REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: AARON A. AGUIRRE, Director
Parks, After School, Recreation and Community Services Department
BY: ALDI RAMIREZ, Assistant Director
Parks, After School, Recreation and Community Services Department
EDWARD CHINEVERE, Projects Administrator
Parks, After School, Recreation and Community Services Department
SUBJECT
Title
Authorize the Parks, After School, Recreation and Community Services Department (PARCS) to enter into a sublease agreement with Integrated Community Development, LLC for 1800 square feet of space at 1505 N. Blackstone Ave. to be operated as The Link @ Blackstone Community Center in the amount of $1 per year for a total of $15 for a 15-year term plus the City’s share of operating expenses attributable to the portions of the building utilized by the center (Council District 1).
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that City Council approve a 15-year lease agreement with Integrated Community Development, LLC and authorize the PARCS Director to execute the lease agreement.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In the last quarter of 2021, a full City block was redeveloped into a new mixed-use affordable residential development known as The Link @ Blackstone. A Certificate of Occupancy was issued on December 28, 2021. Throughout the first half of 2022, the developer has continued to construct improvements to the commercial areas of the building. Improvements to the 1800-square foot community center room are anticipated to be completed by fall 2022, with the developer consulting the City on various lease-holding improvements to prepare the site for use as a senior community center serving the residents of The Link @ Blackstone and surrounding area with an emphasis on technology access and education. Entering into this lease agreement will allow the City to operate this location as a senior community center starting in the fall of 2022.
BACKGROUND
On January 14, 2016, the City, as the Housing Successor to the Redevelopment Agency, approved an Owner Participation Agreement with 1501 N. Blackstone Ave. L.P. The agreement would lead to the development of 88 multifamily residential units, 7,500 square feet of commercial space that is now leased to Clinica Sierra Vista, with the remaining approximately 1,800 square feet leased by the City of Fresno to be utilized as a senior center. The site consists of approximately three acres and is located on the Bus Rapid Transit Corridor on the west side of Blackstone and McKinley Avenue on the North and Home Avenue on the South.
The mixed-use residential Transit-Oriented-Development project is a catalyst development in the transformation of the Blackstone corridor and will drive investment into this section of Fresno. The long-term leases entered into with the City, as well as Clinica Sierra Vista, will provide needed clinical, social, and recreational support services to the surrounding community where these services are not readily available.
The City will operate the Community Center at the Link @ Blackstone as a senior community center with an emphasis on technology access and education. In addition to providing access, assistance, and education to seniors in accessing and utilizing technology, senior programs will also include a variety of activities such as social functions, health and wellness programs, recreational programs, and community service projects.
The developer has prepared the site to meet the requirements of the City’s PARCS Department, including the construction of a kitchen, restrooms, and recreation room/senior hall. Furnishings including seating, tables, and artwork were also provided by the developer. The City’s obligation included acquiring program-specific furnishings such as stackable tables and chairs for larger events, patio furniture for the adjacent patio to be utilized by patrons of the center, and technological equipment such as wireless transmitters, network switches, and laptops and tablets for staff and patrons.
The site will be staffed by one Recreation Specialist and one Community Recreation Assistant, both of which will be dedicated to provide service at the site. These permanent positions were included in the Department’s Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) budget, and the positions are expected to be filled by fall 2022 upon the opening of the center. The Recreation Specialist will implement programs designed by the City’s After School and Senior Program teams and serve as the main point-of-contact for residents at the center. Initial hours for the center will be 9:00am to 12:00pm, Monday through Saturdays, with the goal of expanding to meet the demand of the participants.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
This is not a “project” for the purposes of CEQA, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local Preference is not applicable to this item because this does not include an award of a construction or consultant contract.
FISCAL IMPACT
Measure P operations and maintenance funds are available in the FY23 budget for the operating expenses resulting from this lease, which include $1 per year for base rent; and utility expenses attributable to the Center, including the City’s share (19.35%) of the operating expenses and tax expenses attributable only to the portions of the building and real property common areas that are designed for use by commercial tenants and not attributable to apartment housing. These costs will be partly offset by a credit to the City’s electricity bill for electricity generated by an on-site solar array.
Attachments:
Lease Agreement