helper, utah revitalization project

Helper, UTSDAT

Helper

Helper is…

• HOME• Historic• Unique• Peaceful/Enchanting/Amazing

/Magical• Multicultural/Diverse• Artsy• Helper is Undiscovered/Helper

is Emerging• Helper is Growing – concern

over maintaining the above qualities.

It’s about Place

• Home/Historic/Authentic/Unique Sense of Place• It’s not about creating something new, but about

amplifying and strengthening what you have • Residents want new development to reflect,

honor, and strengthen the unique sense of place that exists today, and they want affordability/authenticity protected. A placemaking strategy is needed.

Community-generated TasksWhat Can YOU do in the next 90 days?Volunteer My TimeClean Up/Plant TreesPromote HelperSupport Local BusinessesMain Street InvestmentPlanning and ZoningContinue the Conversation!

If I had 1,000 VolunteersClean Up the TownClean up the River/Trails & Plant/LandscapePaint (murals, buildings, sidewalks, bridge)Support Businesses/Restore or Tear down buildings

Postcards of Helper

Dreams & AspirationsHow would you define community success in the next 5 years?Economic prosperity & job growth – sustainable fiscal trajectory Vibrant downtown and new businesses – but maintain authenticity!Pride and Perception change – becomes a destination for visitors and new residentsImplementation!

Postcards: Your Vision of Helper in the FutureVibrant, Economically prosperous, family-friendly, authentic, historic – DESTINATION.The Gateway to Carbon County

historic preservation &main street

Broader historic context

Broader understanding of all historic resources

Recommendations:

• Develop internet friendly ways of telling the full story of Helper and the surrounding mining communities.

• Include interpretive signage in all projects, even simple things like the “Welcome Friends” tiles in the Wedge.

• Do comprehensive historic survey of the rest of town and surrounding camps.

Maintain existing building stock

Great signage, both old and new

Expansion of the historic district

Incentives

• Federal Rehab Tax Credit – commercial only– lengthy process – 20% of project

• Utah State Tax Credit – residential only– lengthy process – 20% of project

• CLG (certified local government) grants – $10k• Solar tax credit (Utah) - sunsets 2017

– up to $2k for residential– up to $50k for commercial

Simple explanatory standards

Recommendations:

• Jump on any potential individual solar panel projects.• Move forward with the historic district expansion.• Put some teeth in your local historic district

ordinance, but keep it simple.• Get training for historic preservation committee.

Educate owners and decision makers

Simple pamphlets for common issues

Basic Preservation PrinciplesDo:

• remove architectural details• add features that were never there• use T1-11 and plywood as exterior

siding• use the front portion of a commercial

building’s first floor for residential use

• sandblast to clean or remove paint from brick or stone

• use aluminum or vinyl siding• enlarge window openings or close

them off

Don’t:• maintain a largely transparent

ground floor in commercial buildings• break awnings at pilasters• repoint masonry with a softer, high-

lime content mortar, not modern mortar

• maintain a good paint job• repair rather than replace historic

window frames• put new additions on the rear• use asphalt comp shingles as

replacements for wood shingles• fit signage to the building

Recommendations:

• Make available to public information about preservation and best practices, or at least show them where to access the information – websites, flyers.

• Develop simple 1-2 page pamphlets on common issues and how to deal with them.

• Provide information to owners, contractors, realtors, potential investors, developers.

Activate upper floor windows

Activate upper floor windows

Activate alleys

Activate back of buildings

Activate back of buildings

Finish key visible projects

Great collection of storefronts

Activate storefronts

Especially those visible from multiple locations

Activate storefronts

Be creative!

Active, lighted storefronts

Active, lighted storefronts

Recommendations:

• Quick storefront activation, making them as transparent as possible.

• Begin making simple repairs to storefronts and upper floor windows.

• Make other streetscape improvements – finish wedge, add benches, repair side entries.

organization & marketing

Organization• Critical first step• Multiple options, pick ones that work for you• Identifies point person, creates $ opportunities

Arts Alliance-Joint marketing-Arts events, classes-Public art program

Business Association-Joint marketing-Entrepreneur support/mentoring-Business assistance-Consumer shopping events

Redevelopment Org-Market property-Development assistance-Track community data-Provide incentives

Funding

• Formalizing organizational structure allows:– Receive grant funds

• Utah Arts & Museums $2,500 Nonprofit Arts Grant

– Solicit tax-deductible contributions/memberships

• Future options:– Potential future business improvement/parking

district– Arts & Cuture 0.1% sales tax

Market Overview

• Residents core of customer base

• Currently retain 34% of local spending

• Tourist potential is significant

Business Mix• Current mix well

diversified• Coordinated business

events positive• Encourage additional

product lines within existing businesses

Vacant Spaces

• Vacancies create opportunities to complement, test market or popup

• Multi-tenant shared spaces, standard hours of operation

Opportunities

• Unmet Local Demand

• Also grocery, but natural grocery opening

Category Opportunity

Sporting Goods/Hobbies Sporting Goods - Repair, Sales Hobby – Art supply, classes, etc.

Clothing Either combined with sporting goods or artisan, or also offering online sales

Gifts & Convenience Within existing museum, businesses

Artisan Market New store, lines within existing stores

Restaurant Quick serve, to-go, pizza, ethnic

Marketing Now

• 38% of Businesses have online presence

• 1,600 max social media followers

• No more than 2 destinations listed on any single tourism site

• No information on hours

Marketing Future - Expectations

Family Friendly Fun

Marketing Future – Exploration

Annual Impact

Employment: 11% +

City Tax Revenues: 17% +

Retail & Restaurant Sales: 18% +

Visitors: 111% +

Get Started Now

• Pull out your phone. Review a favorite destination.

• Identify a specific task that you can contribute. Blog? Pull Weeds? Photograph? Social Media?

• Share your skills. Teach yoga in the park, host a kids paint session, lead a cell phone photography tour, haunted history tour

urban design &streetscape

Urban Design

His

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ain

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Postcards from the future…

Hill Street Now

Hill Street “Green Street”By Nick Kiahtipes

Morris Column

Next Steps…

1) Facilitate Community wide cleanup with volunteers.

2) Have Soren Simonsen, FAIA, local architect from SLC to assist in seeking budget/fees from a landscape architect to develop professional landscape plan for Main Street and a construction budget range.

3) Develop list of potential funding partners who could assist in funding cost of plan and landscape improvements on Main Street to include lighting, trees, benches, etc. once landscape plan is complete and budget range determined.

best practices &case studies

Helper CAN achieve its aspirations

“You gave us hope. Back in 1992, your ideas seemed like dreams. Now we are living those dreams.”

– Rick Smith, San Angelo Times-Standard, 2012

Boerne, TX: (2008-pop 8,000)

Leveraging Place

Outcomes

Implementation: Port Angeles, Washington (Population: 17,000)2009 Project

Port Angeles, WA : 2 months post-SDAT, 43 buildings repainted with volunteers and donated paint, (at least 3,500 volunteer hours, or roughly $66,500 worth of donated labor)

led to a façade improvement program, then private $.

Bike Facilities

Wayfinding & Signage

Port Angeles, Washington

“This opportunity for our community was a catalyst for action, implementation and improvement. Three years after the SDAT team arrived, the progress and excitement continue. A primary outcome has been that the process awakened community pride and inspired a “together we can” attitude.” – Nathan West, Community Development Director

New Private Investment

2009 - Civic Pride Paradox

“I’ve seen Newport come, and I’ve seen it go.” - Lifelong Newport resident

Newport – Two Years Later

Civic “Attitude Adjustment”– “When you have people working together, things

can happen and do happen. That’s the most important change that has occurred – a change in attitude. All of a sudden, nothing is impossible.” –Newport Citizen

Wayfinding & Signage

2014 – Speed Skating Marathon

February 21, 2015 – 1st sanctioned Winter Swimming Championship in North America

Now it’s fun!

Honor the Helper Tradition – Get Involved!

Thank you Helper!