A plan for improvements to the downtown area, focusing on six areas, was presented to the public during a meeting on Monday night in the Sugg Room of the Ketcham Community Center.
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Between 60 and 70 persons attended the presentation by Marty Shurkert of RDG Planning and Design of Omaha, NE. The audience included members of the public, downtown business owners, retirees, three city council members, the mayor, the county commission and other interested individuals.
Shurkert said the plan was developed in an effort to spur economic development in the downtown area by revitalizing existing sites as well as through new construction. He explained the process used to determine the final plan, which he noted was a guideline to be used by the city and could be changed depending on the circumstances.
Areas of focus in the plan include Five Points, the museum area, North Central Missouri College, a fine arts district, the Ninth and Main street intersection and the Grundy County Courthouse. In explaining each area, Shurkert talked about the estimated costs associated with the work as well as possible funding sources to make the project a reality.
As part of the Five Points project, Shurkert has suggested closing 10th Street and turning the street into a walkway area. With the development of a park in the empty lot just west of Howard’s, Shurkert noted the walkway areas would provide easy access to parking areas that would be developed behind buildings along Main Street as well as to access to the park itself. Main Street and Tinsman Avenue would remain open to traffic, with two-way traffic planned on Main Street, which would have diagonal parking along Main Street between Ninth Street and Five Points and parallel parking on Main Street, north of Five Points.
The Five Points flag would remain, with a plaza area being developed to emphasize that site.
There was some concern that closing 10th Street would take away from the uniqueness of the Five Points area, which currently has five streets that go to the flagpole. Shurkert noted that it would still be Five Points as the two walkways would comprise two of the five paths in that area (the other three being the streets).
As for the park, Shurkert noted how it could be used for a number of activities, including programs during the summer that could draw persons to the downtown area. A resident of the Plaza Apartments voiced a concern about noise for persons who would live in housing that could be developed in the top floors of area buildings, noting that truck noise is a problem at the apartments. Shurkert noted that individuals living in the area’s newly-developed housing would most likely be younger and more tolerant of the activity that would be going on at the park.
Mayor Cathie Smith said that work has already begun to develop the park area, noting that Gary Schuett has agreed to spearhead that effort.
In addition to the parking and routing changes along Main Street, a fine arts center is proposed on the west side of the 1100 block. The fine arts center would include some retail space.
The museum area would include construction of walkways as well as development of a caboose plaza behind the existing museum. Additional parking is also planned in that area.
The NCMC area plan contains mostly items that are already included in the campus master plan, although Shurkert’s plan has suggested the college consider a round-about in front of Geyer Hall. He said that could be used as a pick up and drop off area as well as a way to drive through the campus.
The Ninth and Main intersection changes would involve mainly expanding the northbound lane of Main Street to allow for trucks to have a wider turn as they go east on Ninth Street. Corners would also be redesigned to keep drivers who do not want to go through downtown away from that area.
The courthouse area would mostly include landscaping changes as well as development of some housing. Housing development was also suggested in the downtown area in the form of lofts or apartments in the top floors of some business buildings.
Estimated costs for the projects ranged from $491,637 to $1.15 million, with the total cost estimated at between $3.5 and $4 million. It was noted that the costs associated with the fine arts area did not include the cost to construct the center.
Shurkert noted that several transportation programs could provide funding for improvements that had to do with transportation, such as new sidewalks, road work, etc. Bonding, sales taxes, TIF designation and community/organization fund-raising campaigns were also discussed.