It’s been kicked around development and city staff circles, but today will be the first time the public will have the opportunity to weigh-in on New Albany’s Scribner Place phase two plan.
It’s a blueprint designed to steer the city’s future development from East Sixth Street west to the Sherman Minton Bridge. Potential investors, city planners and organizations such as Develop New Albany have been involved in formulating the plan, and the measure was approved by the city’s Redevelopment Commission in July.
The Plan Commission gets its shot at the masterplan at 7 tonight in the third-floor Assembly Room of the City-County Building. A hearing will precede the vote, allowing residents to state their concerns or ideas.
“The meeting [today] begins the public vetting process. Plan preparation occurred over several months with input from key stakeholders,” said Carl Malysz, deputy mayor and director of community development for the city. “No one is being cut out of the process.”
But City Council President Dan Coffey expects much more information from the administration before he is asked to vote the measure up or down.
“I’m not saying the plan is a good thing, I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, but it’s status quo for this administration to get us something at the last minute and ask for us to vote on it,” Coffey said.
Malysz countered the council has an important role before the plan will be enacted.
“Adoption by the plan commission sends the plan to the common council; it will have a stake in the outcome, as well,” he said.
A point of contention for some on the council, including Coffey, could be the requirement of a mostly publicly funded parking garage adjacent to the Floyd County branch of the YMCA of Southern Indiana.
The downtown Y served as the focus of phase one of the Scribner Place design. For phase two, a multistory parking garage with build-out options would be the keystone and spark other developments, planners have said.
The garage would serve as a plaza and public square, according to the plan. Some of the developers awaiting passage of the masterplan have said the plaza could be a determining factor on whether they proceed with their projects.
Coffey said the plan has not yet been submitted to the council, so he will hold judgment on its entirety until after having the opportunity to review it. But using taxpayer money to entice developers isn’t an idea Coffey is fond of pitching to the council.
He said developers should pay for the upgrades they feel are needed to make their businesses lucrative.
“We are tired of subsidizing,” Coffey said.
A 2007 study by the consultant firm Browning Investments recommended the city build a parking garage to attract commercial and office developments.
With the build-out options, the city would pay for the garage — estimated in 2007 to cost $6 million — and developers would pay to construct on top of it.
The parking garage at State and Market streets was covered mainly through Economic Development Income Tax funds, with some tax-increment-financing funds also used.
The council approving the plan wouldn’t necessarily lock it into funding the garage.
Floyd County
New Albany hopes planning makes perfect
Public hearing on New Albany’s downtown masterplan is Tuesday night
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