What happened
Council members voted on Oct. 14 to amend the existing planned unit development, a type of zoning option that allows for specific land uses and development standards.
PUDs can accommodate “unique developments” such as SU 560 by providing the flexibility needed for a variety of complimentary uses, Chief Development Officer Kelly Trietsch said. The approved amendment to the PUD changes the base zoning designation from residential to commercial.
The amendment passed 5-0, including a motion by District 5 City Council member Kevin Pitts to conduct a future mobility plan in the area to assess traffic needs. District 1 City Council member Amanda Parr recused her vote and District 2 City Council member Shawn Hood was absent.
City officials are working closely with SU officials to ensure the development is consistent with the city’s land use policies and future planning, Trietsch said.
“Overall I think it's a good development,” Pitts said. “Many people never thought this land would be developed and now it is.”
Something to note
The Planning and Zoning Commission approved the PUD unanimously on Sept. 16, but following the commission's review, SU amended the design manual to include two minor changes:
- Removing a minimum 1.5 acres for the plaza at the center of the development
- Increasing the allowed maximum space for tandem parking at the multifamily sites from 10% of the total parking spots to 20% of the total parking spots
About the development
Jim Adams with McCann Adams Studio, the architect and urban designer for SU 560, gave a presentation on the development plans at the Oct. 14 meeting.
The amended PUD encompasses the first phase, or Phase 1A, of SU 560. Spanning 67 acres of the eventual 560-acre build out, Phase 1A will be “an active and walkable district,” Adams said, including commercial, institutional and residential uses oriented around a central plaza.
Plans also include offices, a hotel, residential units, ground level shops, restaurants, and a music hall and performance center. The building height around the center plaza will be 1-2 stories, with buildings along the perimeter going up to 3-4 stories.
Phase 1A includes:
- 110,000 square feet of office space
- 45,000 square feet of retail space
- 150 apartment units
- 110,000 square feet of hotel and conference space
- 38,000 square feet for a cultural venue
- 35 acres of open space
“This is the beginning of a very long and very close partnership on a very, very important project that we are going to be intimately involved in as the anchor tenant of this phase,” Mayor Josh Schroeder said.
What else?
Plans for the SU 560 development include necessary road infrastructure with two future intersections along University Avenue. One will have a traffic signal at the Summercrest neighborhood intersection, and another intersection to the west will be a right in, right out intersection.
Traffic studies show that University Avenue can accommodate the first phase of the development, Adams said.
What’s next
Potential options for the Phase 1B buildout include turning parking lots in the first phase into sites for commercial, residential or civic spaces, each with an encapsulated parking garage, Adams said.
“There will be more phases and there’s been some very preliminary looks at that, but we’re not in a position yet to describe those,” Adams said.
Future phases will be realized through additional PUD amendments, he said.
