Loop Project Notes
TEAM Punta Gorda
Annual Meeting
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Punta Gorda Isles Civic Association Building
The meeting was called to
order at 6:30 p.m. by Board Member and Communications and
Public Education Leader Marilyn Thomas. The invited guests
were recognized and included County Commissioners, the
Assistant County Administrator, City Mayor, Vice Mayor, and
Council members, City Manager and staff, and the director of
Enterprise Punta Gorda.
Maryann Cavanna, the President of the Punta Gorda Isles
Civic Association welcomed all the attendees, stating that
the PGICA facility is available for public education
meetings such as this one, and congratulated TEAM for the
wonderful job done in assisting the people of Punta Gorda in
having a voice in what is happening in the city.
President of the Board of Directors, Roger Peterson, looked
over the room of approximately 300 people, and stated this
answered his question as to whether anyone would show up
tonight which indicated the commitment of this community to
make Punta Gorda a better place to live after the
devastating experience of three and a half years ago. He
introduced the members of the Board of Directors. He pointed
out that in any organization things change over time and for
a variety of reasons. TEAM has moved through recovering from
the hurricane to developing strategic plans, and working
with the City and County on those plans. He advised the
group that Judy Brentano, our CEO for the past year and
half, would be stepping down effective January 2008 due to
health reasons. The Board regretfully accepted her
resignation. He stated that she has given greatly of her
time to the City and the TEAM organization.
Judy Brentano, CEO, next presented TEAM’s 2007 “Report
Card,” reviewing the completed arenas of action and
strategies for TEAM in 2007.
A. Build a strong TEAM Punta Gorda through:
Administration and Infrastructure
Expanded and refocused key committees
• Advisory Council - expanded from 16 to 21 members with
more diversity in areas of interest
• Community and Economic Task Force - monitors key projects
around the City - expanded from 9 to 19 project leaders.
Funding, create fund development plan
• Successful annual golf tournament reached the $10,000
goal.
• Paver sales continue for beautification projects.
• Contributions from members
Grant research and writing
• Wrote and received $7500 grant from Charlotte Community
Foundation for an up-coming Summit.
The Charlotte Community Foundation was recognized and
thanked for this funding assistance.
Volunteers
• Increase from 1500 to 1951 members. Overall membership
increased 77% in the past two years.
• Volunteer recruitment and coordination. Volunteer roll
increased from 200 to 300.
• Volunteers staffed 9 public events in the city in 2007,
along with office staffing, data base maintenance,
bookkeeping, and other administrative functions.
• The entire organization’s activities and projects are
managed by a 12-member Operations team.
B. Develop and maintain effective public relations:
Communications and Advocacy, by publishing periodic
newsletters
• 10 Impulse on-line newsletters were sent out in 10 months.
It is available to members who have current e-mail addresses
with us
• Website as an information source showed phenomenal
activity averaging 775 hits per day; 220,489 hits from
January through October, 2007.
Government Relations, to keep lines of communication open
and make TEAM resources available
• Government Relations team was expanded from one to 16
people. Our representatives attend not only City Council and
County Commission meetings but boards and committees such as
Planning, Parks and Recreation, Historic Preservation Board,
Revitalization Committee, Beautification Committee,
Waterfront Advisory Committee and Charlotte Harbor CRA. Each
representative reports in the day of the meeting and the
entire group convenes once a month to share information from
which recommendations are made to the Operations Team and
Board of Directors.
Collaboration and Partnerships, forming strategic alliances
and offering support
• TEAM members serve on the Historic Mural Society Advisory
Board, Hibiscus Housing Trust Board, Leadership Advisory
Board of Charlotte Community Foundation, Peace River
National Arts Festival planning committee, and Boaters
Alliance.
C. Support community development
Economic Development, working to accelerate downtown
development
• Wrote grant which funded the Chesapeake Group Economic
Feasibility Study and Report to the City.
• Assisted with the founding of Enterprise Punta Gorda, and
a TEAM member serves on its Board of Directors
.
Working with Chambers and Tourism to bring events to town
• A TEAM member serves on the Main Street Punta Gorda Board.
Working to increase community involvement in waterfront
development and revitalization
• TEAM members serve on the City’s Waterfront Advisory
Committee and the Beautification Committee.
Community Support and Beautification Projects extending
beautification throughout Greater Punta Gorda
• Pocket park plantings donated and volunteer workforce
assisted City in completing the park.
• Bridge banner art competition funded and hosted with
installation of banners in August 2007.
Wayfinder program and trolley system
• Promoted the City’s bike rack donation program.
• TEAM member assisted with the business plan development
for trolley system.
It was announced that Frank Mazur will become the chairman
of the C&E Task Force, taking over for Tom Kerr, who will
continue serving on both the TEAM Punta Gorda Board and the
Board of Enterprise Punta Gorda. Suzanne McCormick will
chair the Beautification Committee, assisted by Peggy
Jensen, and past chair, John Benande, will continue in
volunteer roles as needed.
It was announced that the Board of Directors, upon
recommendation and unanimous vote, appointed Nancy Prafke as
the next CEO of TEAM. She has served as Team Leader for
Operations and Administration and will assume her new duties
in January 2008.
Last year Ms. Brentano closed by describing TEAM’s
personality as “works hard and plays well with others.”
Although she believes that is still true, she stated that
the new brochure headline says it best: “Team works.” This
has two connotations. First , TEAM works - as an
organizational concept. And TEAM works - to make Punta Gorda
the place we want to be.
Bill Hughes, Chair of the Advisory Council, recognized its
21 members, noting that they include representatives of the
City and County, tourism, economic development, business
both large and small, Chambers of Commerce, various other
associations and citizens. The Council meets monthly, with
one or two topics on the agenda for discussion and reports
back to the Operating Committee and Board of Directors for
their review and action. Discussions have included guests
and topics on affordable/workforce housing, (leading to
discussion of better paying jobs and new industry), keeping
downtown Punta Gorda a viable destination for residents and
visitors, the need for a “brand” for the city to attract and
support the aforementioned new businesses and better-paying
jobs, and the need for TEAM to continue as an organization
but on a new track.
Tom Kerr, Chairman of the Community and Economic Development
Task Force, cited projects this team was involved with in
2007: Harbor Inn, Wyvern Hotel, 3-D Project, WiFi, The
Avenues, Herald Court Parking Garage, Wal-Mart, The Loop,
FGCU Regional Center, University of Florida Artisans
Village, affordable housing, transportation issues, mooring
fields, Laishley Park Phase I, the Event Center, and City
Marketplace.
Using a baseball analogy, Dr. Kerr stated that he sees
working with Wal-Mart on architectural design to have been a
“sacrifice bunt.” Although TEAM didn’t have a great deal of
input with the Wyvern Hotel, he considered the involvement
to be a “single.”
The Herald Court Parking Garage project was deemed a
“double.” TEAM proposed moving the entrance off Herald Court
to retain it as a pedestrian area. TEAM’s architectural
group met with City staff and City Council and were able to
achieve moving the entrance further north than previously
proposed so that about 60% of Herald Court will be
pedestrian area.
The Event Center project he considered a “triple”— working
with County Commissioners and County and City staff to make
architectural changes which we’ll see in 2008. With the City
Marketplace project, although not yet at bat, he is hoping
for a “home run.”
Architectural renderings were shown of what we can expect to
see by next year at this time—The Avenues, Wyvern Hotel,
Herald Court Parking Garage, Sunloft Center, Laishley Park
Marina Phase I, Courthouse, and the Event Center.
Projects for C & E Task Force monitoring or continued
involvement in 2008 were listed as the Harbor Inn, Wyvern
Hotel, 3-D Project, The Loop, Laishley Park Phase II, Rails
to Trails, Mural Society projects, Mooring Fields, City
Marketplace, transportation issues (41 North underpass
walkway, linear park trail, corridor assessment management
and plan, water taxi, and trolley), Airport Authority, Aqui
Esta and 41 project.
He discussed the importance of working with the County
Commissioners and staff regarding location of the Florida
Gulf Coast University Regional Center in Charlotte County.
He also explained the University of Florida Artisans Village
project, and that a National Endowment for the Arts grant
has been applied for. A response is expected in April of
2008.
John Benande, Chairman of the Beautification Committee,
discussed the efforts of TEAM, working with the City to help
advance beautification projects which cannot be accomplished
solely within the City budget. Last February we conducted a
contest for the selection of a design for the Peace River
decorative bridge banners which was done on behalf of the
City and County in conjunction with the Charlotte County
Arts and Humanities Council and the Visual Arts Center.
Local artists submitted over 70 designs. The winners, two
members of the Charlotte County Young Professionals, were
announced at a reception on February 22nd.
In April, our volunteers completed landscaping for the
Courthouse Plaza pocket park and parking lot on the corner
of Olympia and Taylor Streets. TEAM was also recognized with
a plaque by the City at the annual Arbor Day ceremony for
our contributions to city beautification.
We participated with the City, County, Enterprise Punta
Gorda, and the Spirit of Punta Gorda organization in
planning and funding the celebration at Laishley Park. This
event included a concert by the Jim Morris band and
dedication of the Spirit of Punta Gorda sculpture.
Mr. Benande reported that sales of engraved pavers continue,
which supports our beautification program expenses. Many
pavers representing individuals and businesses have been
installed by the City in Herald Court and the Courthouse
pocket park. Also, the City is placing decorative bike racks
around town, which can be purchased by sponsors directly
from the City for $260. Projects for the coming year will be
discussed with City staff, and we hope to be able to
continue helping the City bridge budget gaps with the aid of
our volunteers. He suggested that if you have not already
done so, please contact TEAM to become a volunteer and be
part of this rewarding project.
Nancy Johnson. Non-Profit Resources and Grants leader,
reported that much of the work done this year relates to the
goals set during our strategic planning sessions. One area
of emphasis is collaboration and providing support to
partner organizations throughout the community. We were
pleased and excited to support Enterprise Punta Gorda in its
successful effort to start a Main Street program for the
City and assisting with their successful grant application
this past summer.
Strategic planning assistance or workshops were also
provided to the board of New Operation Cooper Street,
Charlotte County Arts and Humanities Council, Sea Grape
Gallery Co-op, and the Charlotte County Homeless Coalition.
Grants were written for the Hibiscus Housing Trust as well
as the UF Artisans Village project, and research was done on
waterfront funding.
TEAM will host a Summit on Community and Economic
Development, the idea for which came out of the Chesapeake
Group report. The report pointed out the many talented
organizations in this community and encouraged them to work
together. The Summit is currently being planned by a
committee of key leaders in the community and is slated to
focus on city branding and creating a marketable identity
for the city.
Session 1 would include a branding expert and models from
other successful communities; Session 2 would explore how
community organizations can work together on projects to
bring the branding effort alive; Session 3 would report on
invite response from the community. The Charlotte Community
Foundation was thanked for funding of the speaker portion of
the Summit.
Marilyn Thomas, Communications and Public Education Leader,
explained that TEAM has been giving design awards since the
summer of 2006 to businesses who have rebuilt following the
principles of the Citizens’ Master Plan. Awards given in
2007 were: City of Punta Gorda for Laishley Park and Marina,
Dean’s South of the Border, and St. Mary’s Primitive Baptist
Church.
She outlined communications with the community, including a
new brochure which is now available, the Impulse on-line
publication and TEAM’s website (www.teampuntagorda.org. She
requested citizens keep us up to date with their new e-mail
addresses. Anyone with PR, media or marketing background who
would be interested in working with TEAM was asked to fill
out a volunteer form or contact TEAM’s office.
Nancy Prafke, Operations and Administration Leader, spoke
about TEAM’s office move last July to 252 West Marion
Avenue, Suite 121, second floor, which is a space shared
with the Chamber of Commerce. The office is more centrally
located in town. The move increases TEAM’s office
accessibility and availability since the Chamber’s office is
open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. to Volunteer
opportunities were indicated for: Beautification, Community
& Economic Task Force, Communications Team, Finance,
Fundraising, Office and other Staff, Operations &
Administration, Special Events Team, Volunteer Coordinating
Assistant, and Website.
The new V.I.P Crew duties, assisting with community events,
was outlined. Planned fundraising events for 2008 included
an auction at the Old Town Antique Mart on December 15,
2007, in conjunction with their grand opening, and the
Annual Golf Tournament in the spring of 2008. Of course
general donations from citizens, which were instrumental in
TEAM’s formation, are most welcome.
Submitted by
Betsy Taylor,
Recording Secretary
TEAM Punta Gorda
Annual Meeting
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Punta Gorda Isles Civic Association Building
The Loop Project
Keynote Speaker, Mr. Tom Wilder, Developer of The Loop, gave
the citizens a good overview of the project.
He stated that he’s been on a number of committees, working
on projects like this, and has never seen a group so
organized, pro-active, and dedicated. The County
Commissioners and staff have been supportive and diligent in
their reviews and the city has been very, very welcoming. He
stated it is important to him to tell The Loop story, and
what is happening in the market, because the story gets
retailers and residents excited, which puts the developer in
a better position to be successful.
He introduced his Dad, Joe Wilder, who is the founder of
Wilder Companies, and other associates who supervise
development, permitting, and who work with the city. The
Loop will include specialty stores and lifestyle stores,
giving a merchandising mix.
The Wilder Companies have developed and operated 50 shopping
centers (totaling 20 million sq.ft. of space) in Florida,
New England, Chicago, Texas, Phoenix, and Puerto Rico, to
name a few. They combine leisure and convenience, dining,
entertainment, and retail, with a streetscape concept and a
higher level of design and finishes. Their developments are
designed to be pedestrian friendly, family oriented, and
fun, with unique architecture, fountains, outdoor seating,
and all open air but still with convenient parking. The
Punta Gorda development will be of a size and magnitude to
draw from a 15-20 mile radius. Pictures were shown of The
Loop developments in Metheun, Orlando (which now has an
additional Loop West also), and Northborough, Massachusetts.
The Punta Gorda site is 200 acres, will have 1.2 million
sq.ft. of retail, with specialty, anchor and junior anchor
stores, shops, and restaurants. Plans include 500
residential units (some for sale, some rental), for a
live/work/play atmosphere, and either one 200-room hotel, or
two hotels providing the 200 rooms, and 100,000 sq.ft. of
office space (some above the retail and some free standing).
He stated that Punta Gorda was chosen for this development
because of its residential growth figures and demographics,
proximity to I-75, Highway 41, and the airport and its
commercial hub (Florida grows up around its airports); also
the revitalization under way in the downtown, with the Event
Center and Sunloft under construction, but still void of
retail and entertainment, causing a large amount of retail
dollars leaving Punta Gorda and the county. He said that
retailers get it--that this is the place to be--as residents
are going down to Fort Myers and Naples, and up to the
northern areas for their shopping. He showed a map with
shopping areas indicated from Sarasota to Naples, and
pointed out the clusters both to the north and south of
Punta Gorda, and just one in this entire area. He feels
Jones Loop is an ideal spot, as the Burnt Store area is also
a growing corridor, and the airport area east of I-75 will
also be prime for development.
He indicated the site characteristics include a main street
layout, pedestrian walkways, pocket parks, conventional
parking, outdoor cafes, street lamps, pavers, fountains, and
lush landscaping. This includes diagonal parking with a
traffic circle and gathering area in the center. The south
side of Jones Loop Road will have the main street with a
theater, department stores, junior anchors, possibly a large
sporting goods store, large linen store, all with parking in
the rear, but still on main street. Their developments
encourage “park once and walk.”
The north side of Jones Loop will have a destination anchor,
and a street with retail at ground level and office space
above, and living spaces integrated in European style with
some apartments over commercial and other townhouse style
units. There is a planned small convenience center on the
corner nearest I-75. Included in the plan are 35 acres of
lake/water retention and 65 acres of open space on the water
with paths and dog walk areas. Sustainable design elements
and criteria will be encouraged for department and anchor
stores, with incentive programs for green design.
Mr. Wilder indicated there is a tremendous interest by
department stores, and commitment is very high, especially
from some who have been successful in other Loop
developments, and tend to follow on to new areas. The Loop
is targeting premier operators, while still keeping a
merchandise mix. A gourmet grocer may also be a component.
He stated that he is accessible and welcomes input from the
community. He suggested checking the website (wilderco.com)
to see the types of businesses and shops in other Loop
developments, which generally have 5 to 7 restaurants
(including quick casual, Asian, Mexican, family full
service). He indicated their firm will partner with a
residential construction firm for the residential portion of
the building.
Economic benefits include:
• Over 1,000 construction jobs
• 2,000 jobs, both part and full time, after facilities are
open and operating,
and ancillary services such as landscaping and cleaning
• Millions in taxes, both ad valorem and sales taxes
• Employment earnings of $74 million into the local economy
• Transportation and off-site improvements in excess of $10
million
He views Punta Gorda as poised and ready for growth. With a
vision for the downtown, there is a synergy with the
downtown and The Loop, encouraging cross-promotion by the
two. He commended the city for a downtown vision that is
very forward-thinking, to enhance the downtown experience
with community theater and restaurants.
Mr. Wilder indicated that permitting is fairly far along; he
hopes to be through permitting by mid-2008, with grand
opening the third quarter of 2009. All retail will be built
at the same time.]
During a question/answer session, Mr. Wilder was asked if he
would be hiring local contractors and their employees. He
responded that the general contractor will be responsible
for hiring subcontractors, and it would be great to hire
locally if they can.
There was a question about the reduction of residential
units from the initial plan. The response was that retail
demand was so high and that 500 residential units is
appropriate for a development of this size. He was asked if
there had been any problems or delays, to which he answered
“none whatsoever.” He stated that this is a complicated
project and a lot of effort has been put into water
retention and transportation issues; there have not been
problems, just issues to be worked through.
As to questions regarding retailers for the project, Mr.
Wilder indicated he has 60% committed, and hopes to be able
to announce names in the spring. They are working with some
larger retailers, but will still retain the streetscape
design.
Mr. Wilder was thanked for his very informative
presentation, and the meeting was adjourned at 8:25.
Submitted by Betsy Taylor,
Recording Secretary
