The Downtown Redevelopment committee met Monday May 12th and the guest speaker was Ed Ferguson.
Ferguson just returned from a seminar on town redevelopment and many issues were the same as what the committee has heard already.
“ People are the number one issue then traffic second”, says Ferguson. Walk ability and pedestrian friendly areas are what the trend
is nowadays.
Young people just don’t want the large yards and grass to mow every week they want convenience and accessibility
to desirable destinations.
Medians and odd lane roads were another issue that is said to have a positive effect on redeveloping
a dying downtown area. Beech Grove implemented the same attitude in their redevelopment and with that they received grants for the
lions share of their redevelopment. Government wants people involved and is willing to give grants to towns that are promoting trails
and multimodal transportation.
How about an overlay district and will that help with project cost and developments?
It is to soon to tell but it is an option that may also be explored.
Those who have been attending the meetings of this
committee are questioning what will actual be done downtown. They are seeing an unclear picture of what is going to be done and they
are impatient for results.
The committee has constantly reminded the attending audience that nothing is decided yet and
the committee doesn’t even know if anything can be done. The committee is just one small part of the puzzle and basically the starter
switch for the project.
The City council passed appropriations of $29,000 for the purpose of hiring a firm to do some
preliminary planning for Old Town Park. Mark Richards Director of Community Services made a presentation to the council and explained
what that was going to pay for.
Some of the staff believes that the city is getting a deal at $29,000 for what this
firm has to accomplish in a very short time.
The funds are to pay for the following according to Richards presentation
to the council, this will be called Phase #1.
-To provide preliminary work necessary to evaluate the design and permit needs for redevelopment
of old City Park.
-Topographic Survey, “to help determine the lay of the land”, which will include cross sections of pleasant creek
outside the park boundaries to provide data necessary for Hydrologic modeling of the drainage basin.
-Drainage Evaluation, which includes
the necessary structures, sizes and boundaries, and the impact on drainage up stream and downstream of the effected area.
-Conceptual
Design of Park Improvements, which will include two options
-Project Budget
-Project Schedule
Why begin here with old town
park for the project? Because according to Mark Richards report this is the area with the least cost impact on the city because they
own the land.
It is also one of the most difficult hurdles to over come with the hydrologic water control required, and
is the basic for what everything else will develop off from.
Remember the Paddleboats vision of the Mayor? The city has to make this an economic benefit of the entire city, and if implemented, it will be one of the most major economic boosters for Greenwood in two decades.
There is no shortage of developers already wanting to do something downtown “If we are serious”.
The redevelopment committee has one month left in its time allotment to prepare its recommendation to the Mayor.
A public
forum is planned for June 3rd @ 7:00 pm at the First Baptist Church. This was decided at this past meeting and Tom Bridges will be
coming forward with the presentation program intended in a few days.
Keep in mind that until the state can make its payments
to the city, and approving last years budget, the city is working hard to keep its head above water.
The city wants to
get this Old Town Park and many other projects underway (including road repair), but government has so much red tape that you may
not paddle your first boat ride for years.
Old Town needs to Overcome Water Obstacle
Redevelopment of Park Major part of Puzzle