river ridge gateway master plan

8/10/2019 River Ridge Gateway Master Plan

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C O M M E R C E C E N T E R

G AT E WAY M A S T E R P L A N

R I V E R R I D G EC O M M E R C E C E N T E R

R I V E R R I D G EC O M M E R C E C E N T E R

E X E C U T I V E S U M M A RY


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G AT E WAY M A S T E R P L A NG AT E WAY M A S T E R P L A NG AT E WAY M A S T E R P L A N

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C O M M E R C E C E N T E R

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P R E P A R E D F O R T H E R I V E R R I D G E

R E D E V E L O P M E N T A U T H O R I T Y B Y :

E X E C U T I V E S U M M A RY


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BROWNING DAY MULLINS DIERDORF L ANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

RIVER RIDGE DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY BOARD OF DIRECTORS

J. Mark Robinson President of the BoardNorman E. Pfau, Jr. Vice President

David W. Evanczyk Secretary/Treasurer

David Flowe Board Member

Kim Matthews Board Member

David A. Lewis General Counsel

RIVER RIDGE DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY STAFF

Jerry G. Acy, CEcD Executive Director

Billieann H. Durrett Controller Thomas E. Vittitow Planning and Development Manager

Jennifer Vittitow Contract/Lease Administrator

Marc Hildenbrand Director of Project Management & Utility Operations

Paul M. Wheatley, EDFP Marketing and Finance Director

PROJECT STAKEHOLDERS

Clark County, Indiana

Utica Township, Indiana

City of Jeffersonville, Indiana

Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT)

Indiana State Senate

BROWNING DAY MULLINS DIERDORF

Barth Hendrickson, PLA, ASLA Principal-in-Charge

Jonathan R. Hess, AIA, RA Principal Architect-in-Charge

Ryan Cambridge, PLA, ASLA Project Manager, Landscape Architect

Daniel Overbey, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C Lead Architect

Jon Hutslar, PLA Senior Landscape Architect

Drew Braley, PLA, ASLA Landscape Architect

Mark Beer Landscape Designer, Graphic Ar tist

Brett Schlachter Urban Designer India Ballard-Bonftto Planning Assistant

Logan Goins Production Assistant

Michael Downs Production Assistant


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1BROWNING DAY MULLINS DIERDORF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS

PROJECT PURPOSE

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The River Ridge Commerce Center (RRCC or RR) is a 6,000+acre mixed-use of f ce and industrial park located on the site of theformer Indiana Army Ammunition Plant (INAAP) in Clark County,Indiana. In 2013, the River Ridge Development Authority (RRDA)hired Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf (BDMD) to strategically planapproximately 600 acres of undeveloped property surroundinga future interchange along the I-265 extension, with the goal ofcreating a dynamic gateway experience. The interchange within theplanning area will be the f rst exit in Indiana after crossing the newOhio River East End Bridge, and will serve not only as the gateway toRiver Ridge, but as a gateway to the State of Indiana.

The RRCC, as a whole, is arguably the most signi f cant development-based project to occur in southern Indiana, if not the State itself.Though RRCC has been in the reclamation and redevelopmentprocess for over a decade, less than 10% of RRCC has beendeveloped. Even at its current phase of completion, RRCC hasgenerated $1.16B in economic output and currently supports over5,900 direct jobsa full 12% of Clark Countys workforce (Policy

Analytics, LLC, 2014). Implementation of Phase One of the GatewayMaster Plan will pave the way for an estimated 1.2 million -1.8 millions.f. of additional mixed-use of f ce and industrial space within RR,

translating to approximately 4,800 7,200 additional jobs for theregion and untold millions of dollars of increased economic output.

This project is unique in many ways, the majority of which centeron the sites signi f cant scale (both geographic and f scal) and theamount of existing constraints. There is over 110 feet of elevationchange across the site, with many areas exceeding 25% slope andleading directly to sensitive watersheds. Further complicating

the plan, the site has numerous existing karst features which limit

developable area. This project also required an aggressive time-linein order to coordinate with the construction of the I-265 extensionand Transportation Corridor projects being lead by the IndianaDepartment of Transportation, necessitating the planning process

take no more than four months. Throughout the process, BDMDreported to the River Ridge Development Authority (RRDA)Board of Directors composed of local and state leaders - who areultimately responsible for the implementation of the plan. Establishingf rm consensus throughout the process was intentional and critical.

Implementation of Phase One of the

Gateway Master Plan will pave the way for

an estimated 1.2 million - 1.8 million s.f. of

additional mixed-use ofce and industrial

space within River Ridge, translating to

approximately 4,800 7,200 additional jobs

for the region and untold millions of dollars

of increased economic output.

(Left) Figure i: Birds-eye view of the Gateway MP (BDMD, 2014).(Above) Figure ii: RRCC context map (BDMD, 2014).


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APPROACH + METHODOLOGY

The scope for this effort was comprehensive andincluded detailed f eld studies and an exhaustiveanalysis of the existing conditions of the site. Theproject team toured and analyzed the entire RRCCsite to understand the varying degrees of characterand condition of the property, and a more detailedevaluation of the Gateway Planning Area was alsocompleted. This portion of the site contains some of

the most signi f cant existing natural systems in RRCC- including conservation areas, watersheds, streambodies, and a signi f cant amount of topographic

change; all features which should be embraced andprotected.

In addition to the f eld studies, a real estate marketstudy was completed to better understand currentmarket trends on local, regional, and national levelsprior to recommending any speci f c land uses. TheProject Team also reviewed a series of site andarchitectural comparables with the RRDA to betterunderstand various development approaches andscales.

Building upon the existing conditions evaluation andother consultant studies completed to date, theProject Team utilized all available data to analyze

the varying natural and infrastructural sys tems foundwithin the planning area (PA). Layering manual surveyand LIDAR data, a GIS-based digital elevation modelof the site was constructed upon which analysis wouldbe run.

The various analysis processes evaluated bedrockdepth, soil classif cation, karst feature location,extent and description of existing vegetative systems,

landform, slope degree and aspect, and watersheddelineation and ow-line plotting. When overlaid, thef ndings from the multiple analysis products revealed

the physical opportuni ties and constraints of thesite, such as sensitive natural systems which shouldbe protected. This information better informed thedevelopable area and potential compatible uses whichrespond both to the market and the site constraints.

Figure iii: Tom Vit titow from R RDA meets wi th represent atives from BDMDduring a site visi t to the PA (BDMD, 2014).

Figure iv : Exis ting conditions of the Gateway PA (BDMD, 2014).


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EXECUTIVE SU MMARY

In addition to allowing the site to inform the design, collaboration and engagement were corecomponents of the Project Teams planning methodology. As a result, a project stakeholdergroup was created. Participants included the RRDA Board, state and local elected of f cials,representatives from the US Senate and State of Indiana Senate, consultants from adjacentprojects, private land-owners, developers, and representatives from local planning districts.The stakeholder group was engaged in multiple workshops facilitated by BDMD, which wereconducted in a linear format to identify speci f c project goals, desired outcomes, and to betterde f ne the long-range vision for the RRCC site as a whole. The inpu t gleaned from the engagementprocess and various analysis techniques formed the framework on which design decisions couldbe made.

Collaboration and

engagement were core

components of the

Project Teams planning

methodology. As a result,

a project stakeholder

group was created. The

stakeholder group was

engaged in multiple

workshops facilitated by

BDMD to identify specic

project goals, desiredoutcomes, and to better

dene the long-range vision

for the RRCC site as a

whole.

Figure v: Slope Analysis overlaid on a LIDAR-based Digital Elevation Model (BDMD, 2014). Figure vi: Early conceptual master plansketch (BDMD, 2014).

Figure vii: BDMD staff and stakeholders collaborate during the design workshop (BDMD, 2014).


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GATEWAY MASTER PLAN

A key objective of the Gateway Master Plan was to create aplace within RR; one whose function is to foster quality-of-life,sustainability (social, economic, and environmental), and end-userexperience for the entire development. The RR Gateway will bemore of an experience than a location. The plan for the GatewayPA must be able to seamlessly integrate a wide variety of land uses

and their associated infrastructural requirements - ranging fromcorporate of f ces to industrial and warehousing. Much of this willbe accomplished through the thoughtful design and planning of thepublic realm; the interstitial public spaces which link all areas andinfrastructural systems found within RRCC.

A core component of any functional public realm is having welldesigned streets which are functional and aesthetic, but also helppreserve RRCCs ability to accommodate a wide variety of landuses and building scales. The road network was also planned toaccommodate a variety of multi-modal uses ranging from pedestr iansand cyclists on a network of off-road trails, to heavy haul truck andheavy rail traf f c, and represents the full transect of urban-to-ruralsections.

The design and planning of the Gateway PA was undertaken at asystems-level. Storm water, green space, and pedestrian connectivi ty

will be developed as regionalized systems which are supportedby site-speci f c interventions. Each infrastructural element will bedesigned to be multi-functionalstreets arent just for cars, but alsofor storm water treatment, multi-modal connectivity, and nativehabitat. Community green spaces will not serve only as meaningfulrecreation areas, but will also be used as regional storm waterdetention, treatment, and conveyance spaces.

The Gateway Master Plan resulted in the creation of multipledistricts, each anticipating a unique targeted client-type. While thearchitectural scale, land use, common area amenities, and level off nish vary between dist ricts , they are seamlessly linked by the public

realm of green spaces, pedestrian networks, and road networks.

The Common Core serves as the heart of the Gateway MasterPlan. It is a 16+ acre, multi-purpose community green space andregional detention basin anchored by the future RRDA headquartersbuilding; the design of which was envisioned through this planningprocess. This space will be a central gathering point for the widevariety of site users represented across RRCC; a place of dynamicdiversity where people from any industry or profession can sharelife.

Figure viii: Diagram illustrating the regional storm water managementapproach (BDMD, 2014).

Figure ix: Typical roadway cross-sect ions (BDMD, 2014).


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COMMON CORE

Using proven placemaking principles, the design for the CommonCore will help provide a high quality of life for RRCC users. Planningfor quality-of-life will be critical to attracting the high-skill and high-wage business sectors; a target demographic for the Gateway PA.The Common Core area is also envisioned to be a campus; locatingpotential tenants grounded in higher education, research, or public/civic agencies around a meaningful, community green space. Thecentral organizing element of this park space will be the addition of alarge regional detention pond; an infrastructural storm water featurewhich will also serve as a signi f cant site amenity. Flanking the banksof this pond and integrated into the rolling hillside will be the futureheadquarters building of the RRDA.

Figure xii: View of the south facade of the future RRDA headquarters building overlooking the lake (BDMD, 2014).

As part of this planning effor t, BDMD helped the RRDA conceptualize the building program, aesthetic, and scale of their future homewithin RRCC. At the request of the RRDA, an intentional decisionwas made to incorporate exible community program spaces in thebuilding; such as galleries or conference spaces, so the building canfunction as a common gather ing point for the region. The proposedarchitectural solution closely aligns with the imagery developed inworkshops, where an overarching monolithic form arises from thebanks of the sites signature water amenity, re ecting the rolling

topography of the native landscape. The struc ture will be high-performance, focus on energy and water ef f ciency, create healthyinteriors, utilize innovative materials, and embody the ethos of theRRCC.

Figure xi: Rendering of the motor court and entry of the future RRDA headquarters building (BDMD, 2014).


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EXECUTIVE SU MMARY

Figure xiii: Plan enlargement of the Common Core area within the Community Campus District (BDMD, 2014).

Figure xiv: Aer ial view of the Common Core and RR Parkway Interchange (BDMD, 2014).

The Common Core

is envisioned to be a

campus; locating potential

tenants grounded in higher

education, research,

or public/civic agencies

around a meaningful and

sustainable community

park space.

COMMON CORE

RIVER RIDGECOMMONS

RIVER RIDGE

PARKWAY

INTERCHANGE

REGIONAL

STORM WATER

POND

F U T U R E R R D A

H E A D Q U A R T E R S

SHARED

PARKING

LOT

S H

A R

E D P

A R K I N

G L O T

P A T R

O L

R O A

D

R I V E R R I D G E P A R K W A Y

ENTRY

SIGN

L A N D S C A P E

S C R E E

N I

N G

INSTITUTIONAL

CAMPUS

S O U T H - B O U N D

H H R O

U T E ( O

N E - W

A Y )

R R P A R K W A Y F L Y - O

V E R

N O R T H - B O U N D H

H R O U T E ( O NE -

W A Y)

T R A N S P O R T A T I O N

C O R R I D O R


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EXECUTIVE SU MMARY

Figure xvi: Chart illustrating the immediate-term, near-term, and short-term action items related to Phase 1 (BDMD, 2014).

Figure xvii: Graphic illustrating the proposed implementation schedule for Phase 1 (BDMD, 2014).


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river ridge gateway master plan

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