[combusean]

The bitter taste in my mouth about CityScape is going away. One of the SPP coorganizers formulated some questions about CityScape which are answered by John Chan, Downtown Development Office director

Questions:

1. Will the entirety of block 77 (Patriots Square) be City-owned or will RED own the "fringes"?

The current plan anticipates that the City will retain ownership of block 77, we would convey development rights (through a lease) to the developer on portions of the block to build the required retail and residential. The park would continue to be owned by the city as directed by the City Council.

2. If any square footage is reclaimed from street right-of-ways (e.g. by narrowing Central Ave.) will the City own this property or will RED
Development?

There are no detailed plans at this time regarding narrowing of streets. These concepts require traffic studies etc. to evaluate the impacts to vehicular, transit and pedestrian flows.

3. What language/requirements will RED's DRA contain w/ respect to EO, or small, minority-/women-owned businesses? What percentage of RED's retail square footage will be devoted to EO enterprises?

Regarding EO requirements, the developer is required to abide by City ordinances as well as State and Federal laws. The percentage of retail space open to EO enterprises has not been established however, the City will incorporate a requirement setting minimum goals for the percentage of retail space available to local small businesses. For public improvements that will be reimbursed by the City, the developer is required to follow public procurement requirements and meet EO and MBE/WBE goals.

4. By when do you wish to wrap-up RED's development contract? When will it go to Council for approval? If it's still in process, would it be possible to include this type of an agreement for the retail for Block 77 and others?

The City Council as already authorized staff to negotiate and enter into the necessary agreements with the developer and we anticipate that the agreements will be finalized over the next couple of months. As outlined in the answer above, we will be incorporating EO goals in the agreements.

5. Is there someone else we should contact at the City re: this idea. I thought perhaps the City's Equal Opportunity Division. Or, the Hispanic & Black Chambers, and AZ Chain Reaction (Kimber Lanning)? I understand you may already be in touch with them on this.

Since our first discussions with RED, the City has reiterated the importance of developing a mix of local and national tenants. This was outlined in the Council adopted Downtown Strategic Vision and Blueprint. Mike Ebert understands and agrees that having a mix of local retailers contributes the uniqueness and attractiveness of the project and he has been meeting with groups such as Arizona Chain Reaction to achieve this goal.