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May 2, 2004
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Development of Uptown at RiversEdge is outlined in this draft map by the Weitzman Group, providing for phased in southern, middle and northern parcels. Las Vegas Magic Designer's "Mitten Mania" Could Spark Camp Snoopy Type Plan
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Is a Camp Snoopy type development in the cards for Uptown at RiversEdge?
Camp Snoopy and the Mall of America opened in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Aug. 11, 1992.
A first-day crowd of 200,000 at Camp Snoopy confirmed that people respond to cartoon icons promising fun-filled entertainment for kids, and adults. In its first 10 years, 75 million rides were taken and 23 million pounds of French fries plus a congruent amount of soda pop, ice cream and funnel cakes was consumed by millions of visitors. The Pepsi Ripsaw Roller Coaster and 24 other rides were really busy as were the arcades, character shows and other attractions like the animated 19 foot tall Paul Bunyan and 22 foot long Babe the blue ox.
Camp Snoopy is on seven indoor acres lit mainly by natural sunlight under 1.2 miles of skylights in the old Metropolitan Stadium. That's where Harmon Killibrew of the Minnesota Twins hit his record 522 foot long home run in 1969.
Could Bay City follow the lead of Minneapolis and create its own Camp Snoopy? That was one idea tossed on the table by the Weitzman Group of New York City last week in its final report and recommendation.
The germ of the idea is to create a destination attraction in the old 42-acre Industrial Brownhoist site now called "Uptown at RiversEdge."
The consultants said the spirit shown by city residents and the housing, historical and cultural elements already in place caused them to recommend proceeding with the project despite the lack of jobs and the fact that income levels of local residents, commercial development and state tourism are all "stable" but not growing.
The main recommendation was to renovate the old I-B foundry building on the riverfront at a cost of $6.5 million to house a Foundry Marketplace as the "focal point of an urban bazaar with family amusements, a traditional farmer's market, petting zoo and craft booths to create a "festival atmosphere."
The "family amusements" recommendation seems to fit a proposal submitted to city officials and local investors last year by David Pavlov, a Bay City native and developer of entertainment ventures in Las Vegas. Pavlov is a designer, fabricator and foreman for Magic Ventures, supplier of high end custom illusions to performers such as David Copperfield, Siegfried & Roy, Lance Burton, Disney, Universal Studios, Warner Brothers and others.
Ironically, Pavlov as an 18-year-old won the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce "Entrepreneur of the Year" award for a magic apparatus manufacturing company he had started and was involved with the much-discussed "Little Michigan" project of businessman Jim Graham that was eventually shelved for lack of financing and support.
"You see, back then let's just say it wasn't a project high on the priority list of both Bay City residents and city government," says Pavlov, commenting: "Industrial production was more than sufficient to sustain a town of Bay City's size and stature. Tourism was the last thing anyone cared to deal with."
Pavlov's current proposal, submitted in the form of a business plan to utilize the existing I-B buildings, perhaps has gained traction in the intervening 20 years since Little Michigan. Pavolv projects 26 entertainment zones with 12 major "full-sized thrill rides," 16 minor family/kids rides, 8 interactive attractions, arcades, arts/crafts and novelty/souvenir shops, 9 ethnic styled restaurants, 8 custom-themed theaters and four stages for variety shows.
Pavlov also proposed a touring show to visit Michigan cities and whip up interest in coming to Bay City. His ideas have received praise for their creativity from the Weitzman Group in the form of a phone call from Tom Justin, executive vice president.
Pavlov's plan projects 367,900 to 1.4 million visitors and gross revenues of $11 million to $42 million a year in "Mitten Mania," with one third profit offering motivation for developers to embrace the plan. Perhaps the time has come for his "Mitten Mania" indoor adventure park to help spark the economic revival of Bay City.
Among conclusions and recommendations, the Weitzman Group said the market will probably support 75 condominiums of $266,000 to $340,000 on the Uptown site for "moderate income" folks like "empty nesters" and "young urban professionals."
A proposed baseball stadium as home to a minor league team was not recommended by the Weitzman Group because visitors tend to tailgate, watch the game and leave, without bringing real economic benefit to the city. Baseball is not looked upon as a "strong economic driver," said Justin.
Another idea by a group of local sailors for locationof a U.S. Navy destroyer, the USS Edson, that was a successful attraction at the Intrepid Air-Sea-Space Museum in New York City, was mentioned by consultant Mark Troan in the context: "if you want to bring the Edson in as a ship you want to adopt."
Further study is needed about another idea to provide a port of call for Great Lakes cruise ships since it is not clear if there is enough room for ships to dock at the Foundry Marketplace because of shipping traffic in the river.
How to finance the total development price tag to the city of an estimated $75 million will be a project for city staff to tackle beginning immediately, said City Manager Robert V. Belleman. The first phase will probably cost $6-7 million, but developerscould be offered the option of fronting infrastructure costs and seeking reimbursement from the city.
Requests for Proposals (RFPs) will be in the works for a proposed project start of Jan. 1, 2005 and completion by Dec. 31, 2008, according to the consultant group's recommendations.###
Mitten Mania concept drawing by Las Vegas designer Dave Pavlov is part of business plan presented to Weitzman during visioning sessions with localresidents by Pavlov's sister, Diane Wolverton.
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