Cultivating Vitality

Services Advisory CommitteeNovember 16, 2010

A Strategy to Create a Thriving Downtown Nashua

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Cultivating Vitality: Timeline

• 2008-2009 - GAD BID Committee studies BIDs

• July 2009 - Mayor and Board of Aldermen establish Services Advisory Committee (SAC)

• Fall 2009 - Downtown business owner & consumer surveys conducted

• December 2009 - SAC begins weekly meetings

• February 2010 - SAC researches other successful Downtowns, Downtowns with BIDs

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Cultivating Vitality: Timeline

• March 2010 - SAC hosts public sessiono Develops consensus of critical issueso Receives feedback from stakeholders about

strategies best suited for Downtown Nashua

• May 2010 - SAC hosts 2nd public sessiono Shares best practices from other Downtownso Presents preliminary strategies, budget and funding

approacho Gains feedback from stakeholders

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Cultivating Vitality: Timeline

• September 2010 - SAC releases draft report, Cultivating Vitality

• October 2010 - SAC holds 3rd public information sessiono Obtain stakeholder input on strategieso Report to be modified, finalized

• November 2010 – Final Cultivating Vitality report submitted to the Mayor and Board of Aldermen

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• Parking Improvement Initiative• Customer Attraction Program• Streetscape Enhancement Plan• Small Business Initiative• Downtown Funding Strategy• Accountability

Cultivating Vitality: The Strategy

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Goals• Customer convenience• Increase on-street parking turnover

Guiding Principles• Market-based pricing for on-

street parking• Downtown Nashua parking

revenue should benefit Downtown Nashua

Parking Improvement Initiative

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Parking Improvement Initiative

• Surface parking lot upgrades• Implement pay & display, multi-space meters• Implement market-based pricing for meters• Capture revenue increases within a Parking Benefit

District (to be used for only Downtown investments)

Estimated annual cost of $125,000

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Customer Attraction Program

Goals• Bring more customers to the doorsteps of

Downtown merchants• Create a welcoming environment so that visitors

will linger

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Customer Attraction Program

• Maintenance and beautification o flowers and beautification, graffiti removal, enhanced

sidewalk cleaning services, tree maintenance and lighting• Marketing and promotion

o Downtown-focused marketing/branding campaign, promotional banners, consistent business hours, sales promotions

• Year-round special events• Discourage illegal and intolerable activity

Estimated annual cost of $165,000

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Streetscape Enhancement Plan

Goal• Create a welcoming environment so that visitors

will linger

• Improve pedestrian safety

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Streetscape Enhancement Plan

• Comprehensive renewal of the streets and public infrastructure

o replace sidewalks (proper sub-grade, reconstruct and replace bricks)

o pedestrian-scale lightingo new furnishings, bike racks,

trash receptacles, landscaping

o improved signageo traffic calmingo elimination of one-way

streetso grind and overlay Main

street

Estimated total cost of $4,700,000Estimated annual cost of $380,000

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Main Street, Concord NH Today

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Main Street, Concord NH with Proposed Streetscape Improvements

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Main Street, Concord NH Today

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Main Street, Concord NH with Proposed Streetscape Improvements

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Business Assistance Initiative

Goal

• Support locally-owned small businesses in Downtown Nashua so that they can better compete with other shopping venues

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Business Assistance Initiative

• Business assistance & workshop series

• Storefront/façade renovation program

• Downtown Nashua Revolving Loan Fund

Estimated annual cost of $75,000

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Downtown Funding Strategy

• Parking Benefit District• Business Improvement District (BID)

• Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG)

• Private fundraising• Advocate for State transportation funds

Guiding Principles• Those who receive the benefits should pay for the

cost of the initiativeso Downtown business ownerso Downtown property ownerso Downtown employeeso Downtown customers

• Do not ask Nashua’s residential property taxpayers to fund these initiatives

Downtown Funding Strategy

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Downtown Funding Strategy:

o Three-tiered meter pricing system Zone I : Increase to $1.50/hour (estimated 193 spaces) Zone II: Increase to $1.00/hour (estimated 315 spaces) Zone III: Decrease to $0.25/hour (estimated 363 spaces)

(rates haven’t been increased since 2001)

o Expand meter times Zone I: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Zone II and Zone III: 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

o 3-month trial period, then evaluate impacts

Parking Benefit District

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Downtown Funding Strategy:

o Expand meter times to Saturdayo Expand meter footprinto Increase monthly parking lease rates

Increase price of surface lots to $60/month Increase price of garaged spaces to $55/month

o Increase expiring meter fines to $20/violationo Pay and Display, multi-space meter

Anticipated annual revenue of $660,000

Parking Benefit District

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Downtown Funding Strategy: BID

• Business Improvement District o Collecting additional property tax to be used to fund

only Downtown investmentso Proposed rate: $0.50 / $1,000 of assessed valueo Excludes tax exempt and residential properties less

than 5 unitso Rate fixed for 3 year periodo 3-year trial basis, then re-evaluate need for a BID

Anticipated annual revenue of $55,000

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Downtown Funding Strategy: More

• Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program o Increase funding for Downtown projects from 2% to

4% of City annual entitlemento Anticipated annual revenue of $30,000

• Private fundraisingo Adopt-a-brick or similar strategies to augment

streetscape costs

• NH DOT funding for improvements for Main Street south of Kinsley Street

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Downtown Funding Strategy: Budget

Uses of Funds Source of Funds

Parking ImprovementCustomer AttractionStreetscape EnhanceBusiness Assistance

$125,000

$165,000

$380,000

$75,000

Parking Benefit DistrictBIDCDBG

$660,000

$55,000$30,000

Total Annual Cost

$745,000

Total Annual Revenue

$745,000

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Accountability

Accountability: SAC

• Monitor progress of 3-month trial for meters• Recommend contractors, organizations to

implement project elements• Monitor contracts, monitor progress• Recommend annual budget to Mayor and BOA• Prepare annual report on status of Downtown

Initiatives• In 3 years, re-evaluate Downtown strategy and

need for a BID

Accountability: City of Nashua

• Prepare and consider new legislation

• Collect the new revenue

• Ensure that the new revenue is spent only for Downtown Nashua projects

• Approve annual budget

Accountability: Contractors, Agencies

• Parking Improvements Transportation Department

• Business Assistance Managed by Office of Economic Development

• Streetscape Enhancement Plan Consultant develops plans DPW to oversee implementation

• Customer Attraction Maintenance & Beautification: RFP Marketing & Promotion: RFP Year-round Special Events: RFP

Accountability: Stakeholders

• Demand a thriving Downtown Nashua

• Stay involved and invested

• Keep public officials focused on the continued improvement of Downtown Nashua