Feb. 27th, 2013
For Immediate Release
CLARKSTON TO STUDY REVITALIZATION OF TOWN CENTER
URBAN LAND INSTITUTE EXPERT PANEL TO PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS
(CITY OF CLARKSTON)—The City of Clarkston has been selected by the Urban Land Institute of Atlanta (ULI Atlanta) to receive assistance in addressing issues regarding land development and business cultivation within the City. ULI’s Technical Assistance Panels (TAPs) provide expert, multidisciplinary advice to local governments, public agencies and nonprofit organizations facing complex land use and real estate issues in the Atlanta region, consisting of Georgia, Alabama and Eastern Tennessee. Drawing from its membership base of qualified professionals, ULI Atlanta will offer objective and responsible guidance to the City of Clarkston on a variety of land use and real estate issues ranging from site-specific projects to public policy questions.
Through initial discussions between Clarkston staff and representatives from ULI Atlanta, a situational abstract was developed to provide an overview of the proposed TAP’s mission and objectives. The abstract explains the City’s desire to gain a better understanding of the unmet retail and office needs of both immigrant and non-immigrant populations within the City. Additionally, the abstract addresses the City’s desire to become a destination for non-resident patrons of businesses, become an attractive place for private investment and to become a more attractive place to live for new residents. The work of the TAP panel will focus on the following:
1. Assess the unmet retail, entertainment and restaurant needs within Clarkston
2. Define a more successful downtown/central business district for Clarkston
3. Identify needed improvements to public infrastructure
4. Outline new economic and regulatory policies to encourage downtown investment and development
“The formation of the TAP for Clarkston will position the City to address its need for improved business development and land use policy development in a deliberate but “out of the box” manner. We want to take a realistic look at how we can achieve our goal of revitalizing our Central Business District. We feel that by including real-estate development professionals in the discussion, along with other local stakeholders, the City will receive “real world” recommendations around how best to proceed, states City Manager Keith Barker.”
As a result of the TAP panel process, Clarkston will receive a full report outlining recommended actions and strategies in each of the four (4) focused categories, a slideshow presentation that outlines key recommendations from the report, and a marketing/branding plan for attracting development to the City.
The entire process is anticipated to last approximately six (6) months. The highlight of the program will be a 1.5-day workshop for the TAP panelists, Staff and invited guests/stakeholders. The workshop is scheduled for March 7th and 8th, 2013, and will be held at the Clarkston Community Center. The public is invited to attend the workshop on March 8th, 2013 at from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm to hear the initial TAP Panel report.