Title
South Central Transit Oriented Development Grant Request for Proposal
Description
This item requests authorization for the City Manager, or his designee, to release a Request for Proposals for a partner(s) to assist with the implementation, execution and monitoring of the South Central Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Grant. The federal grant will assist with early action business assistance and proactive land use planning.
The South Central Light Rail Extension is a five-mile light rail transit investment on Central Avenue from Jefferson Street and Baseline Road.
Report
Summary
The South Central TOD Grant was awarded to the City of Phoenix on Oct. 11, 2016. The grant will allow early assistance and resources that are vital to the future of the South Central Light Rail project. The grant provides resources to work with the community to develop and implement plans in the corridor by collecting a detailed inventory of existing land uses, hosting community stakeholder workshops/meetings, working with the community to develop a community vision, and identifying strategies and performance measures to implement the vision. Additionally, the grant will fund comprehensive, proactive business assistance that will include completing detailed assessments of the businesses in the corridor, conducting interviews to best understand specific business needs, establishing resources to meet the business needs, and developing strategies to prepare businesses for the upcoming light rail construction/operations. The scope of work summary for the business assistance and planning efforts are included in Attachment A.
Additionally, this federal TOD grant required applicants to highlight community partnerships in support of the future transit project. The future South Central Light Rail project has involved extensive work with many community-based agencies. The application included community letters of support from the Black Chamber of Arizona, Chicanos Por La Causa, Friendly House, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), Phoenix Revitalization Corporation, Promise Arizona and Raza Development Fund (RDF). Additionally, LISC and RDF each committed to contribute $50,000 during the application process in an effort to increase the local-share commitment for this grant. The community-based contributions will be used separate and apart from the specific items identified within the grant procurement scope of work, and those funds will be used to support the locally-owned businesses in the corridor in preparation for the future light rail transit construction and operation.
Financial Impact
The estimated total expenditure of the project is $2.4 million from the following funding sources:
Federal Transit Administration grant - $2 million
City of Phoenix Transportation 2050 - $400,000
The project will be divided equally over two fiscal years:
FY2018: $1,200,000
FY2019: $1,200,000
Concurrence/Previous Council Action
The Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee heard this item on April 11, 2017 and recommended approval by a vote of 3-0.
Public Outreach
Public outreach on the South Central Light Rail Extension project began in 2011 with more than 180 public and one-on-one meetings with community stakeholders, including residents, local businesses and property owners. Public outreach and coordination will continue to be critical in executing this grant and for the project overall.
Location
Central Avenue from Jefferson Street to Baseline Road.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Mario Paniagua and the Public Transit Department.