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City staff reviews comprehensive‑plan implementation: downtown, housing, transportation and stormwater priorities
Summary
Economic development and planning staff presented a year‑in review of the comprehensive plan’s short‑term implementation actions, highlighting downtown Fifth Street corridor work, housing development, infrastructure projects, stormwater programs and funding strategies including TIF and a proposed transportation sales tax renewal.
City planning and economic development staff presented a one‑year implementation update on the comprehensive plan, summarizing short‑term strategies across downtown revitalization, housing diversification, infrastructure, parks and environmental stewardship.
Aaron Griesheimer, economic development director, and Sarah Skeen, planning staff, told the commission they are pursuing several downtown and economic-development initiatives: meetings with developers for a potential conference center and hotel/mixed‑use projects along Fifth Street; a Fifth Street corridor strategy prepared by consultants (PGAV) that may identify tools such as a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district or a Special Improvement District (SID); and marketing work through the city’s economic site portal (washmoworks.com) and tourism promotion (visitwashmo.com). Staff said they are coordinating with regional partners (Greater St. Louis Inc., the Missouri Partnership and state economic-development agencies) and pursuing business retention outreach.
On housing, staff described active subdivisions (Highlands, Highland Meadows, Stonebridge phases), two workforce housing projects (the Crossing on Fifth and Washington Terrace—phase 1 preleasing underway), and targeted efforts to broaden housing types, including infill and townhome-style options. Staff noted some projects are actively marketing while others show limited public marketing materials.
Transportation and infrastructure priorities discussed included sidewalk and bike facility expansion, Jefferson Street construction, Highway 100 improvements, and ongoing coordination with MoDOT on long‑term Highway 47 improvements; staff said committees are preparing strategies for a proposed renewal of the transportation sales tax (election scheduled next April) and the capital improvement sales tax. Amtrak station platform improvements and the possibility of three daily round trips were also mentioned as ongoing discussions.
Parks and environmental items included stormwater (MS4) compliance work, bio-retention basin conversions, enforcement of sediment/erosion controls for new construction, an April Earth Day outreach event, tree-planting plans to stabilize riverbanks, and a parks master plan with upcoming recommendations. Staff said the city is hiring and training staff to inspect stormwater controls and running an outreach program (Waterwise Wednesday) on social media.
Staff described government and funding workstreams: evaluating TIF or other financing tools for Fifth Street, convening capital and transportation sales tax committees to develop voter materials, and recommending the commission support outreach and communications to explain funding proposals to voters. The presentation elicited questions from commissioners about Phoenix Center redevelopment, parking strategies, senior housing, and marketing efforts.
