Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Minutes - City Council - Meeting Date: 7/8/2003 (5) * PLEASE NOTE: Since the Glendale City Council does not take formal action at the Workshops, Workshop minutes are not approved by the City Council. MINUTES CITY OF GLENDALE CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP GLENDALE'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT VISION MEETING ASU WEST - KIVA ROOM 4701 WEST THUNDERBIRD RD JULY 8, 2003 2:00 p.m. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Elaine M. Scruggs, with Vice Mayor Thomas R. Eggleston and the following Councilmembers present: Joyce V. Clark, Steven E. Frate, David M. Goulet, H. Philip Lieberman, and Manuel D. Martinez. Also present were Ed Beasley, City Manager; Rick Flaaen, City Attorney; Pamela Hanna, City Clerk. Jim Colson, Economic Development Director, Present from ASU: Dr. Michael Crow, President; Elaine Maimon, Provost; Carol Poore, Vice Provost; Steve Miller, Deputy Vice-President of the Office of Public Affairs; and Bobby Magdaleno, ASU West Director of Constituent Relations; Dr. Crow said they are all involved in the process of building what will ultimately become one comprehensive public university located at multiple sites. He stated the cities within the region are evolving demographically, socially, culturally, and economically a little more rapidly than the university, therefore, he wants to reach out to the cities to obtain their input as to possible partnership opportunities. He said the university should reflect the community's needs, both in terms of higher education and economic development support, research and community engagement. He said ASU is considered a medium sized university in terms of finances, noting it is expected to spend $1 billion implementing the university's mission. He said, however, the university is one of the largest in terms of the number of students. Dr. Crow stated they have three simultaneous objectives, the first of which is to grow and diversify. He pointed out Arizona is one of five states that provide no state based financial aid to students for higher education, stating, therefore, the university has to provide its own financial assistance. He said their second objective is to enhance the quality of students, faculty, programs, and research programs. He noted ASU was chosen as the hottest university in the United States, explaining it was the only university of its size that was growing and enhancing quality at the same time. He identified their third objective as expanding their research capacity. He explained metropolitan Phoenix is half the size of metropolitan San Francisco, but metropolitan San Francisco has 12 times the scientific and technological investment. He said metropolitan Phoenix is the lowest of the major metropolitan areas in terms of research and development activities. Dr. Crow stated the number of applications is at record levels, despite a 40 percent increase in undergraduate in-state tuition. He said quality is also at record levels, noting 200 National Merit Scholars selected ASU as the number one school of choice. He reported research is at its highest level and the Freshman classes on the West and Main campuses are at their highest levels. He stated they want ASU to be connected to Glendale's vision for the city, not just in terms of the West campus, but in terms of the university as a whole. He said they have studied the University of London and the University of Minnesota as examples of how a university can evolve, noting the University of London has 40 locations around London. Vice Mayor Eggleston inquired about the University of London's programs. Dr. Crow responded that their programs are innovative and adaptive. Dr. Crow predicted that, during his lifetime, ASU West would be one of the largest public university campuses in the country, being distinctive from other parts of ASU and having its own academic identity. He said, in order to be of maximum value, ASU West will have to have an identity that is recognizable on a national basis. He explained they hope to develop a polytech university on the East campus and a Liberal Arts and Sciences university on the West campus. He stated the concept he has developed, "One University, Many Places", will give students at all campuses the same access to quality. He said each campus will have its own identity and compete with other similar schools on a national basis, but compliment the programs offered at each of the other campuses. Dr. Crow concluded his presentation, stating they want a constructive, engaged partnership relationship with the leading cities in this metropolitan area, noting they have already talked to Phoenix, Mesa and Scottsdale. In response to Councilmember Clark's question, Dr. Crow said certain classes are offered at multiple campuses due to the demand for those classes. Councilmember Clark asked what, if any, opportunities for telecommuting will the university offer. Dr. Crow stated the university currently offers 60,000 credit hours and complete degree programs over the Internet and has plans to expand its Internet offerings in the future. He stated ASU also has significant relationships with community colleges and is looking to enhance those relationships through joint admissions and joint bachelor degree programs. Councilmember Goulet asked if students transferring from other universities will be able to make a seamless transition and avoid having to duplicate credits. Dr. Crow said they hope to enhance their relationship with community colleges across the country and better communicate to students what classes they will need and which will be accepted by ASU. In response to Councilmember Martinez's questions, Dr. Crow stated ASU cannot respond fast enough to the demand at this point, but believe they can accommodate 2 another 25,000 students. He stated they continue planning for the future and their highest priority is to build out the East and West campuses. He explained ASU raised an additional $44 million in revenue this year through tuition increases, noting $15 million will go directly into financial assistance. Councilmember Goulet asked what criteria would have to be met for a downtown Glendale campus to be considered. Dr. Crow stated, assuming there is a logical reason for another campus and there is a need for particular programs at that campus, it then becomes a matter of finances. He explained the downtown Phoenix facility became available as a result of a real estate failure and ultimately cost pennies on the dollar. He noted Phoenix made the decision that part of the downtown area will become a bio-tech, bio-medical district. He said, given ASU's biotech and bio-medical programs, there might be some partnership opportunities. In response to Mr. Beasley's question, Dr. Crow explained, while they do not necessarily have a detailed master plan, they know what has to be done in order for the university to achieve its three objectives. He encouraged Glendale to contact ASU if it sees partnering opportunities that would help both the city and the university meet their goals. He noted Scottsdale approached the university to see how they could work together to improve economic development in south Scottsdale. He said Scottsdale basically wants ASU to develop a research park. Dr. Crow asked the Council how ASU and Glendale can partner and work together to the benefit of both parties. He said if Glendale can identify a core plan, they would sit down with Council to determine how they can work together to advance both of their visions. Mr. Steve Miller gave an example of ASU's partnership with Mesa to utilize their facilities for the Masters Public Affairs program. Similar partnering opportunities can be discussed. The City of Scottsdale came to ASU with a problem in south Scottsdale that is not evolving as planned. Together they reviewed the economic development plan for the area. He noted that ASU never had a plan to use Los Arcos as a site. Scottsdale has defined some issues, which will be discussed at a joint planning session in the fall. Scottsdale is interested in ASU developing a research park similar to Tempe's. Ms. Maimon said this meeting with the City of Glendale is the right place at the right time. President Crow is here to listen to where Glendale is on their economic development. We've participated in a number of joint activities/programs throughout the years. We want to hear what Glendale is doing, Glendale's dreams. We are open to partnerships with Glendale. Dr. Crow said we are trying to open the gates. Glendale knows what we are trying to do, how do we work together. We're open to any ideas. After we met with the Mesa City Council recently, their reaction was what partnership opportunities are there to leverage ASU's success as ASU looks at programs to leverage the City of Mesa's success. They have a lot riding on William's Air Force Base, that is where our east campus is 3 located. In response to a question from Councilmember Clark regarding potential additional ASU sites in Glendale, Dr. Crow said we would sit down with the City of Glendale and find out how we can work together to meet your agenda as it matches our agenda. Councilmember Lieberman noted that Glendale has the American Graduate School, Midwestern University, and Glendale Community College. It would be natural to work with all three of those institutions. ASU West is right on our border with Phoenix. He would image that all those could share courses with ASU West. Ms. Maimon gave examples of programs and shared usages already in affect between ASU West and these organizations. They are looking for other opportunities for cooperation on a broader scale. Mayor Scruggs stated the City of Glendale was founded in 1892 and currently measures 55 square miles, which makes it one of the smallest cities in terms of land mass. She said, assuming Glendale annexes all the land it can, at most, it could be 100 square miles, therefore it has to make the most out of every foot. She stated the city's current population is approximately 250,000 and the build out population will be 350,000. She said they envision Glendale as the central part of the valley, with employment, entertainment and commercial destinations that attract people from across the valley. Mayor Scruggs spoke about the tremendous success of Midwestern University, at 59th Avenue and Loop 101. Midwestern University has a 150-acre campus with 19 buildings, and a student enrollment of 1,155. There are 100 faculty members and 127, staff members, and 45 residents/interns. It is projected that Midwestern University will be in the middle of the bio-medical explosion. Mayor Scruggs commented on commercial developments within the city, including The Village at Arrowhead and Desert Glen Plaza. She noted The Village at Arrowhead at 67th Avenue and Loop 101 has 79,000 square feet of neighborhood retail development and is anchored by AJ's Fine Foods. Desert Glen Plaza, at 55th Avenue and Bell Road is 113,000 square feet and will be anchored by Kohl's. Desert Glen Plaza will open in October of 2002. She said Glendale is starting to attract stores, such as Kohl's, that have no other presence in the valley or, in some cases, the state. Mayor Scruggs noted 35 percent of the city's sales tax revenue is generated by businesses on the three miles of Bell Road that are located within the city's limits. We are starting to seek stores coming in that have no other presence in the west valley in some cases not in the valley. She stated the Talvi Business Park, at 59th Avenue and Bell Road, has only blossomed in the last two or three years. It represents an opportunity for Glendale to attract employment opportunities such as Precision Research, Federated Insurance and Betchel Engineering. 4 In response to a question from Dr. Crow, Mr. Coleson explained Precision Research does high tech business-to-business research. They will design a business research model for you then implement it. Dr. Crow asked if Betchel Engineering was the same as the San Francisco Betchel. Mayor Scruggs responded yes, the Glendale facility is for their North American Adminstration with an initial 450 employees. Mr. Coleson noted they expect to employ approximately 700 employees within a year and a half. In response to a question from Dr. Crow, Mayor Scruggs responded Federated Insurance is the first large-scale insurance company to locate in Glendale. She noted Federated Insurance is the eighth largest insurance company in the United Stated. This facility is their regional headquarters. Mr. Coleson said they primarily do business insurance. Mayor Scruggs commented we are planning on attracting more corporations such as Federated Insurance and Betchel Engineering. Dr. Crow said ASU's doesn't have an insurance focus but this is an example of the type of information, we could respond to through the management school. Also, Betchel is a global engineering company, which entails huge logistical issues. This is an area that ASU's main campus business school has one of the leading supply chain logistics programs in the country. We have just created a new office at the university, Associated Vice President for Economic Affairs to look at these mechanism and linkages to link what we have currently and plan for what will be needed in the future. Mayor Scruggs noted the Betchel facility houses the Human Resources functions. Dr. Crow stated Human Resources is another example of an area not presenting emphasized which could be in the future. Dr. Crow stated the insurance industry represents an opportunity for ASU as well because it does not currently focus on that industry. He said Bechtel also represents a global opportunity, noting ASU's main campus offers supply chain and logistics programs. We just created a new position, Associated Vice President for Economic Affairs, who will be finding linkage to existing programs and what needs to be added to address new opportunities. Mayor Scruggs stated we are very proud to be the home to four colleges/universities. Midwestern University, Thunderbird American Graduate School of International Management, Glendale Community College, and Arizona State University West Campus, which is barely outside, the city limits. Dr. Crow commented regarding the ASU West campus, this part of Phoenix is residential; Glendale is really the hub of this area. Mayor Scruggs downtown Glendale is the heart of our city; Murphy Park was donated to the city. There have been a lot of improvements over the last few years but it is still a work in progress. The city has played a significant part in these improvements. Mayor Scruggs commented on the 13,000 square foot, Glendale Civic Center that has been host to gun shows, wedding receptions and small conventions as well as business and association meeting. Also, noting the city's purchase o of the Bank of America Building across from Murphy Park and the City Hall complex. Mayor Scruggs stated the western area of Glendale is approximately 10 square miles. 5 Our focus for this area is to attract employment and other amenities. The Glendale Airport and Airpark are located in this the western area. The airport runway has been expanded to 7,100 feet long and 100 feet wide allowing it to accommodate the largest corporate jets. The city recently issued an RFP for a corporate jet facility. Mayor Scruggs stated the Western Area Regional Facility, 83`d Avenue and Bethany Home, is an 88-acre facility that will house a police and fire station as well as a regional park that will include a lake, a community center, a recreation center, an aquatics park, and horse trails. She also reviewed an elevation slide for Northern Avenue, depicting the city's plans to make Northern Avenue a parkway. Mayor Scruggs stated the Aqua Fria Towne Center, Camelback Road and Loop 101, is a 54-acre, 520,000 square foot center, which is anchored by a Wal-mart Supercenter. Zanjero, 91 stAvenue and Glendale Avenue and Rovey Farm Estates residential developments are proceeding. Zanjero is 160 acres and Rovey Farm Estates, 83td Avenue and Glendale Avenue is 294 acres, 797 lots, with a dedicated city park and school site. Mayor Scruggs stated the Coyotes Arena Project Mater Plan would include 6,000,000 of mixed-use development. Included are: 17,5000- seat arena; 1.6 million square foot of various retail uses; 2.0 million square feet of class-A office space; 600,000 square feet of entertainment and dining; 2 to 4 major hotels, and a mix of residential options. Mayor Scruggs stated the city is also very excited about the Cardinal's stadium project, noting it is expected to open in 2006 and will host its first Fiesta Bowl in 2007. It will have 63,000 permanent seats expandable to 73,000 seats for mega events; retractable roof and roll-out natural grass field; 16,000 on-site parking spaces and youth sports field; 117,000 square feet exhibition space, and will be the home of the Arizona Cardinals, Tositos Fiesta Bowl; potential Super Bowls, NCAA Final Fours, conventions and trade shows. Mayor Scruggs stated the City of Glendale future plans include: continuing to stimulate private investment; adding 15,000 quality jobs; enhancing dining, entertainment, and retail options; continuing to improve design standards and facilities; and revitalizing the downtown. Mayor Scruggs concluded her presentation, stating Glendale has to be selective as to what comes in, given its limited size. A lot of communities to the west want to be the home for many people; Glendale wants to be an employment, entertainment and shopping area. She said Glendale's focus is on attracting quality jobs. Dr. Crow suggested they have their economic development people work with the city to identify ways both parties can take advantage of burgeoning opportunities. He stated Arizona State University's concept is "One University, Many Places", which will give students at all campuses the same access to quality. We need to form partnership to accomplish our objectives. Mayor Scruggs stated Council is very open to whatever 6 partnership opportunities may exist and is excited about the possibilities. Councilmember Martinez noted Midwestern University received 5,000 applications for 100 open slots when they first opened. Dr. Crow pointed out ASU offers a nursing program at its West campus. Ms. Maimon stated they are working on partnerships with other colleges. She stated high school students can get a nursing assistant certificate and be employed at a hospital that will pay their tuition while they go to school. She said ASU and the city could partner to develop a program that encourages students to obtain their nursing assistant certificates, which could result in an interest that carries through to their college years. Mayor Scruggs commented on the difficulties hospitals face when trying to recruit qualified nurses. Dr. Crow assured City Council that it was apparent that there were opportunities for partnering. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 4:15 p.m. 7