Crossroads Vision Eclectic
Author: Anonymous
The Final Report of the Crossroads Community Consortium is an impressive document, full of the visioning and the input of more than a thousand people. But many in Boulder are questioning the fairness of a "fast-track," "high priority" status for redeveloping the Crossroads Mall and Boulder Valley Regional Center (BVRC).
"It's still too early to judge this project," said Boulder Senior Planner, Charles Zucker, during a presentation to the members of Boulder Tomorrow in June. "But one thing is certain, everyone involved agrees we have to do something to make this area more reflective of Boulder."
A two-month process initiated in February by the Boulder Urban Renewal Authority (BURA) involved community members, property owners, City planners, City agencies and the owner of Crossroads Mall, the Macerich Company of Santa Monica, California.
The goal was to understand the range of opportunities that exist at Crossroads Mall and within the BVRC, and to begin to build support for both short- and long-term changes in the area. The results were impressive, although the process was not always easy.
"Some of these discussions were hard to have, because from a Macerich perspective, this wasn't a priority," said Brad Power, Executive Director of BURA. "It wasn't easy, but in the end, we were able to integrate eight major goals into a vision that goes beyond just a simple shopping mall."
But remembering "It's the shopping, stupid" is a concern for some in the community.
Another is the potential for cannibalizing existing shopping areas, like downtown, with a massive redevelopment of Crossroads. But shopping opportunities are just one of the concerns being voiced around this project.
"No matter what they end up doing with Crossroads Mall, they need to make sure they are treating all businesses fairly," said Jack Lacy, Boulder Tomorrow Board Member and Vice President of Colorado Business Bank.
Robert Shonkwiler, a downtown property owner and businessman, echoed that sentiment, "I don't like hearing that this project has 'top priority' and is being 'fast tracked' and subsidized. The best projects happen when people are forced to sharpen their pencils, put their own money into it, and create a project that the market can support. Whenever you subsidize something, you end up with an inferior project," he said.
The redevelopment of Crossroads Mall was named a top priority by City Council in December 1997. The mall generates approximately 8 percent of the total sales tax for the City, a number threatened by retail competition from neighboring communities and continuing declines in occupancy at the mall.
George Karakehian, owner of Art Source and current president of Downtown Boulder, Inc., says he's tired of witnessing the way the City is bending over backwards for Macerich, when it seems they've been "sticking it" to the locals, particularly downtown, for years.
"All I'm asking for is a level playing field," Karakehian said. "It's intriguing that after the City put all of us through a down-zoning to decrease jobs, Crossroads appears to have been up-zoned to create jobs."
While the cultural and environmental aspects of the work are enthralling, a detailed financial analysis has not been done by BURA and City staff and will have to wait until there's a formal proposal by Macerich.
Those involved in the project admit that this early in the process it's hard to tell what might happen. Crossroads could be a springboard for opening up retail and development opportunities for other local property owners. Or, some believe, it just might be a case of favoritism played out quickly in reaction to a perceived sales tax or budget "crisis."
Certainly Crossroads is important to Boulder, but its impacts on the community will be immense and wide-ranging. The project should be a priority for the City, but based on the complexities of the effort and its public/private partnership potential, the process also needs to be watched closely to be sure the process is fair and maintains balance.
For more information on the project, contact Brad Power, Boulder Urban Renewal Authority, (303) 441-3219, or Charles Zucker, Boulder Planning Department, (303) 441-3128.
