shall not exceed an
amount established by multiplying the Ordinance required parking spaces for the difference
between the existing and proposed uses by the following rate schedule:
Type of Development Required Contribution
General Office $ 556.13/Parking Space
(Parking space as required by Section 1003.165 of the Zoning Ordinance).
If types of development proposed differ from lost listed, rates shall be provided by the
Department of Highways and Traffic.
Allowable credits for required roadway improvements will be awarded as directed by the
Department of Highways and Traffic. Sidewalk construction and utility relocation, among other
items, are not considered allowable credits.
As this development is located within a trust fund area established by St. Louis County, any
portion of the traffic generation assessment contribution that remains, following completion of
road improvements required by the development shall be retained in the appropriate trust
fund.
The amount of this required contribution, if not submitted by January 1, 2009, shall be adjusted
on that date and on the first day of January in each succeeding year thereafter in accord with
the construction cost index as determined by the Department of Highways and Traffic.

6. VERIFICATION PRIOR TO APPROVAL OF THE SITE DEVELOPMENT PLAN

Prior to approval of the Site Development Plan, the developer shall provide the following:

Stormwater Improvements

a. Submit to the Planning Commission an engineering plan approved by the Department of
Highways and Traffic, the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (M.S.D.), and the Missouri
Department of Transportation (MoDOT) showing that adequate handling of the stormwater
drainage of the site is provided.

(1) The developer is required to provide adequate stormwater systems in accordance
with St. Louis County and M.S.D. Standards. Downstream storm sewers shall be
checked for adequate hydraulic capacity, upgrading of sewers may be required.
(2) All stormwater shall be discharged at an adequate natural discharge point.
(3) Detention of differential runoff of stormwater is at the discretion of the MSD. It shall
be provided in permanent detention facilities, such as dry reservoirs, ponds, or
another acceptable alternative. The detention basin shall be completed and in
operation prior to paving of any driveways or parking areas.
(4) Detention may be required for the entire project site such that the release rates will
not exceed the exiting release rates for the post developed peak flow of the 2-year
and 100-year 24 hour storm event. Wetland mitigation will not be allowable within
the detention basin.
(5) Treatment may be required for water quality in accordance with M.S.D. regulations.
(6) Formal plan submittal and approval will be required by Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer
District prior to the issuance of permits.
(7) No additional stormwater shall be discharged to encroach on MoDOT right-of-way.

7. RECORDING

Within sixty (60) days of approval of the Site Development Plan by the Planning Commission,
the approved plan shall be recorded with the St. Louis County Recorder of Deeds.

8. VERIFICATION PRIOR TO LAND DISTURBANCE

Prior to clearing, grading, or any related work which results in removal of the natural site
vegetation and destruction of the root zone or otherwise results in leaving the ground surface
exposed to soil erosion through the action of wind or water; a land disturbance permit shall be
required in conformance with the County Land Disturbance Code, Chapter 1114.

9. VERIFICATION PRIOR TO PERMITS

Subsequent to approval of the Site Development Plan, and prior to issuance of any building or
occupancy permit, the following requirements shall be met:

Landscape Bonds or Escrows

a. If the estimated cost of new landscaping required by the Planning Commission on the Site
Development Plan exceeds one thousand ($1,000) dollars, as determined by a plant
nursery, the petitioner shall furnish a two (2) year bond, escrow or other approved legal
instrument sufficient in amount to guarantee the installation and maintenance of said
landscaping.

Notification of Public Works

b. Prior to issuance of foundation or building permits, all approvals from the Department of
Planning, the Department of Highways and Traffic, the Missouri Department of
Transportation and the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District must be received by the
Department of Public Works. Partial permits for the construction of foundations or other
parts of the buildings or structures may be issued when clearances are obtained from the
reviewing departments/agencies listed above for the scope of the work requested.

Traffic Generation Assessment Contribution

c. Traffic generation assessment contribution shall be deposited with St. Louis County in the
form of a cash escrow prior to the issuance of building permits. If development phasing is
anticipated, the developer shall provide the traffic generation contribution prior to the
issuance of building permits for each phase of development. The traffic generation
assessment contribution shall be deposited with St. Louis County in the form of a cash
escrow.

Roadway Improvements

d. Prior to issuance of any occupancy permits, the developer shall complete all required road
improvements and right-of-way dedication. If development phasing is anticipated, the
developer shall complete road improvements, right-of-way dedication, and access
requirements for each phase of development as directed by the Department of Highways
and Traffic. Delays due to utility location and adjustments will not constitute a cause to
allow occupancy prior to completion of road improvements.

10. STANDARD DEVELOPMENT CONDITIONS

a. A grading permit is required prior to any grading on the site. No change in watersheds
shall be permitted. Interim drainage control in the form of siltation control measures is
required.

b. The developer shall be responsible for obtaining all necessary permits from the
Department of Natural Resources Clean Water Commission as they relate to this
development.

c. Provide adequate temporary off-street parking for construction employees. Parking on
non-surfaced areas shall be prohibited in order to eliminate the conditions whereby mud
from construction employees vehicles is tracked onto the pavement causing hazardous
roadway and driving conditions.

d. Failure to comply with any or all of the conditions of this ordinance shall be adequate
cause for revocation of permits by issuing County Departments or Commissions.

e. The Zoning Enforcement Officer of St. Louis County, Missouri shall enforce the conditions
of this ordinance in accord with the Site Development Plan approved by the Planning
Commission.

APPENDIX
Section 3: Qualitative Input
Community and Youth Design Workshop Questions
The following is the list of questions asked of community and youth during the design workshops.

Shopping Preferences: (general for both shopping districts)
o Where do you do the majority of your shopping?
o If you choose not to shop in Spanish Lake, where do you shop? Why do you choose not
to shop in Spanish Lake?
o What type of businesses would you like to see?
o Are you currently or considering starting a small business? What would help you to get
started?

Perceptions: (use the map to locate specific sites in both shopping districts)
o Where do you feel safe? Where do you not feel safe? (red dots/marker)
o Do you think that there is adequate lighting in the North Shopping District? In the
South? (yellow dots only)
o Do you drive, walk or take public transportation to the shopping districts? Is walking
or taking public transportation difficult? Where and why? (blue dots/marker)
o Do you perceive a problem with littering? If yes, where? (green dots/marker)

Business Improvements:
o Do you currently run a small business? Where?
o What improvements to existing businesses would you like to see?
o What would you like business faades to look like? Are there current faades that you
would improve? What could be an improvement that would help unify the
businesses?
o Where would street improvements like landscaping, street furniture and lighting be
most effective? Mark each area of need with stickers or markers.
o Knowing the surrounding the land uses, what would you like to see on the vacant
parcels or parcels with vacant structures?
o Would you like to see more parcels zoned for commercial?
o What other improvements would you suggest for these shopping districts to make it
more attractive to new retailers and shoppers and improve accessibility?

APPENDIX
Section 3: Qualitative Input
Marketing Brochure Example

The South Grand CID in St. Louis City partnered with other local attractions, the Missouri Botanical Garden and
Tower Grove Park, to co-sponsor this brochure that promotes the diversity of the area. (This copy has been
enlarged. The original brochure is full color, printed on 8.5x14 paper, and folded into fourths.)

APPENDIX
Section 5: Recommendations
Details about Community Improvement Districts
Below is a list of frequently asked questions about Community Improvement Districts. This is
only a guide and legislation is periodically amended. For the most recent details about
Community Improvement District (CID) legislation, please refer to the Revised Missouri
Statute: 67.1401-1571.
(http://www.moga.mo.gov/statutes/C000-099/0670001401.HTM)
COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT ACT
State Statute: RSMO 67.1401-1571

Who can establish a CID?
(Section 67.1411)
Any governing body of a municipality or county can
establish one or more districts.
How can a CID be established?
(Section 16.1411)
A CID can be established as a political subdivision or a
not- for-profit corporation.
What is the process for
establishing a CID? (Section
67.1421)
A petition is filed with the municipal clerk.
A public hearing is held.
An ordinance is passed.
What is required in the
petition?-
(Section 67.1421)
Signatures- property owners collectively owning more
than 50% by assessed value of the real property; and
Signatures- by more than 50% per capita of all owners of
real property within the boundaries of the proposed
district; and

A five-year plan stating the description of the district,
services provided, improvements and an estimate of costs

A statement to whether the petitioners are seeking a
determination of blight

Maximum rates of real property taxes that may be
submitted to the voters (a ceiling is not stated)
Maximum rates of special assessments and method of
assessment (a ceiling is not stated)

What happens to the petition?
(Section 67.1421)
The municipal clerk, within 90 days, reviews the petition
for compliance- if in compliance:

A public hearing will be held.

An ordinance is passed and determination of blight, if
requested, is made.

The municipal clerk reports in writing to the
State Department of Economic Development
Can the petition be changed or
amended? (Section 67.1421)
Yes. If all requirements in Section 67.1411, subsection 2)
are met.

What is the format of the public
hearing? (Section 67.1431)
Public hearing is held within 45 days of the verified
petition.

Adequate notification is given (publication and certified
mail is sent)
Can property be removed from
the CID? (Section 67.1441)
Yes. The Board of Directors of the CID must agree.

The District must be able to meet financial obligations
without the revenues from the property.

A public hearing is held in accordance with Section
67.1431 and the governing body must pass an ordinance.

Can property be added to the
CID? (Section
67.1441)
Yes. The Board of Directors of the CID must agree.

A public hearing must be held in accordance with Section
67.1431.
The governing body must pass an ordinance.

What is the composition of the
CID Board? (Section 67.1451)
If the CID is a political subdivision, the following applies.
If the CID is a not-for-profit, then the by-laws of the not-
for-profit supersede.

Board must have no less than 5 members but no more than
30.

Eighteen years of age and either:

(1) An owner of real property or of a business operating in
the district; or

(2) Registered voter residing in the district.
Board members can be elected or appointed.
What is the election procedure?
(Section 67.1451)
The municipal clerk establishes an election date.
A $5.00 filing fee is paid.
Director or directors are elected at large. Staggered terms
are provided in Section 67.1451.
How are appointments made?
(Section 67.1451)
The chief elected officer of the municipality will make all
appointments subject to the approval of the governing
body.
Can the director be removed?
(Section 67.1451)

Yes, subject to a 2/3 affirmative vote of the board.

What are the powers of the
CID? (Section 67.1461)
Powers of the CID are derived from the governing body of
the municipality and include but are not limited to:

Adopt & amend bylaws
Sue and be sued
Enter into contracts
Accept grants/donations
Employ or contract for services
Acquire land and personal property
Sell real and personal property
Levy and collect special assessments and
taxes, including sales tax (if a political subdivision)
Collect fees, rent
Borrow money
Loan money
Spend money, create reserve funds
Enter into agreements with the municipality
Public improvements
Prohibit or restrict traffic
Marketing
Maintenance
Security
What about taxation? (Section
67.1461 & Section 67.1501)
Taxes and levies cannot be assessed on property which is
tax exempt. A district which is not a political subdivision
cannot levy any tax- only special assessments.
Are special powers granted to
blighted areas? (Section
67.1461)

Yes. CIDs with blighted areas can also contract with private
property owners to: demolish, remove, renovate and
reconstruct any building or structure.

Loan revenues for the aforementioned items.
What is the relationship
between the CID and the
governing body? (Sections
67.1461 & 67.1471)
Each CID must annually reimburse the municipality for the
reasonable and actual expenses incurred by the municipality
to establish the district and review budgets. Cannot exceed 1
and 1/2 % of the revenues collected.

Governing body cannot decrease the level of public funding
to the district.

What is the budgeting
process? (Section 67.1471)
Fiscal year of the CID is the same as the municipality.

An annual budget for the CID must be submitted to the
municipality for review and comment.
The CID must hold an annual meeting to adopt the budget.
An annual report must be submitted to the State
Department of Economic Development.
How long does the CID
last? (Section 67.1481)
The ordinance establishing the district must set forth the term
for the existence of the district.
How is a CID terminated?
(Section 67.1481)
A petition is filed

A public hearing is held
An ordinance is adopted terminating the district and forwarded
to the State Department of Economic Development.
What happens to the assets
of the CID? (Section
67.1481)
A plan for dissolution is set forth in the ordinance.
Does the CID have
authority to issue
obligations? (Section
67.1491)
Yes. Obligations are secured by the property, interest in
property, mortgages, or other security interest granted.
How is revenue raised in
the CID? (Section 67.1501)
Assessments, taxes or other funding methods can be used.
How are assessments
levied? (Section 16.1521)
A petition must be submitted prior to
establishing any assessments by:

Signatures of owners of real property collectively owning
more than 50% by assessed value of real property within the
district; and

More than fifty percent per capita of the owners of all real
property within the boundaries of the district.
Specify the purpose, method of allocation,
not to exceed amount, expiration date.
How are special
assessments collected?
(Section 67.1521)
Each special assessment that is not paid is considered as a lien
against each tract, lot or parcel.
How are special
assessments managed?
(Section 67.1521)
Separate funds or accounts are created by the district for each
assessment levied. Upon completion of each fund or account
established, the amount remaining shall be returned or
credited.
Funds which are not needed for current expenditures can be
invested.
How are taxes imposed?
(Sections 67.1531, 67.1545,
& 67.1551)
A tax requires voter approval. The vote requires a majority
approval by qualified voters.
Who collects the tax and
assessment? (Section
67.1541)
The county collector of each county collects the real property
taxes and special assessments.

APPENDIX
Guide to Conducting Business Market Analysis
The University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension has a comprehensive guide to conducting a
business market analysis and how to use the research after it is gathered. This is a helpful
resource to guide and supplement business members partnerships with technical assistance
organizations. There is too much information to include here, the following is a description of
the materials found on the website and an excerpt from the Business Recruitment
Recommendations section.
For much more information, visit:
http://www.uwex.edu/CES/cced/downtowns/dma/index.cfm
University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension Downtown and Business District Market
Analysis: Using Market Data and Geographic Information Systems to Identify Economic Opportunities in
Small Cities
Part I: Understanding Market Conditions
1. Creating a Building and Business Inventory
2. Surveying Business Operators
3. Analyzing Your Business Mix
4. Analyzing Your Trade Area
5. Analyzing Local Economics
6. Analyzing Customer Demographics and Lifestyles
7. Focus Groups
8. Conducting Consumer Surveys
Part II: Identifying Market Opportunities by Sector
9. Evaluating Retail Opportunities
10. Evaluating Service Business Opportunities
11. Evaluating Restaurant Opportunities
12. Evaluating Theater Opportunities
13. Evaluating Residential Opportunities
14. Evaluating Office Market Opportunities
15. Evaluating Lodging Opportunities
Part III: Drawing Conclusions and Developing Recommendations
16. Business Retention and Expansion
17. Niche Recommendations
18. Space Utilization
19. Marketing Plan
20. Business Recruitment Recommendations
Business Recruitment Recommendations -- http://www.uwex.edu/CES/cced/downtowns/dma/20.cfm
Communities can influence business investment decisions by drawing attention to local market characteristics that might
otherwise be overlooked. A business recruitment team can assist by identifying high potential retail sectors, compiling
information of interest to retail prospects, and marketing to those prospects. The key is to demonstrate that the community is a
profitable place to do business.
The following recruitment strategies pertain to downtown and business districts. These strategies were drawn from four
valuable resources on the topic:
Fill-in-the-Blank Business Recruitment published by the National Main Street Center of the National Trust for Historic
Preservation;
Successful Retail Recruitment Strategies published by the consulting firm of HyettPalma, Inc;
Making Downtowns & Village Centers More Attractive For Development, a conference report prepared by the Vermont Forum
on Sprawl, 1998; and
Wisconsin Main Street Program business recruitment workshop notes.

Getting Started
Before beginning a business recruitment effort, it is important to understand its objectives. For most districts, the program
should help:
Encourage entrepreneurship;
Maintain and develop the district as a mixed-use, multi-purpose center; and
Strengthen the businesses and the business mix to enable the district to compete successfully in the market.

Establish Your Business Recruitment Team
To begin the recruitment process, a proactive business recruitment team needs to be assembled.

Market Position Statement
For a recruitment program to be successful, the team must be ready to articulate a clear market position statement for the
district. A market position statement should characterize the type of retail mix, the shopping environment, and the target
customer market. The statement distinguishes your district from surrounding shopping districts. Often, a communitys market
position statement will serve as background for identifying the types of businesses that could be recruited.

Make the Environment Appealing
To attract retailers, a community must first make its business district visibly active, attractive, convenient and safe. This is often
more difficult for non-shopping center locations including downtowns as they typically do not operate under a central
management. Before the recruitment process begins, work with existing business operators and city officials to ensure:
An aesthetically pleasing commercial environment;
A safe and secure commercial center;
Adequate and conveniently located parking and transportation services; and
High business operational standards and service which project a quality, unified and consistent image for the district....

Assembling Recruitment and Marketing Materials
Attractive recruitment and marketing materials should be developed to convey the market potential of the business district.
Business recruitment materials must help convince a business operator that your district is unique and that it offers a
competitive edge over other locations.

General Marketing Materials
Market analysis data already collected earlier in your study will help potential business operators evaluate the potential for their
venture. When developing marketing materials, provide only relevant information to avoid information overload. Consider the
following in your package:
Letter of introduction including compelling reasons
why the district makes economic sense for them;
General information and photos of the community
highlighting its assets;
Market position and vision statements;
Wish list of new businesses supported by market
demand and supply data;
New developments demonstrating investment
downtown;
Information on past openings and closings of
businesses;
Trade area geographic definition and demographic
and lifestyle data;
Trade area economic data including actual and
potential sales data if available;
Nonresident consumer data (including daytime
population and tourism visitation);
Descriptions of target market segments served;
Major employers and institutions;
Vehicle and pedestrian traffic volume;
Mix of existing retail, service, dining, housing, office
and lodging in the district;
Press coverage and testimonials highlighting success
stories;
Promotional calendar; and
Summary of incentives and other business assistance
available in the business district.

Using the Market Analysis: Summarize applicable data and recommendations from your market analysis as assembled using prior sections
of this guidebook.

Generating Leads
The teams next responsibility is to find appropriate businesses that might be interested in a site in your market area or need
new space to expand. Leads can be broken down into four general categories:
1. Existing Businesses within or near the business district Often the best leads are found near home. Leads might include existing
businesses seeking more space or a better location in the business district. The districts business owners survey as well as ongoing
conversations and personal contacts of the recruitment team, chamber of commerce and other economic development professionals
can help identify these leads.
2. Emerging Entrepreneurs - Downtowns and business districts are often attractive to independent businesses
3. Existing Local or Regional Businesses - Local or regional businesses, particularly those that have branch stores between miles away
and are ready to expand, are often excellent prospects
4. National Chains If local or regional businesses are not interested in expanding, larger national chains can be contacted. It is
important to be realistic about the kinds of chains that might be interested in a small community as their market

Courting Prospects
The recruitment team must now focus on a personalized sales effort that conveys a message that the district is a good location
for expansion or new business development. Efforts to personally communicate and then follow up with potential businesses is
essential to the success of a recruitment effort. Presented below is a sequence of steps to reach potential business owners or
developers.
Send Letter of Introduction
Initial contacts with a prospect can be made through a personalized letter. In the letter, explain why your district would be an
excellent place to do business.
Make Recruitment Calls and Personally Visit their Business
After the letter of introduction, a call should be made to the business to set up an appointment for a personal visit by someone
on the recruitment team. The purpose of the appointment is to explain why your community is interested in their business.
Explain why their business would be profitable and what incentives might be available. Provide recruitment and marketing
materials and any other information to demonstrate the pro-business character of business district. Offer an invitation to the
business operator to visit your community.
APPENDIX
Buy Local Campaign Technical Assistance
The American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA), based in Montana, offers technical
assistance on several issues including a workshop on running a Buy Local campaign. They are
associated with a local chapter called Build St. Louis, which is a network of local businesses
that also offers workshops civic, religious, and social groups. Build St. Louis can be found at:
http://www.buildstlouis.org/. Contact Michael Levinson at info@buildstlouis.org or (314)-
808-8032.
The following is an outline of the workshop offered by AMIBA.

APPENDIX
Organizational Support
Below is a description of the technical assistance that the Regional Housing and Community
Development Alliance provides to not-for-profits across the region.
http://www.rhcda.com/Capacity.html

CDC Capacity Building & Collaborative Grant Programs

With the support of St. Louis area banks and foundations, and local and
federal government agencies, RHCDA provides capacity building
technical assistance to St. Louis area community development
corporations (CDC's). Our capacity building programs help CDC's
successfully undertake the revitalization of neighborhoods. Our
Collaborative Grant Program (the "Collaborative") provides enhanced
capacity building technical assistance coupled with operating support
grants to a targeted group of high-performing CDC's.
RHCDA's capacity building includes individualized technical assistance as well as group training
classes for area CDC's. Our individualized technical assistance focuses on 6 categories of
organizational capacity development:
1. Leadership and community engagement
2. Small business modeled operations
3. Organizational financial management
4. Organizational development
5. Planning, Implementation and Evaluation
6. Community Support

We undertake in-depth organizational assessments of all program participants using an
assessment tool we developed; we design capacity building plans for participants based on
these assessments; and we undertake annual re-assessments of participants to determine
measurable increases in each of the six categories of organizational capacity.
Our group training classes cover a broad range of organizational development and
neighborhood revitalization topics, and are taught by in-house RHCDA staff and outside experts
in a variety of specialty areas. In addition, RHCDA is able to provide digital mapping and
database management services to assist CDC's in planning their development activities and
tracking important neighborhood information.
The "Collaborative" focuses on providing financial resources coupled with technical assistance
to build the capacity and sustainability of the best CDC's in the area. Participation in the
program is by invitation only. Since 1998, the program has made over $2.3 million in operating
support grants to 15 local organizations. In turn, these organizations have successfully
developed over 1,200 housing units, representing $182 million of new capital investments in St.
Louis area neighborhoods.
For more information, please contact: Rick Bonasch, Director of Technical Assistance, 314-333-
7007 or rick@rhcda.com
APPENDIX
Organizational Support
The following is a description of the Taylor Community Consulting Program at the Olin
School of Business at Washington University. As mentioned in the recommendations and
implementation, this program links students with not-for-profits to address issues of
market research, brand audit, financial assessment, operational assessment or strategic
planning. This is a semester-long program. For more information visit:
http://www.olin.wustl.edu/cel/community/consulting.cfm.

Experiential Learning http://www.olin.wustl.edu/cel/community/consulting.cfm
1 of 1 5/5/2008 11:29 AM
OLIN BUSINESS SCHOOL Prospective Students Executive Education Academic Resources Career Alumni About Olin
Faculty
Experiential
Learning
Research Centers Library Entrepreneurship
Faculty
Research
Experiential Learning
> Corporate
> Community
> Taylor Community
Consulting
Program
Information for
Students
Information for
Community
Past Participants
> International

Taylor Community Consulting Program
The Taylor Community Consulting Program (TCCP) was endowed by the employees of Enterprise
Rent-A-Car in honor of company founder Jack Taylor, his son, Andy, and daughter, Jo Ann Taylor Kindle.
Enterprise and its employees have a long-standing tradition of helping local communities, children in need,
and a wide variety of charitable organizations, causes and events. TCCP was founded at Olin in 1992 to
serve the St. Louis community by helping these organizations operate more effectively.
Olin students form teams of two to four members and put their professional expertise to practical use serving
as temporary consultants for not-for-profits. Projects of past participants have included marketing research
and advertising materials, feasibility studies for expansion, infusing technology into billing and reporting
activities, and strategic plans for the long-term success of organizations. Students have had the opportunity
to demonstrate a wide variety of personal and professional skills while organizations have correspondingly
received assistance "Taylored" to meet their needs.
Olin alumni and current consultants at Deloitte complete the assistance process by supporting students and
challenging them to maximize their own learning process and the effectiveness of their recommendations to
the not-for-profit organizations. These volunteer consultants generously donate their time and provide an
extra resource for the program.
In the spring, students who participate in the Program are invited to a luncheon graciously provided by
Enterprise Rent-a-Car at the company's headquarters, attended by members of the Taylor family and other
company executives. This gives the students an opportunity to learn the importance of the program to the
Taylors and to Enterprise employees, and gives the Enterprise representatives the opportunity to learn about
the projects which have benefited from their generosity.
Experiential Learning http://www.olin.wustl.edu/cel/community/Taylorinfo-community.cfm
1 of 1 5/5/2008 11:22 AM
Spring Fall
Nonprofit organization project application deadline Early February Early September
Project descriptions released / Students apply Mid February Mid September
Student application deadline Late February Late September
Projects awarded Early March Early October
Project work begins Mid March Mid October
Final presentations delivered to organizations Early May Early December
OLIN BUSINESS SCHOOL Prospective Students Executive Education Academic Resources Career Alumni About Olin
Faculty
Experiential
Learning
Research Centers Library Entrepreneurship
Faculty
Research
Experiential Learning
> Corporate
> Community
> Taylor Community
Consulting Program
Information for
Students
Information for
Community
Past Participants
> International

Taylor Community Consulting Program
Information for Community
The Taylor Community Consulting Program (TCCP) provides nonprofit organizations with expert consulting
from Olin students. Participating nonprofit organizations benefit from this six-week, pro-bono consulting
program in which student consulting teams address business issues in the area of market research, brand
audit, financial assessment, operational assessment, and strategic planning. The Program concludes when
the teams deliver final presentations highlighting their achievements and recommendations before
representatives from the nonprofit organization, Olin faculty, and executives from Enterprise Rent-A-Car.
Apply for a Taylor Consulting Team
Interested nonprofit organizations should complete an online application including a background of the
organization, the project type, and suggested deliverables. See the Program Timeline below or visit the CEL
Calendar for specific dates each semester. There is no limit to the amount of times an organization can
participate in the Program. The CEL welcomes inquiries regarding the Program.
Taylor Program Details
Organizations are invited to an information session to give overviews of their project and answer any
student questions before students review and select their projects of interest.
Organizations are notified whether or not their project received a student team.
If a nonprofit organization is unable to staff a student team, the project can be deferred to the next
semester.
Once a team is in place, the organization should appoint a director or manager as the team's contact.
The contact should take charge of the TCCP process and maintain weekly contact with the team over
the course of the six-week project.
The project will be appropriately sized for the six-week time frame. No new duties or requirements
should be added in the middle of the project.
Students should have access to accounting and other information as needed to produce a complete
analysis.
Students will contribute a total of 75 hours of work toward this course which includes time spent in
mentoring sessions, preparing for the project, and actively consulting.
At the conclusion of the Program, the students will present the results of their project work to
representatives from the organization, Olin, and Enterprise Rent-a-Car. It is required that the team's
contact from the organization attend to provide feedback on the success of the project.
Program Timeline
APPENDIX
Other Information

The following information is an excerpt from an article entitled Ten Principles for Rebuilding
Neighborhood Retail. The article is taken from the Urban Land Institutes website
www.uli.org. The link to the PDF document is available at
http://www.uli.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&CONTENTID=56787&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm.
These principles are designed to give the community stakeholder a snapshot of what it takes to
rebuild neighborhood retail.

Ten Principles for Rebuilding
Neighborhood Retail
1. Great Streets Need Great Champions
2. It Takes a Vision
3. Think Residential
4. Honor the Pedestrian
5. Parking Is Power
6. Merchandise and Lease Proactively
7. Make It Happen
8. Be Clean, Safe, and Friendly
9. Extend Day into Night
10. Manage for Change

1. Great Streets Need Great Champions

Every revitalization project needs a championsomeone to initiate the process, fight to
ensure it is done right, and follow through to completion. This is particularly true for
rebuilding neighborhood retailing because of the length and complexity of the undertaking.
In most situations, the champion will be a person (or a group of people) who is a
committed, responsible stakeholder who recognizes the problem, has dreams of something
better, and has the passion to overcome obstacles to achieve results. Without a champion,
retail revitalization efforts will most likely get lost among competing needs in a community
when it comes time to fight for attention and limited resources.
In some quarters, neighborhood revitalization efforts are seen as inherently public
responsibilities that should be led exclusively by public representatives, because the
private sector is often seen as unwilling, uninterested, or unable to do the job itself. Others
believe that if a market exists, the private sector will find it and, without government help,
lead the way through its own entrepreneurial efforts. ULI believes that, in most cases,
neither extreme is an effective approach.
Long-term success will come only when public/private partnerships are created that marry
the publics planning, coordination, infrastructure, and public financing tools with the
private sectors entrepreneurial savvy, development expertise, retailing know-how, and
private capital. When new retail markets are just being formed, neither sector can achieve
its goals without aggressive assistance from the other. It doesnt matter whether the
champion is from the public or private sector, but he or she must make sure that all the
other stakeholders are included in the redevelopment effort.
The champion can be a group or an individual. Possible group champions include a
business improvement district (BID), corporation or partnership of businesses, community
development group, financial institution, or neighborhood anchor such as a hospital or
university.
An individual champion can be a resident, a business or community group leader, an
elected official such as a mayor or councilperson, a property owner, a retailer, or a city staff
person.
The champion should pull together a core group of involved stakeholders to form a
public/private partnership entity to guide the rebuilding effort.
The stakeholders are the people and groups who will be directly affected by the
redevelopment and the decisions made by the public/private partnership. Ideally, they will
transcend political turnover because the redevelopment effort will last through several
election cycles. Politicians may be involved, of course, but they should be willing to remain
involved if they lose future elections or choose not to run. Staying power is essential to
long-term success.
The champion should lead efforts to develop a process or mechanism to resolve conflicts
among the stakeholders and reach consensus. Conflict is healthy, and the champion is
ideally positioned to help resolve conflicts and make sure that potential problems and
issues are debated and not avoided.

2. It Takes A Vision

Retailing has changed forever. Big-box stores and category killers; fortress malls; outlet,
lifestyle, and power centers; catalogs; and the Internet are where todays consumers shop.
The competition is fierce, and consumers want it all: low prices, endless variety, the latest
designs, parking at the door, and an environment so entertaining that they go there even
when they dont need to shop! How can neighborhood streets hope to compete? By
providing goods and services tailored to the specific needs of each neighborhood in an
environment that is convenient, service-oriented, pedestrian-scaled, and connected to the
urban lifestyles of the neighborhoods residents. The successful rebuilding of a
neighborhood shopping street will be incremental, so it must be based on a shared vision
that provides a strategic framework for imagining, analyzing, judging, and implementing
each step along the way. The champion of a rebuilding effort is the one best positioned to
pull together the diverse partnership of stakeholders to create the long-term vision for the
street. Although the champion should make sure that no interests are left behind, the
communitys vision must be rooted in market realities. Too often, communities have
followed the loudest voices and pursued plans that cannot be sustained economically,
which inevitably leads to disappointment and failure. Recognize that there is often a great
difference between what one group of stakeholders may want and what the market will
support.
Reaching a shared vision requires facing the tough questions upfront, making sure
everyone understands the realities of the situation, and setting short-, medium-, and long-
range goals that are realistically attainable. There is no cookie-cutter solution that will be
effective long term, and pie-in-the-sky doesnt qualify as vision, so it is essential to
understand the reality of the street and what is possible before asking what it can become.
There is a general rule: Strive to be what you really can be. Most urban streets cannot
successfully become like a suburban mall, and its doubtful that this would be a good idea
even if it were possible. Each retail street needs to be individually crafted to reflect the
community, people, lifestyle, and aspirations of its neighborhood because one-size visions
do not fit all.
The first task of the public/private partnership is to make sure that the vision is shared.
Property owners, residents, and nontraditional neighborhood anchors, such as churches,
colleges, and hospitals, must buy in because they have the most at stake. These players
have a strong vested interest in the neighborhood environment because their success
depends in part on desirability of their surroundings. Large employers should be actively
recruited because they have important resources that can be brought to bear.
Do not allow the rebuilding process to be hijacked by any one group or individualeven
the residents. It is only natural that stakeholders have agendas; bringing these agendas into
the open and aligning them are critical.
Create momentum for the vision by assigning specific roles to each stakeholder and
getting them to buy in to the plan. Getting stakeholders monetarily involved in the process
may help to ensure their continued involvement and support.
Identify negative influences that are hindering the redevelopment effort and neutralize or
eliminate them as soon as possible; they could be a person, a building, or a neighborhood
condition.
Create an identity for the street that is inventive and reflects the neighborhood. Some
neighborhood streets are already place-specific and have identities that can be reinforced
or enhanced. In other cases, the identity is either nonexistent or negativein which case,
changing the perceived identity (or overcoming the nonidentity) will be one of the biggest
challenges.
Adapt the retail environment to serve and enhance the surrounding neighborhood.
Serving a broader trade area may be important, but will usually be a secondary goal.
Recognize that nearby competition not only will dramatically affect the market for your
street, but will also affect the vision you have for its future.
Hire a leasing professional from day one to coordinate management and recruitment of
retail tenants. Recognize that retailers will vote on the soundness of the redevelopments
vision by deciding whether to rent or not.

3. Think Residential

Successful retail depends on successful residential neighborhoods. Retailing cannot survive
in an environment of deteriorating neighborhood housing, declining population and
homeownership rates, disinvestment, crime, and neglect. Most important, successful retail
needs a growing number of high-quality residents because this is what retailers look for.
High-quality residents are found in high-, medium-, and low-income brackets so,
individually and as a group, residents need to take ownership of their streets and start
changing the negatives in their neighborhoods so the environment is right to attract
retailers. Great streets are always surrounded by dense residential development. Where
residential growth and revitalization is occurring, retail is primed to follow; it simply will
not occur the other way around. Retailers will not be attracted to a neighborhood street,
regardless of how much public money they get, unless they see the cash registers ringing,
and this depends on the strength of the surrounding residential market. Streets evolve over
time, and the quality and amount of the residential development will dictate what type of
retail tenant will be interested in leasing space. The typical pattern is for home-grown,
startup businesses and creative enterprises looking for low-cost locations to move in first,
followed by mass-market national stores and, if the neighborhood is very successful, by
specialized higher-end retailers. The community should not expect the best stores to move
in immediately, but to the extent that higher-quality residential development occurs,
retailing will continue to improve.
Increase homeownership (including condominium ownership) to stabilize the
neighborhood and create more stakeholders and customers.
Residential development creates a customer base for neighborhood-serving retail,
especially grocery store and pharmacy anchors. It is important for such storeswhich
commonly are national chains and require the most parkingto conform to the urban
character of the community. Encourage mixed-use developments. A mix of housing and
offices supports retail by creating more customers, supporting longer business hours, and
bringing in rents up to 20 percent higher than would be likely in the same place without
the mix of housing and office space. Office components provide daytime retail and
restaurant demand, while residents add customers in the evening.
It isnt necessary to attract national retailers to be a success. Successful streets often have
a mix of locally owned and operated vendors, especially specialty food stores (selling baked
goods, ethnic foods, coffee, and wine), ethnic restaurants, pharmacies, art shops, antique
stores, hardware stores, and service providers (laundry, video rental, garden). If you sit
around waiting for Pottery Barn, nothing else is going to happen.
Recognize that although neighborhood residential development provides a strong shot in
the arm for retailing, it does not provide the only source of demand.
Encourage mixed-income housing. A big challenge of retail is the recruitment of retail
workers, and they need a convenient place to live. A stock of potential workers living close
by enhances the attractiveness of the site for retailers.
Ground floor space does not need to be all retail. If the neighborhood street is too long for
shopping the entire length, retailing should be concentrated in designated blocks. Shoppers
typically will walk for only three or four city blocks. Residential or office uses should
predominate beyond a core walking area.
Dont underestimate the value of anchors on the street. They help the smaller,
independent tenants succeed by drawing customers to the area.

4. Honor the Pedestrian

The era when anything developed in an urban neighborhood was considered to be better
than nothing is over. Desperation has driven many communities to accept developments
that are inappropriate for an urban street and antithetical to an enjoyable pedestrian
experience. Suburban- style, pedestrian-deficient retailing with blank walls facing the
sidewalk, parking lots that disrupt retail continuity, throw-away architectural quality,
inappropriate building design and scale, and lack of pedestrian amenities are some of the
most egregious mistakes that made many urban streets mean and decidedly unfriendly to
shoppers. Neighborhood retailing that is rebuilt in these ways has proved unsustainable,
failed to generate ongoing improvements in retail quality or spin-off activity, and fallen
short of attracting the level of customer loyalty from the neighborhood or beyond that is
necessary for long-term growth. When pedestrians are not honored with a pleasant and
enjoyable shopping experience, they usually choose competing locations that do a better
job of creating such an environment. The first goal for a neighborhood shopping street
should be to satisfy the aspirations and enhance the lifestyles of a neighborhoods
residents. Neighborhood retail should not be structured in a way that encourages
commuters to move quickly through the neighborhood to reach other neighborhoods. Too
often, neighborhood streets have evolved in ways that make it easier and more enjoyable
for shoppers and commuters to travel to other neighborhoods than to stay and
conveniently shop nearby.
Dont let traffic engineers rule the streets. Accommodating traffic is only one of many
goals for successful shopping streets. Retail streets must balance the needs of the
pedestrian and the needs of the automobile. Traffic must be calmed, and pedestrian
amenities must be added for successful shopping streets to be rebuilt.
Street width is an important determinant of retail success. In neighborhood locations,
wide streets form a great barrier to success since they make it difficult to establish either
an intimate neighborhood feel or a community connection.
Successful single-loaded retail streets are rare, so to improve chances for success, narrow
the street or introduce a landscaped median that will tie the two sides of the street together
into one retail experience and make it easier for customers to shop both sides of the street.
Recognize that street patterns also affect the pedestrian experience. In most cases, one-
way streets should be converted to two-way streets to eliminate the raceway effect of one-
way arterials and give the streets more of a neighborhood character.
Convenient parking must be designed to enhance the pedestrian experience and not
detract from it. Traffic can be slowed by providing on-street parking this type of
configuration protects shoppers from speeding traffic, allows shoppers to park in front of
the store, and creates a stronger connection to the street.
Encourage multiple entrances to shops so they are accessible from the front sidewalk as
well as from off-street parking areas.
Pedestrian amenities should be added first along the blocks with the greatest
concentration of retailing or those with the greatest potential. In some cases, neighborhood
shopping streets are too long and some blocks may no longer be suited for retail. In such
cases, clearly designate the blocks that are targeted for retailing and concentrate
pedestrian amenities there first.
Sidewalks should be wide enough to accommodate outdoor dining while providing
enough room to allow an unimpeded pedestrian flow; tables should be permitted at the
curb line to allow window shoppers to stroll next to the shop windows. Rebuilding
sidewalks with brick or patterned concrete also can have a positive effect.
Greening the street is necessary to make it more comfortable for pedestrians.
Improvements should include tree canopies that provide shade from day one, green spaces
where shoppers can linger and relax, and flowers and shrubs that enliven store fronts, tree
boxes, light standards, and parking lots.
Landscaping, street furniture, and other pedestrian amenities should be sensitively
designed so as not to block retail sight lines for motorists or shoppers.
High visibility for potential customers who are driving or walking by the stores is as
important for retail success as easy accessibility and parking.
Lighting should be bright enough to ensure security in the evening, but sodium vapor
often referred to as slum lightingshould be avoided in favor
of white lighting, which renders more realistic colors, less sinister appearances, and a more
inviting, comfortable, and reassuring feeling for shoppers.
Set design standards and work with retailers regarding facade improvements,
appropriate historic preservation measures, store signage, awnings, window displays, and
advertising. These details indelibly frame the pedestrian experience.

5. Parking

Easy accessibility, high visibility, a sense of personal security, and adequate, convenient
parking are all preconditions for successful retailing, and without them retail likely will fail,
regardless of the sophistication of the shopping environment or the quality of the tenants.
Parking is arguably the most important of these requirements because todays consumers,
conditioned by their suburban shopping center experiences, expect nothing less than a
guaranteed space close to their shopping destination every time they shop. Neighborhood
streets that replicate the convenience and abundance of suburban parkingalbeit in quite
different configurations will have solved one of the great dilemmas that urban shopping
locations face. These are the challenges: How can communities squeeze enough convenient
parking into a pedestrian environment where it is not desirable to have large parking lots
facing the street in front of the stores? How can communities configure parking in ways
that are clearly organized so that shoppers can find spaces in multiple locations from block
to block?
Size the streets parking requirements realistically. Recognize that parking needs will
usually be less along neighborhood shopping streets than in suburban shopping centers
because some urban shoppers will arrive on foot or by transit, shuttle, or bicycle.
Recognize that parking needs often change over time. If a neighborhood gets improved
transit service, parking needs may decline. Conversely, the introduction of additional
anchors, changes in tenant types, or a denser concentration of retailers as the streets
popularity grows can increase the number of parking spaces needed.
Provide spaces in a clear, evenly distributed supply of parking that includes on-street and
off-street options. Encourage store employees to park away from store entrances.
On-street parking is critical for some retailers success because it is the most convenient
type of parking and creates the steady turnover of shoppers needed by stop-and-go
retailers like coffee shops, dry cleaners, and specialty food stores.
Metered parkingwhether on- or off-streetshould be designed to encourage people to
use it. The time limits should be fairly enforced so that the needed turnover actually occurs,
but dont go overboard. Customers will shop elsewhere if they are turned off by
unreasonable and inflexible adherence to the rules.
Off-street parking needs to be highly visible from the street, but it should not dominate
the landscape, break up the retail district into disjointed parts, or be located farther than
one block from storefronts.
Parking should be user-friendly, starting with clear signage directing customers to
individual lots and lighting that is configured to ensure their personal safety and provide a
sophisticated ambiance that makes them feel comfortable at night.
Innovative parking designssuch as parking behind, above, or below the storesshould
be considered in dense, high-value urban locations. If these configurations are used,
parking must be seen as nonthreatening, as visible as possible, and easily accessible, or
motorists will avoid it.
Shared parking should be planned to accommodate the parking needs of different groups
of shoppers as they appear at different times of day. This will eliminate unnecessary spaces
that otherwise would sit unused during periods of inactivity.
Transit (retailer-sponsored shuttles, bus, light rail, and subway) should be actively
promoted by developers, retailers, and employers because it reduces parking needs,
extends the streets trade area, and brings a greater diversity of demand.
Dont forget about bicycle parking. Bicycles are a growing part of the urban lifestyle and
parking for them is cheap to build. The need for bicycle parking is especially important in
college communities and in neighborhoods with young, highly educated, and sophisticated
residents.

6. Merchandise and Lease Proactively

Retailers are the soul of the neighborhood commercial street, so getting the right tenant
mix and quality will give the street its unique character as well as the diversity of product
offerings it needs to compete successfully with more established retail destinations. To
achieve this mix, a neighborhood commercial
street must be managed and operated like a shopping centerbut recognize that having
multiple landowners and operating in the public realm enormously complicate these tasks.
Finding tenants that meet all of these criteria is tough, especially in the early years of
rebuilding when a critical mass of retailers is often absent and the environmental and
social conditions along the street may not yet be optimal to achieve high sales levels.
Complicating this task is the fact that the city cannot rely individually on landlords along
neighborhood shopping streets to recruit appropriate high-quality tenants, since they are
inclinedunderstandablyto lease their spaces to whomever is willing to pay the rent. Its
not easy for a landlord to turn down a tenant because it does not fit within a streets overall
leasing plan or add to its optimal tenant mix. Retailers also do not like to take risks, but if
you have a coordinated merchandising plan and strive for a good tenant mix, the risk to
retailers will be reduced. To achieve higher sales, rents, and land values, landlords along
the street need to band together and work proactively with the public sector to
merchandise and lease their street in a coordinated and mutually supportive way.
Establish a quasi-public retail leasing and management agency to plan and coordinate the
streets leasing strategy, actively recruit tenants, and direct them to appropriate landlords
and property owners so that leasing deals can be made privately. Recognize that the tighter
the leasing control this agency has, the more quickly the street will evolve into a thriving
retail destination.
As the first priority, hire a leasing and management professional to set up the leasing
agency and direct its activities. This needs to be someone who can dynamically sell your
street and neighborhood, and has a sophisticated understanding not only of retail leasing
but also of shopping center management and public/private partnerships. The leasing
professional should be part of the streets planning and design team, so she/he not only
understands the long-term vision of the project but also helps to shape it.
Develop a comprehensive leasing plan that is flexible and builds on the strengths and
competitive advantages that the street and neighborhood already have. Recognize that the
plan will need to be adjusted constantly to reflect changing market conditions.
Context matters. Tailor the leasing strategy to your community and its position in the
regional retail hierarchy. Understand the characteristics of your market and location, know
your customer and competition, and evaluate nearby retail streets and tenants to guide
tenant recruitment.
Recognize what your street is now and what it can become, and market the space
realistically with an eye to the future. Cookie-cutter stores are not attractions in and of
themselves, but they do lend legitimacy to the location in the eyes of other retailers, and
they have advertising clout that helps one-of-a-kind stores.
Lead the leasing effort with destination- and neighborhood-appropriate retailers. This
will lay the foundation for more intense commercial activity as the street matures.
Initiate the leasing program along one or two blocks that have the greatest potential.
Creating a successful retail nucleus to build around will give momentum to the project,
stimulate the interest of other retailers, and form a critical mass that becomes a
recognizable retail destination for neighborhood shoppers.
Besides coordinating the leasing program, the leasing and management professional
should provide technical assistance to existing and prospective retailers. Financial
assistance may also be desirable for facade improvement, building improvements to
achieve code compliance, new signage, and the like. She or he should also coordinate
maintaining the streetscape and making needed repairs if there is no business
improvement district in place.

7. Make it Happen

Neighborhood retailing will not spontaneously regenerate. Miracles happen in the movies,
but they rarely happen in real life. In many communities, market conditions that caused
neighborhood commercial streets to decline are still in place, and it takes an aggressive
commitment by the public sector in partnership with the private stakeholders to address
negative influences before sustainable retail revitalization will occur. Communities have
powerful financial and regulatory tools to attract desired private investment capital if used
judiciously. Some of these tools are carrots that create a positive investment climate,
improve infrastructure, or reward investors who further community goals. Others are
sticks, which may need to be used if carrots are not sufficiently convincing. Communities
should be willing to use both to convince landowners, developers, and retailers that the
revitalization efforts are in their interests. Willingness to exercise regulatory powers to
achieve the stakeholders vision and protect it from negative influences projects a sense of
momentum to the stakeholders and potential tenants and enhances the streets appeal as a
place to do business.
Research carefully what public regulatory and financial tools are available to achieve your
goals and what is required to qualify for them, then determine how you can use them as
catalysts to make things happen when and where you want them to happen. Direct public
resources to generate the maximum bang for the buck in terms of generating and
leveraging private investment money.
Develop a strong relationship with local financial institutions and nonprofit organizations,
and partner with them to achieve your goals. These organizations are likely to be more
willing than national institutions to lend money to developers of nontraditional urban real
estate projects and to neighborhood retailers. They are also likely to be more flexible in
terms of what you can do with the money.
Set up design guidelines and development standards to make sure that new developments
as well as facade and other improvements are compatible with the planned character of the
street. These standards can control not only aesthetics, but also such concerns as the types
of stores that are acceptable, store operating hours, building scale and materials, building
setbacks, and number of parking spaces required.
Business improvement districts are quite effective at enhancing both the business and
physical environment for retailing and for engaging business owners in the revitalization
process. Retailers, however, cannot fund BIDs alone; offices are needed to help pay for BID
operations. BIDs or special taxing or assessment districts should be set up in the more
established commercial streets where landowners and tenants can afford the incremental
tax increase. These types of districts should be viewed more as revitalization tools than
redevelopment tools.
Tax increment financing is best used in districts where major land holdings need to be
rebuilt and where infrastructure is substandard or lacking.
Demolition by neglect statutes should be added to zoning and land development codes
to deter landowners from letting their properties deteriorate to the point that they have to
be torn down. Dont be afraid to use eminent domain powers to take control of properties
that are abandoned or neglected. These properties are a cancer, and cannot be allowed to
spread blight throughout the neighborhood. However, before proceeding, have a full
understanding of applicable laws in your state, and give the property owner adequate
opportunity to correct the problem.
So-called friendly eminent domain can be useful with some property owners who may be
willing to sell a deteriorated property to rid themselves of a problem.
This can be an effective tool to assemble property required for a large-scale redevelopment
project.
Use targeted requests for proposals or requests for qualifications to solicit interest in
redeveloping key properties.

8. Be Clean, Safe, and Friendly

If a neighborhood shopping street is clean, safe, and friendly, customers will be drawn to
their favorite shops even though the street as a whole may still be in transition from failure
to success. If even one of these characteristics is absent, some neighborhood residents will
continue to shop elsewhere, and few commuters are likely to stop as they drive through.
Achieving an acceptable comfort level for neighborhood shoppers, however, wont happen
without a coordinated, holistic approach to addressing the streets underlying problems
and deficiencies. To solve these problems, an ongoing management entity for the street
should be created to perform many of the tasks that a shopping center manager performs.
This organization will need to manage the street in perpetuity, operate it like a shopping
center, protect its competitive position against more established retail locations, and
ensure that it does not slip back into its old dysfunctional ways. A BID is an effective vehicle
to act as the management entity because it has the support of the property owners and has
a dedicated income stream to support its activities. If a BID is not available to fill the
management role, it may fall to a group of business leaders, retailers, or city government
representatives.
Think of the street holistically. Work with the city to stringently enforce building health
and safety codes to maintain the streets quality, appearance, and safety. But make sure the
codes are flexible and suitable for older/historic buildings, and dont stymie
undercapitalized but legitimate improvement efforts.
Be the advocate for the neighborhood-lobby for scarce resources and ensure that
commitments are fulfilled.
Regularly check the pulse of property owners and retailers to keep on top of issues,
concerns, and problems before they spin out of control. Enact extra levies and assessments
on property owners who neglect their property. This will encourage them to adhere to the
neighborhoods standards.
Provide an extra layer of security along the street. Crime prevention and customer
security are keys to bringing the shoppers back, so security guards need to be visible but
benign, helpful, and unobtrusive.
Added police patrols also lend peace of mind for potential retailers and customers,
particularly if the area had a bad reputation before redevelopment. But public resources
are often stretched thin, and the police alone probably wont be able to solve the problem.
If homelessness and drug abuse are problems along the street, work closely with city
agencies and neighborhood nonprofit organizations to address them. Social services,
however, should not be clustered nearby.
Work with the city to make sure that street people dont overwhelm the streetalthough
when street people begin moving to the area, it is an indication of success!
Security devices such as roll-down metal doors and window grilles should be eliminated
or altered so they are see-through and provide visibility to the shop windows.
Plan holiday and other special events to give people an extra reason to visit and bond with
the shopping district.

9. Extend Day into Night

Longer hours equal stronger sales, and strong sales define a successful shopping street. Its
as simple as that! As revitalization accelerates and rents rise, retailers will be unable to
survive unless business hours can be extended to capture more business. The way to do
this is to identify, plan for, and tap multiple markets to keep the cash register jingling
throughout the day and after the sun goes down. The evening is the hardest time to keep
businesses open even though thats when people have time to shop, and it will take a
healthy dose of imagination and hard work to achieve the mix of stores, coordinated hours,
and sense of security to create an environment where people are comfortable going out
after dark. Different customers can be drawn to the street during different periods of the
day, but the revitalization team must implement a comprehensive strategy to make it
happen. Only in the strongest locations will vital retail streets evolve on their own. In the
best of these locations, commuters, residents, and nearby workers can be drawn to the
street in the morning for coffee or breakfast, to use neighborhood services, and to visit the
gym. At midday, office and retail workers will eat lunch, run errands, and leisure shop. In
the afternoon, residents and workers will go food shopping, stop at pubs and outdoor cafs,
and use neighborhood services. As the evening progresses, neighborhood residents and
visitors from other neighborhoods can be drawn out of the house to leisure shop, visit the
gym, have dinner, go to the movies and theaters, and take advantage of the nightlife. This is
the ideal that neighborhood commercial streets should strive for. To achieve it requires
that multiple sources of demand be brought to the street to broaden the support for
retailing.
Day and night, its the density and mix of uses that extends the shopping day and creates
an exciting urban feel to the street.
Day and night, its the proximity and continuity of diverse retailers that creates the
opportunities for cross-shopping that makes the street a compelling retail destination.
Office uses should be recruited because they are demand anchors for retailing along the
street, especially in the morning and at noontime, if they are integrated with other
activities along the street. If they are self-enclosed fortresses or if they disrupt the retail
continuity, they will detract from rather than add to the street.
Professional tenants such as doctors and lawyers are very desirable because they steadily
attract visitors, employ office staff, and serve neighborhood residentsall of whom are
potential shoppers.
Civic, cultural, and entertainment anchors attract a high number of visitors and create the
possibility for trip chaining and multiple purchases along the street. Nighttime uses such as
restaurants, theaters, and cinemas can help compensate for smaller daytime populations
such as office workers.
Civic uses should be encouraged because they can be attuned to the neighborhoods
demographics. A social security office, community center, youth activity center, or
department of motor vehicles branch office serves the neighborhood while adding a steady
stream of customers to the street.
Educational facilities, such as university satellite campuses, should also be encouraged
because they bring teachers, students, and educational workers to the neighborhood. A
bonus is that they fill off-peak parking spaces.

10. Manage for Change

Plan for the long term, but manage for constant change in the short term. Rebuilding a
neighborhood retail street is a long reinvestment process, and market realities will
undoubtedly continue to change throughout the ongoing life of the street. If the champion,
the city, or the property owners are not prepared to support this dynamic in perpetuity
with both their efforts and their moneythe revitalization project should not be
undertaken. One-shot projects will fail, following a formula will fail, operating on autopilot
will fail, and locking a street into an unchanging reality will fail as well. These truisms need
to be recognized up front. Rebuilding neighborhood retail should be planned
comprehensively as an integral piece of the larger community that surrounds it, and it
should be tailored to the realities of the area. Communities should focus their initial efforts
on carefully chosen development nodes to maximize the impact of their efforts, create
momentum, and foster faith in the project. As more resources become available, the focus
should expand to neighboring blocks and streets. Individual strategies will vary widely
because every street is differenteach has its own set of problems and opportunities, each
has a unique identity that can be capitalized on, and each will evolve over time as
entrepreneurship grows. What usually begins as a street with local retailers will likely
attract regional and national stores as its success builds and its market is reestablished.
And even after a critical mass of retailing is achieved, the street still must be constantly
managed and nurtured, like a shopping center, to meet fickle consumer demands.
Treat emerging retail districts as living, breathing entities. Build momentum by
continuously putting energy into them, and they will create energy on their own.
Like children, retail streets could grow and change without guidance, but we wouldnt like
the results. If you doubt this conclusion, simply visit most of our cities neighborhood
shopping streets.
Keep close tabs on the markets that you serve, and lease proactively to match the
changing demands of these markets.
Sometimes there is a need to prune the deadwood when leases run out. Even when a
retailer may be willing to renew its lease, it may no longer fit into the vision or image of the
area. In these cases, the space should be leased to a more suitable tenant. It is not unusual
for a shopping center to remove 5 to 10 percent of its tenants every year to remain at the
cutting edge of what its customers want. Neighborhood shopping streets need to be willing
to do the same.
Monitor emerging trends, problems, and conflicts closely so that they can be dealt with
quickly. An ongoing conflict resolution process should be established to resolve conflicts
among stakeholders.
An ongoing central point of reference and clearinghouse for information should be
operated to serve existing and potential customers, tenants, and investors.
Representatives of the business community and citizen leaders should develop and
nurture long-term relationships with public sector representatives who have
responsibilities for the district to get an appropriate share of attention and funding. Public
officials should likewise reach out to the business and citizen leaders. Strong two-way
working relationships will help to achieve both public and private goals over the long term.

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