Building_development

51:57 and just kind of became a cool place to be. And then it kind of grew from that. So letting it kind of take an organic approach rather than trying to force something. And also I think for me, it's really about activation at the ground street, whatever that is. Because there are some places like where we've done development downtown here is that it wasn't a retail. So we didn't put retail in, but we put in residential 'cause some jurisdictions will say no residential. And I think that's a big mistake because if you go to like Back Bay in Boston, it is such an absolutely cool place because you have 10 blocks that are residential, but then you have one has residential above, but it's retail. Let it grow according to what the market demands. So yeah, but no, I think you're tackling a very difficult subject. I think you've done a great job. - Yeah, if I could just quickly respond, I think this study is more focused on the macro as you mentioned.

52:55 I think our intent was to work within the structure that was provided by the comprehensive plan of having active ground floor required section, which is for downtown, really just an overlay of existing commercial. So Main Street kind of a loop around Esther Short and then the waterfront. So really where existing commercial already exists. And then they have active ground floor ready, which allows residential, but kind of looks to, has some requirements that would allow conversion at some point in the future to something. So I think this studies, the intent is to really identify what we should be doing as a city beyond that to incentivize. So not require, but more incentivize

53:52 or look to offer additional flexibility within those areas to get the desired outcomes that we're looking for. - Yeah, they're kind of, I guess, follow up question on that. When you're looking at this, again, macro, not macro, but you're looking at public private partnerships or incentives and so forth. And the unfortunate thing that we have here is we all acknowledge we don't have a lot of the tools other states have, right? We've already determined that the lift doesn't do much for us. New market tax credits, I know the city looked at it years and years ago, kind of abandoned that 'cause it didn't really work. So we don't really have a lot of tools. The MFT has been a great program, I think, for promoting not only affordable housing, but just development. So I don't know, I'd be interested in hearing as we progress, are there other things you've discovered that do work in other jurisdictions that maybe we can adopt here in terms of that incentive? 'Cause like for example, if someone comes back and says,

54:49 well, it's too costly to approve my storefront. It's like, as a developer, we kind of look at that and think, okay, you got three sides of a building and you only have to dole up one side. So I think being selective about who gets what, so to speak, yeah. - And also, let the developers come up with the ideas. If you don't constrain them so much, but you tell them the objective and make that the requirement, I think that's where the creativity's gonna come in. Somebody's gonna have a deal that doesn't quite fit in the square peg in a round hole thing. Well, let's square up the hole so the thing can fit and work. So I think that, and you guys have indicated a lot of willingness to move in that direction. I think the comp plan's allowing more flexible zoning and letting more uses that you may not have allowed before

55:48 to be in a certain area, for instance. And so the market and the response to the market by the developers and the city are gonna be what makes this succeed. - I have one question. Just recently, I think two new retailers have moved downtown and I'm kinda curious if the city did anything to help with it. One is the former Sedwick that's now a bar that I have not gone to, but on Main Street, there's a ramen place that I have been and it's really good. It's a tea house. And I was curious, did the city do anything to help? Looks like Chris Harder's coming here to speak.

56:31 - Yes, but mostly through our partnership and investment in the Vancouver Downtown Association. So one of our staff members is our point person