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1. 1Call to Order - Roll Call▶ 0:00
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   Presentation by Wannemacher Jensen Architects, Inc. RE: Railroad Square

   discussed

   Hannah Ambrose of Wannemacher Jensen Architects presented Phase 1 plans for the Railroad Square redevelopment (Adams to Grand Boulevard), focusing on placemaking with pedestrian-oriented design, narrowing Nebraska Avenue to one-way, adding shade structures, market 'clamshell' incubators, planters/benches, a small play area, revitalized Cavalier Square, and underground electrical wiring. Council provided feedback and direction including consideration of public restrooms (potentially leasing space from Verizon or addressing in Phase 2), sound buffering at Cavalier Square, and general support for the design.

   • direction:Council provided general support and direction to proceed with Phase 1 design including pedestrian improvements, market incubators, shade structures, and a small play area. (none)

   📍Cavalier Square📍Main Street Bridge📍Railroad Square (Adams to Lincoln, spanning Nebraska Avenue)📍Sims Park🏢Frontier🏢Lisa's Pieces🏢Rose's Bistro🏢Verizon🏢Wannemacher Jensen Architects, Inc.👤Barry Doe👤Hannah Ambrose👤Manz👤Mike👤Robert Rivera#Chasco (referenced for portable restroom example)#Dulcet (former operation referenced re: noise concerns)#Railroad Square Phase 1#Railroad Square Phase 2#Sparkman's Wharf (referenced as design inspiration)#St. Petersburg Pier approach (referenced precedent project)

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   [00:00:15] Good. [00:00:16] The first and pretty much only thing on the agenda is a presentation. [00:00:22] Yes, sir. [00:00:23] Most of you were in attendance at a meeting that was conducted with [00:00:31] members of the business community who own property adjacent to Railroad [00:00:37] Square, at which time the Railroad Square plan was rolled out to discuss [00:00:46] with those property owners some of the development features that interface [00:00:49] directly with some of the properties. [00:00:54] So, you've seen a portion or maybe some of this presentation, and you're [00:01:00] familiar with Hannah Ambrose from Wanamaker Jensen Architects, who's [00:01:05] with us this evening, and has played a principal role in the planning for [00:01:11] this project, along with Robert Rivera and Barry Doe, and I from the city [00:01:19] staff, and we've been working on this project for a little bit longer than [00:01:27] what I'd like to report, but it's an important project to the city. [00:01:34] In large part, we're driven by a lot of objectives that are [00:01:39] really important that we hit. [00:01:41] We need to have a spot in the downtown area where public [00:01:47] assembly is convenient and comfortable. [00:01:53] We need to be able to make it comfortable for pedestrians to be in [00:02:06] the space and not be uncomfortable as a result of any vehicular activity. [00:02:15] We need to make commerce a more profound part of the experience, and [00:02:24] so we were really looking at a lot of different elements in addition to [00:02:31] just improving the space from an appearance perspective, and as you can [00:02:39] see from the slide that's presented at this time, we had a challenge in that [00:02:45] respect, and there's no question about it, and that's what we started from, [00:02:50] and I'll turn it over to Hannah to kind of take it from there and let you know [00:02:59] where we've been through the planning process and take you through some of [00:03:04] the decisions that we're prepared to put in front of you this evening in terms [00:03:12] of our recommendations for how we go forward with the project. [00:03:18] Hannah, it's you. [00:03:20] Great. [00:03:20] Thank you so much, City Manager Manz. [00:03:23] Again, my name is Hannah Ambrose with Wanamaker Jensen Architects, and we've [00:03:26] had the pleasure of working on this project for a couple of years now. [00:03:32] As City Manager Manz had said, this is really a project about placemaking. [00:03:37] It's more than just sprucing up the appearance of this block. [00:03:41] I think this really has the potential to be kind of the heart of downtown [00:03:46] New Port Richey, and we want to improve the space not only for the existing [00:03:52] business owners and the people who currently utilize it, but for future [00:03:57] families and for other target groups that may not have considered this [00:04:02] a place to go and spend their time. [00:04:06] I should also mention, and I'm sorry to interrupt, Hannah, this is [00:04:10] considered to be part one of the project. [00:04:13] Railroad Square actually spans from Adams on Nebraska all the way to Lincoln. [00:04:23] The part of the project that we're going to talk about with you this [00:04:27] evening and its specifics spans from Adams to Grand Boulevard, [00:04:32] which we consider to be phase one. [00:04:35] If we're able to define phase one, we would then go back after it's been [00:04:44] implemented, we would plan for phase two, and we would mirror those same [00:04:49] development features on the second phase of the project, which would [00:04:53] span from Grand Boulevard to Lincoln. [00:04:57] That's correct. [00:04:57] So we know that the site as it sits currently, I've got a slide up here [00:05:02] from Google Maps, is very vehicular oriented. [00:05:08] So there's two abundant parking lots on the south side of Nebraska there, [00:05:14] and then we've got kind of the back face of Main Street with a lot of businesses. [00:05:21] Some have their primary entrance north of Nebraska and some kind [00:05:25] of have a back entrance there. [00:05:26] And so the idea here is that we're really making this more of a pedestrian [00:05:32] oriented block, still allowing some vehicular access on the site, but [00:05:40] showing some more amenities along the site as well. [00:05:46] So the first thing we looked at here was vehicle circulation on the site. [00:05:50] We did a site analysis looking at the different types of businesses and how [00:05:55] cars are currently utilizing the site. [00:05:58] We found that it's a two-way street with two-way entrances and exits out of [00:06:05] these three parking lots here on the Nebraska, and then some additional [00:06:09] entry and exit points out along the south here as well on Missouri. [00:06:15] So there's more than enough access to the site. [00:06:18] Some of the things that we thought could potentially be improved are we'd like [00:06:24] to figure out a way to better utilize Cavalier Square at the south here, [00:06:28] because right now it's flanked by Missouri and then two parking lots. [00:06:33] So if you're taking advantage of some of the businesses along Nebraska, [00:06:37] there's really a disconnect between Nebraska and Cavalier Square. [00:06:41] And it's a beautiful park that we're hoping to make an [00:06:44] even nicer destination there. [00:06:49] So this is an existing image a little bit further down on Nebraska, right [00:06:52] in front of that frontier building. [00:06:55] Some of the renderings that we're about to show today will show what this area [00:06:59] will look like post-transformation. [00:07:04] So I've talked through some of the objectives, but I like to list them out [00:07:08] just in case there's some I forget. [00:07:10] One of the main aesthetic goals here is to move the electrical wiring that spans [00:07:16] across Nebraska underground. [00:07:19] And that'll really free up some of that space and make it look a little bit less busy. [00:07:25] In order to make this a more pedestrian-friendly experience along Nebraska, [00:07:29] we're proposing that Nebraska be narrowed, converting it from a two-way to a one-way street. [00:07:35] And what this will do is it'll create an interesting pedestrian space, [00:07:39] really bring placemaking to this part of New Port Richey. [00:07:43] We'd like to revitalize Cavalier Square, honoring the history that is currently [00:07:48] there and the local artwork, and just making it a more prominent destination. [00:07:57] And then we'd also like to incorporate some child-friendly elements to this block [00:08:02] so that it can be utilized by families during the day, as well as in the evening, [00:08:09] before or after going out to eat for dinner, that type of thing. [00:08:13] This is a point that I think, in retrospect, we didn't do a particularly good job [00:08:18] representing at our business community meeting, because a lot of folks left the room [00:08:24] thinking we were going to put in a giant play structure. [00:08:27] And that really wasn't the intent. [00:08:30] We're not talking about slides. [00:08:32] You know, we're talking about more Sparkman's Wharf-type equipment. [00:08:42] We're talking about ring toss or cornhole, along with maybe a small, you know, [00:08:51] play structure-type thing for kids. [00:08:55] We are talking about having something for a young family, though, without question, [00:09:02] without overly making it a recreation facility. [00:09:08] And I want to make that clear. [00:09:11] So it is a multifaceted little area that we're creating. [00:09:18] Right. So when you start to bring built elements onto the site, [00:09:22] whether it be benches or planters, that type of thing, [00:09:26] sometimes what you find is that middle-age group of middle schoolers or early high schoolers, [00:09:32] you know, some kids might want to utilize that as, you know, a skate park amenity [00:09:37] when it's really not, right? [00:09:38] And so bringing something on site that is fun for them to do and really approaches all age groups, [00:09:45] I think, is something that we're trying to do here, [00:09:46] just to make sure that this space isn't just appealing to the adults. [00:09:53] Oh, I didn't get through my whole list here. [00:09:57] So providing permanent shade is another thing. [00:10:01] We live in Florida. [00:10:03] New Port Richey is no exception to the hot weather we've been experiencing. [00:10:06] So making it a more pleasant space, especially with all of the pavement, [00:10:11] whether it's pavers or asphalt, those still have a tendency to get quite hot. [00:10:15] Improving our street lighting so that the space can be utilized for night markets [00:10:20] or other activities in addition to daytime events. [00:10:24] Activating the street with local vendors. [00:10:27] Contemporary artwork is another big thing. [00:10:31] Having a really bright spot in the middle of the city where people can go [00:10:36] that may not have the funds or the capital to have a storefront building, [00:10:41] but could potentially rent out a small incubator space, [00:10:44] we feel would be an exciting opportunity here. [00:10:48] And then bringing more life to the space. [00:10:50] Greenery, pedestrian furniture, just some variation so it's not uniform paving. [00:10:59] And then also providing alternative trash pickup locations [00:11:02] so that the businesses aren't rolling out their trash cans to the street. [00:11:08] There's kind of a more tidy approach to that. [00:11:12] This was an early diagram that we did just showing an early concept here [00:11:18] where we were talking about, okay, if we can utilize some of this sidewalk space, [00:11:24] obviously maintaining the safe sidewalk structure for pedestrians is important. [00:11:30] But if we widen it, what else could we put in there? [00:11:33] And so the idea was that these green ovals here would be our planters, [00:11:39] having a strong connection across Nebraska with some integrated crosswalks. [00:11:45] Having some space for those incubator businesses or a market to set up, [00:11:51] those would be the blue squares. [00:11:53] And then some seating for pedestrians, that's that orange. [00:11:57] And then how can we utilize, better utilize some of this paved space to be more [00:12:01] of a public pocket park is how we've been referring to it, right? [00:12:07] This isn't Sims Park, this is a small green moment within the city block. [00:12:13] And then the yellow dash lines are talking about some market lighting, [00:12:18] so really creating some ambiance there. [00:12:20] Okay. So you'll see here in a moment, I have a more zoomed in version of this plan, [00:12:28] but I just want to talk big picture about what some of those elements started to look [00:12:32] like as we further developed them. [00:12:34] So at the bottom of the screen here, we have some planters, we have a really nice style here [00:12:39] that is very similar to what's on the Main Street Bridge. [00:12:42] So having some similarity across the city, I think is nice. [00:12:47] Utilizing some shade sales. [00:12:48] So the more that we talked about shade, the more we realized it was important [00:12:52] to have something that spanned the street so that if it is being used as a market, [00:12:58] you know, it doesn't get too hot. [00:13:00] But also if this is a, if this is, if this block is starting [00:13:05] to become a public artwork showcase, having something really interesting above you [00:13:11] that casts an interesting shadow down onto the street, I think reinforces that as, hey, [00:13:16] this is a really unique, interesting destination. [00:13:20] We designed a custom repeatable bench planter combination so that the sides [00:13:29] of the planter then become a wrapping bench system, and those are sprinkled around the site. [00:13:35] You can see those here, the little green squares. [00:13:39] And then another project that we were really excited to work [00:13:44] on was the St. Petersburg Pier approach. [00:13:46] And what we did there is we did something very similar, and it's had a lot of success, [00:13:50] where we've taken a market clamshell is how we refer to it, [00:13:55] which is just a millwork component that's rated for the outdoors, and it has the ability [00:14:00] to be closed and locked so that anything that's left inside of there is kept safe, [00:14:05] and also to minimize the footprint it's taking up when not in use. [00:14:10] But then when it's open, a vendor can, you know, stock it with their goods and participate [00:14:16] in a market there, whether they have a storefront elsewhere in the city and just want [00:14:20] to get a little bit more exposure, or they're a new business. [00:14:24] And, you know, this also has the potential of being a revenue maker for the city, [00:14:28] if that's a route that, you know, you would like to explore. [00:14:32] So, you know, we're looking at a unique design, a different iteration of that specific [00:14:36] to New Port Richey, the other side of these market incubator clamshells would have murals [00:14:44] on them from, you know, Pasco, Pinellas County, you know, everyone, we could kind of put an RFQ [00:14:51] out there for that, and just get some really interesting, local, vibrant artwork. [00:14:57] The pocket park here. [00:15:00] We would be adding in a couple of additional trees [00:15:03] onto that site, surrounded by these tree well benches here [00:15:07] so that if a family has some kids running around [00:15:11] in this area or they're playing cornhole, [00:15:13] there's also a place to stop and rest. [00:15:15] And then of course, some playground elements [00:15:17] on the site as well for the younger kids, [00:15:19] and those could be freestanding elements [00:15:21] kind of mixed in with the other age groups. [00:15:25] Here's a little bit of a closer look at that. [00:15:29] You'll see that these kind of stripes in the street here, [00:15:34] those crosswalk elements. [00:15:36] So we have a different ground treatment area there. [00:15:39] And the purpose of that is really to slow cars down [00:15:43] as they're moving through and make them aware that, [00:15:45] okay, this is a busy area. [00:15:46] We are going to have pedestrians crossing the street. [00:15:50] The L-shaped items here are those market incubators [00:15:54] we talked about that could just be closed [00:15:56] and take up a fraction of that space [00:15:57] or open in an event situation. [00:16:02] We've got our planters, [00:16:05] the smaller planters that I had pointed out previously, [00:16:08] our playground space, and two dumpster locations here, [00:16:14] one in this larger parking lot [00:16:15] and one at the south side of the playground [00:16:17] to be utilized by the local businesses [00:16:20] for a common trash pickup space. [00:16:23] We've really tried to establish a rhythm along the street [00:16:27] of these different items [00:16:28] so that the entire street is activated [00:16:30] with the idea that this language can also be carried out [00:16:34] for other phases of the project as well. [00:16:40] Here's some renderings that we did of the different spaces. [00:16:43] So if you'll remember that previous image that we saw. [00:16:47] So this is actually coming onto Nebraska headed east. [00:16:54] You'll see the garage here. [00:16:56] Over here is Rose's Bistro. [00:16:59] And so we'll make our way kind of down the street [00:17:02] with some images. [00:17:09] Here we'd be looking towards Ordinance One. [00:17:11] You'll see we've got these really tall shade structures here [00:17:14] that cast an interesting shadow down onto the street, [00:17:17] a difference in paved treatment here, [00:17:22] really making this sort of a pedestrian area. [00:17:27] You would still have access into this private parking lot [00:17:30] when an event isn't in place. [00:17:33] When an event is in place, [00:17:35] the private parking lot is still usable from Missouri. [00:17:39] Obviously adding some color and some life with some murals [00:17:46] on the side of the frontiers, [00:17:47] I think something worth exploring. [00:17:49] Here we've got kind of this play zone green area here, [00:17:56] kind of a break in the middle of the block [00:17:58] where people can gather. [00:18:03] And then this is looking back west [00:18:06] at the other end of the block. [00:18:08] You can see some of those elements being repeated, [00:18:10] but some common themes here, again, [00:18:12] are really bringing some of the greenery back to the site, [00:18:16] activating it with local businesses, [00:18:18] creating a really safe space for pedestrian and families. [00:18:25] Other end of the block here. [00:18:30] This would be Cavalier Square. [00:18:31] So as you can see, [00:18:32] we're proposing a new paved ground covering here, [00:18:37] new planters with integrated benches, [00:18:41] some new plantings there to create kind of a shield [00:18:44] between the parking lot and the event space. [00:18:47] And then a similar style overhead canopy [00:18:53] that kind of mimics what's going on along Nebraska [00:18:57] to keep people nice and cool [00:18:58] and to allow you to really utilize this space [00:19:02] more frequently. [00:19:04] And I think that is it. [00:19:07] And I would be happy to answer any questions [00:19:10] or make any clarifications if anything has come up. [00:19:13] A couple of thoughts. [00:19:16] Starting with the last one, Cavalier Square. [00:19:20] Okay, you do have trees on both sides, [00:19:24] including the Nebraska. [00:19:26] One of the issues that we had back when the Dulcet [00:19:31] was in operation is they would have events going on [00:19:37] out there that could disturb the neighbors [00:19:42] for lack of a better... [00:19:46] And having anything that breaks up that sound [00:19:51] coming off the stage is probably a good thing. [00:19:55] I don't know that we need to go to full-blown [00:19:58] acoustical wall fixtures there, [00:20:01] but something to block it up [00:20:04] because they were running to like 10 o'clock at night. [00:20:11] And it was disturbing some people [00:20:13] that actually had to get up the next morning [00:20:15] because it is right next to a fair amount [00:20:21] of residential stuff immediately south of there. [00:20:24] The other is the playground. [00:20:27] And it occurs to me it doesn't need to be particularly large [00:20:33] but what it is doing, I think, and it is worth noting, [00:20:39] we're not building for necessarily the mix of businesses [00:20:45] we've got there today, [00:20:48] but probably the mix of businesses [00:20:50] that we will see in five or 10 years [00:20:53] as that area continues to develop. [00:20:57] And certainly having an area where parents [00:21:01] can take a break with their kids [00:21:04] is a good thing on a Saturday morning. [00:21:09] Any thoughts? [00:21:10] Yeah, just a couple. [00:21:12] I mean, I just think it's really cool. [00:21:15] I mean, I love the way it looks laid out. [00:21:17] I mean, the little cubbies for the markets, [00:21:20] that's just something pretty unique [00:21:22] and it's really gonna draw people down there. [00:21:26] The sunshades and stuff that are above, [00:21:29] I mean, they're gonna be at a high enough height [00:21:31] so the trucks can get underneath there if they need to. [00:21:34] Yes, and we've cleared that with the fire department [00:21:38] in terms of what they would need in case of an emergency [00:21:40] to drive their trucks under. [00:21:41] Okay, very good. [00:21:42] And then I know we've talked, [00:21:45] maybe I missed it on here, but public bathrooms. [00:21:48] I know we- [00:21:49] We did not include any bathrooms [00:21:53] in the design of the first phase of the project. [00:21:59] I have made contact with Verizon [00:22:07] to see if there's a possibility [00:22:10] that we can make some arrangements with them [00:22:16] to lease a portion of their building for that purpose. [00:22:22] And they're investigating that as an option. [00:22:25] They've got some security-related concerns [00:22:28] which would need to be addressed. [00:22:29] And so I don't have an answer for you on that at this time. [00:22:36] Absent that as an option, [00:22:41] I would look to the second phase of the project [00:22:48] as I can think of a couple of different locations [00:22:51] where I think the establishment of a restroom [00:22:55] makes good sense. [00:22:56] Okay, yeah, I mean, as long as I guess it's, [00:22:58] you know, we know we need them somewhere. [00:23:00] I do think we have a responsibility to provide them, yes. [00:23:04] Because, you know, like the business along there, [00:23:07] they make it tired of people in and out of their shops [00:23:10] just to use the bathroom, [00:23:11] especially if something's going on [00:23:12] during the, in the street, like market or something. [00:23:14] I think some might feel that way. [00:23:16] And some might welcome the fact that- [00:23:17] Some will feel like there's something- [00:23:18] Something will work. [00:23:19] A lot of new customers available to them. [00:23:24] Yeah, I understand the point. [00:23:25] Yeah, all right, thank you. [00:23:28] I think some of the shops would be beneficial [00:23:32] for the bathrooms, right? [00:23:33] Because if you walk into a shop like Lisa's Pieces [00:23:35] to use the restroom, right? [00:23:37] Who's not going to stop and buy something, right? [00:23:39] You're going to see things, you're going to, [00:23:41] and I think that that might actually help them a little bit. [00:23:44] But I do think we need public restrooms too. [00:23:47] The pie structure, I love. [00:23:49] I think that we have to have something, [00:23:51] not a big elaborate, you know, playground, but something. [00:23:55] Keep kids busy. [00:23:56] Parents will enjoy the restaurants a little longer [00:23:59] if they have something to occupy the kids. [00:24:02] I think it looks great. [00:24:04] To further respond, Mr. Mayor, [00:24:06] I should probably note that in the event [00:24:10] that the city's hosting an event in Railroad Square, [00:24:13] although they're not the preferred method, [00:24:17] we would establish portal lights [00:24:21] in locations convenient for people's use [00:24:26] so that they wouldn't exclusively [00:24:30] only have the option to use [00:24:33] our business communities' restrooms. [00:24:36] Yes. [00:24:38] I just think we're going to do it, let's do it right. [00:24:40] And I understand your point. [00:24:42] Bunch of portal lights, but that's just me. [00:24:44] I'm sorry, I'm just. [00:24:46] They would be the nice ones. [00:24:47] Okay, air conditioning, all right. [00:24:53] If he were here, we'd be the first to tell you [00:24:56] about the ones that they rented for Chasco. [00:25:00] And have, I think, for the last several years, [00:25:01] which are basically a trailer that comes in [00:25:04] and it's air-conditioned bathrooms and everything. [00:25:07] I understand your point. [00:25:08] In the long term, that might be cheaper [00:25:10] just to do it for events that way, if it's a nice one. [00:25:17] Mike? [00:25:19] Yeah, I think it looks great. [00:25:20] Just a couple questions, the lighting. [00:25:25] Do lights go above or below the shade structures? [00:25:28] So they're actually in between, so I will trace this. [00:25:32] Okay, that answers the question. [00:25:33] So it would go from one point post to the other [00:25:36] and kind of zigzag its way down here is the idea there. [00:25:42] Yeah, great idea, whoever thought about this. [00:25:44] You know, I first saw the shade structures, [00:25:46] I go, that's a weird design. [00:25:47] But I love the idea of the different lighting [00:25:50] that it will project upon the surface. [00:25:53] So, you know, and I know that, you know, [00:25:57] during the previous meeting with the business owners, [00:25:59] they were concerned, again, with the area there for, [00:26:04] we've identified this little pocket park. [00:26:07] And in the home express, well, [00:26:10] we're giving up parking for that. [00:26:13] And I think, again, as the mayor pointed out, [00:26:16] the mix of businesses there that talked about it, [00:26:18] ones were more non-SRA kid-friendly, [00:26:20] some of the bars and so forth. [00:26:25] So, but what's not shown on this map also [00:26:29] is immediately to the east [00:26:31] is another pretty sizable parking spot. [00:26:35] Parking lots will provide a lot of parking [00:26:37] immediately to this area. [00:26:39] And so I think that's very, yeah. [00:26:41] So I think that's important for us [00:26:44] to remember regarding that. [00:26:48] And I do like the idea of having a little open space [00:26:52] that kids can come around and, you know, [00:26:55] we're gonna do a structure. [00:26:56] I was thinking maybe you could do a structure [00:27:01] that would be what I would consider [00:27:04] maybe a climbable sculpture, you know, [00:27:07] so that it would have an artistic appeal [00:27:10] when the kids are not climbing on it. [00:27:11] It would look interesting, you know, enough. [00:27:13] And it would attract people, something to that nature. [00:27:15] And Ms. Manzano, I know you've been talking [00:27:19] with Verizon or Frontier, [00:27:23] whoever the yellow brick building is there, [00:27:25] which is, you know, a big size building. [00:27:29] And the renderings was just amazing about, you know, [00:27:33] so many murals and decorative artwork [00:27:36] along on the sides of it. [00:27:39] Is that something we've also approached them about doing? [00:27:42] Getting, you know, like we're talking about right here, [00:27:44] the paintings on the side? [00:27:46] Those are discussions that we're having. [00:27:50] And... [00:27:52] That's amazing. [00:27:53] And just wondering if that looks right. [00:27:53] No, it looks great, right? [00:27:54] Yeah, that looks so good. [00:28:00] And we had an objective there to narrow Nebraska, [00:28:06] but that's, we didn't start out as an objective. [00:28:10] That was something necessary to achieve our objectives [00:28:13] and to make it pedestrian friendly. [00:28:16] And all this, and still, I think we answered [00:28:18] most of the concerns some of the businesses had [00:28:20] regarding their delivery trucks [00:28:22] could get underneath the shades and, you know, [00:28:26] scheduling their deliveries [00:28:28] so that they're not on top of each other. [00:28:30] And I think the impression I got from those folks [00:28:35] that as they talked about it and saw more and more of it, [00:28:38] some of the inconvenience of this [00:28:40] that Mike presented along that way [00:28:41] was gonna be far outweighed with the benefits [00:28:44] that they're gonna get by having, you know, [00:28:46] this space here. [00:28:49] And it's a perfect spot for some of those, [00:28:55] and we've had some of these smaller, [00:28:58] I'll call them craft shows or art shows, [00:29:01] or even, you know, we have the Sunday markets [00:29:06] from that place there. [00:29:10] It's a perfect, you know, venue for those type things. [00:29:14] And that, again, you know, during the day, [00:29:21] daytimes, there's really not anything going on here. [00:29:23] And this will allow that activity to happen [00:29:27] and move some of that, you know, walkable, [00:29:33] those pedestrian activity we have on Main Street, [00:29:37] you know, to the back of the buildings. [00:29:38] But I think the folks there that have the establishments [00:29:44] that both front Main Street and in back up here, [00:29:48] they're all of a sudden, you know, [00:29:50] they might be scratching their heads, [00:29:52] which is gonna be my front, which is gonna be my back? [00:29:54] You know, they're gonna have some great opportunities [00:29:56] for that, or they just might have two fronts, right? [00:29:59] So. [00:30:00] I'm really excited about it because it'll actually move, someone mentioned the heart [00:30:09] of New Port Richey, and it'll move it a little bit off of Main Street, and that's not a bad [00:30:14] thing. [00:30:15] Main Street's going to be Main Street, and Grand's going to be Grand, and we're going [00:30:17] to have the park, and all this is still walkable, and it's going to be invitable, and people [00:30:24] will just, you know, we've all been those places where it's just comfortable, right? [00:30:29] And I love all the greenery and the trees, I wish, hopefully we can get them to grow [00:30:34] faster, get them up to that size quickly, right? [00:30:39] Because as much as we do the shade structures, and that'll help immensely, it's nothing like [00:30:45] real tree shade, but Hannah, you've done a great job, I think. [00:30:52] One last thought that I would have, and it's not directly related to the railroad square, [00:30:59] but peripherally, is as we start looking at that section of Grand between Missouri [00:31:08] and Nebraska, we've got an opportunity to narrow that, and in looking at the businesses [00:31:15] on each side of it, it might be we wanted to push the lanes to the west, which would [00:31:24] give you basically a full lanes worth on the east side of the road where we could push [00:31:32] out the parking, and that would give all of the businesses that are along the east side [00:31:38] a very big sidewalk that could be used for outdoor dining and all of that stuff. [00:31:44] The ones on the west, you've got SIP that's using a parking space now, I don't know that [00:31:49] there are any other businesses out there, at least at the moment, that would benefit [00:31:55] from the extra sidewalk space, but you definitely have them on the east side. [00:32:01] And I know Robert and Barrett are working on trying to figure that piece of puzzle, [00:32:06] so I just thought I would toss that out as something to at least chew on as a possible [00:32:12] way of further enhancing the businesses that are right in that little block area. [00:32:21] And of course the other issue with the parking, we do have the shuttles, which once the second [00:32:31] one is fully staffed and operational, that puts us at like a ten minute loop, which from [00:32:39] everything I'm reading is exactly what you need in order to have it be a very popular [00:32:45] way for people to get downtown. [00:32:47] And then the crunch on the parking becomes significantly less onerous. [00:32:53] With the clamshells and how this is set up, it's perfect for little art walks or displays [00:33:03] and craft shows, and particularly it can be enlarged as we go to phase two and so forth. [00:33:12] It gives a lot of flexibility, I think, in how it can be used and really will give our [00:33:19] business community an enhancement. [00:33:24] I think the clamshells too, I think that first it gives new businesses an opportunity to [00:33:29] try it, right? [00:33:30] Kind of a temporary spot to try it and see how it works when they're trying to start [00:33:34] a business. [00:33:35] And then also you have some of the businesses maybe that aren't right downtown that want [00:33:39] to promote themselves during these events and it gives them a way to do that. [00:33:43] Their business is a couple of blocks away and they want to promote it during an event, [00:33:46] they then have that opportunity to do that too. [00:33:50] I've lost the name of it, but the shop where you can fire your own pottery and stuff, that [00:34:01] would be an obvious, they're on Main Street, but that would be an obvious person to go [00:34:06] and do a display right there in one of the clamshells when something was going on with [00:34:12] an event. [00:34:13] Yeah, and I think the clamshells, because I guess I really haven't paid attention to [00:34:17] when they have the market stuff now, but it seems like they pack up all their stuff [00:34:20] and then they've got to come back the next day and put it back out again. [00:34:23] This is an opportunity to lock it up and go home, so that's not bad at all. [00:34:29] Astro Cycles talked about that, being able to use the clamshells because he can put some [00:34:34] of the various items that he sells for bicycles in those during an event. [00:34:38] Yeah, that's awesome. [00:34:39] So that would be, I think those would get a lot of use. [00:34:43] Yeah, I think so too. [00:34:44] At the St. Petersburg Pier, they actually have contracts, so each of the clamshell is [00:34:49] rented out by contract for a season, which might be kind of a next step for these potentially, [00:34:56] right? [00:34:57] But yeah, the idea is that people, the vendors don't have to pack up their items, they can [00:35:00] kind of close it up and it's secure. [00:35:03] Is your idea there with this little pocket park, are you talking artificial grass, are [00:35:08] you talking some other type of flooring there? [00:35:11] So, you know, I think if it was more of your traditional playground, then artificial surfacing [00:35:19] would be recommended for a safety perspective, but since this is going to be a mix of different [00:35:24] activities for different age groups, I would think an artificial grass with some cushion [00:35:31] underneath it might be nice, that way you're kind of getting that safety element, but... [00:35:37] I would think exactly what we've got at the playground at Sims Park would be perfect. [00:35:43] Okay, yeah. [00:35:46] That way if they fall, they bounce. [00:35:49] It'll bring a little extra color into this space as well. [00:35:57] You don't have anything additional? [00:35:59] In that case, we will... [00:36:00] Should we get some direction from you so we can go forward? [00:36:03] I think we should. [00:36:04] When will we have the ribbon cutting?

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3. 4Adjournment▶ 36:09
4. 3Communications