NEWS
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Public Invited to August 21 Downtown Advisory Meeting
Sunnyvale,
CA (8/7/01) -- The public is invited
to attend upcoming meetings to give input to the development occurring in
downtown Sunnyvale. Input is sought to develop a shared vision for the downtown
and ways to link the individual projects into a unified whole. The next Downtown Stakeholders Advisory
Meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 21 from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. at the Del
Monte Building, 100 A. Murphy Avenue, Sunnyvale.
“We are working hard to establish a downtown which has meaning for our whole community, an exciting and vibrant place that is unique to Sunnyvale,” said Robert Paternoster, Director of Community Development. “If this place is going to become the heart of our community, it must be a reflection of what the community wants for itself. That’s why public participation and feedback continues to be an important part of the design process.”
Planning and urban design studies of downtown Sunnyvale were last undertaken in the early 90’s, resulting in adoption of the Downtown Specific Plan. Since that time, several major new developments have begun which were not originally reflected in the Plan. These include the Mozart Downtown Office Plaza, consisting of a four-level garage, three office buildings, and a public plaza. Another new development is the expansion of the Town Center Mall, also referred to as the WAVE, including a 20-screen movie theater and new retail space due to open next year.
Paternoster
is taking the lead in preparing a Downtown Sunnyvale Urban Design Study. The
study began in July 2001 and continues through February 2002. The purpose of
the study is twofold:
1.
To
develop a shared vision for the future of Downtown Sunnyvale which is unique,
exciting, and firmly based upon economic reality; and
2.
To
prepare an urban design framework which will link the separate projects
together into a unified Downtown Sunnyvale. The individual projects include
Murphy Avenue shops, CalTrain multi-modal transportation facility, Mozart
office plaza, Town & Country stores, and Town Center Mall / WAVE expansion.
The City has selected two well-qualified consultants to
work on this study. Keyser Marston of San Francisco will analyze the land
economics, helping the City to understand the market and identify the
appropriate economic niche for the downtown. ELS Architects of Berkeley will
provide design expertise to help the City prepare the urban design framework.
Fehr & Peers traffic engineers and SWA landscape architects will assist
them.
Residents
and other stakeholders are invited to attend meetings of the Downtown
Stakeholders Advisory Committee to give input to the Urban Design Study. The
Stakeholders Advisory Committee consists of twenty-one members representing
downtown developers and major property owners, business associations,
businesses, and residents. The Committee held its first meeting on July 26, and
agreed to meet monthly for the remainder for the year. The public is invited to
attend upcoming meetings scheduled as follows: August 21, September 26, October
9, November 14, and December 12.
For more information about the stakeholder meetings, call the City of Sunnyvale Community Development Department at (408) 730-7612. To find out more about the redevelopment projects in downtown Sunnyvale, visit the City’s website at www.ci.sunnyvale.ca.us and follow the link to Economic Development, or call the Downtown Hotline at (408) 737-4900.