BLUE ASH COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOCUS GROUPS MARCH, 2014

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Cameron Young
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1 BLUE ASH COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOCUS GROUPS MARCH,

2 FORCES AND TRENDS FACING SUBURBAN CITIES 1. Housing demands and changing demographics 2. Evolving suburban office parks 3. Improving quality of life and livability 2

3 HOUSING DEMANDS AND CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS 3

4 SHRINKING HOUSEHOLD SIZE Decrease of 1.12 person per household in last 64 years 4

5 DECREASE IN NUMBER OF TRADITIONAL FAMILIES 5

6 AGING BABY BOOMERS Millennials Born

7 AGING BABY BOOMERS 7

8 BLUE ASH HAS AN ESPECIALLY SMALL HOUSEHOLD SIZE Cincinnati Suburbs Average Household Size Blue Ash 2.4 Loveland 2.55 Madeira 2.58 Montgomery 2.6 Wyoming 2.68 Symmes Township 2.68 Deerfield Township 2.69 Mason 2.77 Other Comparisons Average Household Size Ohio 2.44 US 2.58 Dublin, OH 2.78 Naperville, IL 2.79 Brentwood, TN

9 BLUE ASH HAS AN AGING POPULATION AND SO DO MANY OF OUR NEIGHBORS Cincinnati Suburbs Median Age of Residents Deerfield Township 35.8 Loveland 38.0 Mason 38.4 Symmes Township 39.1 Blue Ash 41.6 Wyoming 42.4 Madeira 42.9 Montgomery 46.9 Other Comparisons Median Age of Residents Ohio 36.8 US

10 DECREASE IN NUMBER OF SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN Nursery school, preschool Kindergarten to 12th grade College, undergraduate Graduate, professional school 10

11 SUMMARY RESIDENTIAL TRENDS 1. 40% of population growth by 2040 will be ages 65 and older 2. Housing growth by ages will be halved 3. 80% household growth will be households without children 4. 40% will be single-person households 5. Half of new housing demand will be for attached housing, most of the rest will be small lot homes 6. Half of the growth in households will be renters Source: Arthur C. Nelson, University of Utah 11

12 What, if any, alternative housing choices should Blue Ash consider to meet changing demographics? 12

13 EVOLVING SUBURBAN OFFICE PARKS 13

14 BLUE ASH S CURRENT OFFICE PRODUCT 4.6 million square feet Office vacancy rate of 14.2% (Cincinnati region 21.7%) 60+ multiple tenant office buildings construction in 70s and 80s Less than 20 constructed since 1990 None built in last 5 years 14

15 CHALLENGES FACING SUBURBAN OFFICE PARKS Attraction of young workers High costs of real estate Landscaping grounds and maintenance Rising transportation costs Auto dependency E-commerce Nature of work is changing Resurgence of downtown offices Change in office products mixed use, walkable, flexible Millennials are attracted to: A career that fits their lives Quality of life appeal Live, work, play Renting apartments even if they work in the suburbs Smaller living space size is not a factor 15

RESEARCH TRIANGLE, NC IS REINVENTING ITS IMAGE Country s first research park 7,000 acres established 1959 Developments are dated and not attracting workers Working to attract new land

16 RESEARCH TRIANGLE, NC IS REINVENTING ITS IMAGE Country s first research park 7,000 acres established 1959 Developments are dated and not attracting workers Working to attract new land uses: Educational, Residential, and Urban Research Service Districts Planning for new design guidelines, new signage, aaddition of jogging/ pedestrian path network, and green infrastructure 16

17 Existing Proposed redevelopment 17

NEW JERSEY OFFICE PARKS ARE GETTING MAKEOVERS 1980s building boom of highwayoriented suburban office corridors Office inventory is now aging and undesirable The supply of obsolete and

18 NEW JERSEY OFFICE PARKS ARE GETTING MAKEOVERS 1980s building boom of highwayoriented suburban office corridors Office inventory is now aging and undesirable The supply of obsolete and underperforming office product is destined to grow New Jersey is losing jobs to NYC Planners and architects are starting to reimagine the suburban office building Centra Office Building - Before 18

19 ITS NOT JUST WHERE YOU BUILD, ITS HOW YOU BUILD Centra Metropark - After 19

20 OAKLEY STATION 74 acre mixed-use development 225,000 sf retail 350,000 sf office 302 residential units 20

21 KENWOOD COLLECTION 300,000 sf retail 270,000 sf office 2,300-space parking garage Office to be completed in summer/fall 2015 and retail in

22 LIBERTY CENTER 1.4 million sf retail, office, cinema, dining, hotel, and residential complex 75,000 sf office 200 luxury apartments Opening

23 What can be done to make the Blue Ash office parks competitive in a changing economy? 23

24 IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE AND LIVABILITY 24

25 QUALITY OF LIFE ELEMENTS Many elements can improve an area s quality of life for its residents including: Access to parks and recreation facilities Walking paths and trails Desirable commercial destinations Restaurants and entertainment amenities Quality work environments Safe transportation networks and complete streets Housing options that are affordable, safe, and desirable 25

26 COMPLETE STREETS CAN IMPROVE SENSE OF PLACE Communities across the Country are implementing complete street programs to increase the comfort, safety, and convenience of travel for everyone motorists, bicyclists, pedestrians, transit 26

27 BLUE ASH STREETS ARE AUTO- ORIENTED AND LACK OPTIONS 27

28 BLUE ASH IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CONNECTIVITY PLAN 28

29 BLUE ASH SUMMIT PARK DEVELOPMENT 29

30 What does Blue Ash need to do to improve the quality of life and livability for its residents? 30

31 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. What, if any, alternative housing choices should Blue Ash consider to meet changing demographics? 2. What can be done to make the Blue Ash office parks competitive in a changing economy? 3. What does Blue Ash need to do to improve the quality of life and livability for its residents? 31

32 MAP ACTIVITY Step 1. Get Familiar with the materials provided to you. Step 2. Classify residential neighborhoods and business districts into one of 3 categories: Stable neighborhoods/business districts (use green marker) Neighborhoods/business districts in transition (use blue marker) Neighborhoods/business districts in need of significant change (use red marker) Step 3. Identify locations for improvements Step 4. Review Map Step 5. Present Results (if time allows) 32

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