Date August 29, 2007

Project: City of Bradford Master Plan
Time: 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Client: City of Bradford
Location: Foster Township Building
MCF No.: 44506002

Attendees:

Ralph Skaggs, Foster Township
Cary Kaber, Foster Township Supervisor
Chris Wolcott, Foster Township
Robert Slike, Foster Township Supervisor
Roberta Sarraf, Zoning Consultant
Albert Filoni, MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc.
Kenneth Lee, MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc.
Amy Maceyko, MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc.

Purpose: To discuss the nearly empty Bradford Mall and other commercial development in Foster Township.

1. The Walmart in Foster Township has set corporate sales records and is considered a successful store. It has been in Foster Township about 4 years. The company first came to the city twenty years ago, but the idea of putting a Walmart in the city was rejected twice over the years.
2. In contrast, the Bradford Mall was on its way out even before the Walmart opened. The new owners have raised the rent without making any improvements and they are extremely difficult to contact. Some of the businesses from the mall moved over to the Walmart development area. Recently, there have been several developers interested in the mall site but they couldn’t make a deal with the current owners. The former Kmart portion of the mall has a different owner and it is in much worse shape. The floors are heaving thanks to a stream that runs underneath the site.
3. The general consensus seems to be that the Bradford Mall should stay commercial in whatever its future iteration may be. It has been suggested that the building could be revamped so that the majority of stores aren’t in the interior. It has also been suggested that the existing buildings could be torn down so that shopping could be built around the exterior of the site and parking put in the middle. Although there are concerns about having primarily exterior access to stores in the winter. They are open to suggestions and ideas about how the property should be used. In Salamanca, an old mall was turned into a flea market. And it has been suggested that the cost to demolish the mall buildings would exceed the property value of the site.
4. Other than the outdoor exhibition that has been held in February (in the Bradford Mall) for the past few years, no other local events would use a civic center. For events of that type, the closest options are Buffalo and Erie.
5. It could also be said that the opening of the Bradford Mall was the beginning of the decline of downtown shopping. The JCPenny’s that was downtown moved to the mall. With the decline of the mall, JCPenny’s is now gone from the area.
6. The representatives of Foster Township feel that a majority of their residents go to Olean, NY to shop rather than trying to shop in downtown Bradford (for things not available at Walmart or other Foster Township businesses). They also think that the township residents are more likely to patronize the businesses in the Union Square strip mall (Sav-a-Lot) and the movie theater rather than the businesses further down Main Street.
7. The Foster Township building was a school that was closed when the districts were consolidated. The township uses part of the building and rents the other offices for $7 per square foot. This building is not ‘the center’ of the township, residents consider Fosterbrook to be ‘the center’ of Foster Township.
8. The township does not have a lot of rental property. The little that does exist are single family houses. It does seem like the area could use some townhouses or condominiums for the elderly. There is currently a developer interested in building condominiums on Bollivar Drive and this would be seen as an asset for the community. There are also the Riley apartments, which is public housing, and is mostly occupied by the elderly.
9. It was suggested that the planning team drive through the Derrick City area. It is no longer a city, but it is a section of the township with nice houses and churches. At one time it was a small town outside of Bradford.
10. There are not a lot of big employers in Foster Township. Many township residents work for major city employers.
11. The group discussed their impressions of the City of Bradford and its assets.

1. The hospital is an asset, but it comes with fiscal issues.
2. The University is an asset, but there are issues with public use of the athletic facilities. They are not as open to the public as some would like.
3. Bradford is a pretty safe community.
4. There is concern about the number of local people on public assistance.
5. There is concern about dilapidated properties
6. Residents go to the city for what they need and then leave.
7. The farmers market is a nice idea, but it is too small to attract a lot of residents.

  12.  Foster Township is planning to redo the township zoning, but they have decided to put a hold on the process until after the Bradford Area Master Plan is complete.

With no further items for discussion, the meeting was adjourned. The foregoing constitutes the major items accepted by the attendees. If there are any corrections or clarifications, please notify the architects.

Respectfully submitted,

MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc.

Amy P. Maceyko, AIA, LEED AP