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Redevelopment staff: Urban Chamber has not submitted application; streetscape plan will use digital kiosks
Summary
Redevelopment staff reported no application from the Urban Chamber after last month’s presentation and said streetscape planning includes digital kiosks and real-time directories rather than static signs; board members pressed for community review and brand licensing protections.
Michelle Tolliver, a redevelopment project staff member, told the Midtown Redevelopment Advisory Board the Urban Chamber that presented last month has not submitted an application and that the staff has no additional progress to report on that item. “They have not sent me an application, and that's the honest truth,” Tolliver said.
Tolliver also addressed streetscape planning and signage maintenance. She told the board that the streetscape project will include digital kiosks and that staff intend to avoid static signage that quickly becomes out of date. “I will guarantee you there will be no static sign,” Tolliver said, describing efforts to build real-time updates into pedestrian directories.
Board members asked about next steps, public engagement and licensing of the Midtown brand to protect local businesses. Lynn Thompson urged legal protections and benefits for Midtown merchants, saying the board must ensure businesses capture the value of any successful branding: “it would be robbery if Midtown, the business district, does not benefit from that,” he said.
Tolliver and other staff said the communications office intends to carry the draft brand materials into a formal community rollout, and that the board will have opportunities to review revised concepts before public release. No formal redevelopment contract or grant action was recorded at the meeting.
