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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2200 PARKS AVENUE MAYOR’S ADVISORY PANEL RECOMMENDATIONS2200 Parks Avenue Mayor’s Advisory Panel Findings & Guiding Principles Emily Labows, Cultural Affairs Director September 8, 2026 Focused Action Plan Places 2.13 Assemble an advisory group to advise regarding a recommended path and future for the former MOCA site 2 3 Advisory Panel Purpose & Charge A Mayor’s Advisory Panel was convened in June 2026 to help inform the future of 2200 Parks Avenue, consistent with City Council’s interest in its continued cultural and community use. The Panel’s work focused on: •Reviewing the building, site and surrounding context •Engaging the community to understand priorities and interests • Considering practical, financial and operational factors •Developing guiding principles to help inform City Council’s future consideration of the property The Panel’s role was not to select an operator or recommend a specific future use. Advisory Panel & Process 1 PANEL KICKOFF Reviewed the Focused Action Plan initiative, site context, building conditions and comparable approaches. 2 COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSION Residents explored the building, voted on priorities and uses, joined facilitated discussions and submitted written comments. 3 PANEL REVIEW Panel members considered community input alongside priorities identified during their first meeting. 4 GUIDING PRINCIPLES The Panel translated areas of alignment into six principles for City Council’s future consideration. 4 Community Listening Session At a Glance 5 July 27, 2026 Open house community engagement at 2200 Parks Avenue 162 ATTENDEES 73 COMMENT CARDS 4 COMMUNITY QUESTIONS 3 WAYS TO PROVIDE INPUT DOT VOTING Priorities, activities and future decision considerations FACILITATED DISCUSSION Ideas, concerns and priorities WRITTEN COMMENTS Additional perspectives and ideas Dot voting shows relative priority; the listening session was not a statistically representative survey. What We Heard from the Community 6 Across voting, discussion and written comments, several themes consistently emerged. Arts & Cultural Identity Strong interest in visual and performing arts, classes, exhibitions, music and creative activity. Active, Multi-Use Destination Multiple reasons to visit and return, with year-round activity and a changing mix of experiences. Community Benefit & Access A welcoming, community-serving place with meaningful public access and broad participation. Building, Grounds & ViBe Connection Preserve and reuse the building and grounds while strengthening connections to the ViBe Creative District. Education, Youth & Partnerships Education, youth opportunities and partnerships that could expand programming and resources. Responsible Stewardship Long-term value, adaptability and financial responsibility were important considerations; residential/private development also drew significant concern. Advisory Panel Guiding Principles 7 1 Arts & Cultural Identity Maintain arts, culture and creativity as a meaningful and visible component of the site’s identity, with opportunities for diverse cultural experiences, participation and creative activity. Arts and culture were among the strongest themes in the community input and Panel discussion. 2 Community Benefit, Public Access & Connectivity Provide meaningful community benefit, regular public access and broadly accessible opportunities for participation. Strengthen access and connections to surrounding destinations. Public access, inclusion, community benefit and connectivity were recurring priorities. 3 Financial & Operational Sustainability Strive for a revenue-neutral outcome for the City that does not require ongoing City operating subsidy, while allowing partnerships, private investment and revenue-generating uses. Financial sustainability was a notable Panel consideration. Advisory Panel Guiding Principles 8 4 Active, Multi-Use Destination Create multiple reasons to visit and return, with regular and year-round activity and a changing mix of experiences for residents and visitors. Year-round activity and multiple reasons to visit were recurring themes in both community input and Panel discussion. 5 Building Preservation & Site Activation Preserve and adaptively reuse the existing building and grounds, activate indoor and outdoor spaces, and strengthen connections to the ViBe Creative District. Preserving and reusing the building and grounds was a strong theme in both community input and Panel discussion. 6 Partnerships & Community Connections Encourage feasible partnerships that can expand programming, participation, expertise, resources and long-term support for the site. Partnerships and connections to the surrounding community were recurring considerations throughout the process. Advisory Panel’s Overall Direction 9 Build upon 2200 Parks Avenue as a distinctive community asset with a strong arts and cultural identity, meaningful public access, active and adaptable uses, and a financially sustainable operating model. •Preserve its identity - retain the building and grounds and a meaningful arts and cultural presence. •Keep it active and accessible - create multiple reasons for the community to use and return to the property. •Allow flexibility for the future - consider partnerships and viable concepts without prescribing a single operator or use. 10 Council Consideration & Feedback 3 The Advisory Panel’s guiding principles are presented for City Council’s consideration and feedback. Staff Recommendation: •Initiate a Request for Proposals (RFP) process incorporating the Advisory Panel's guiding principles into the review and ranking of submittals. Other Options: •Take no further action at this time. •Provide other direction to staff.