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Draft downtown master plan lays out festival street, phased growth to 2050
Summary
Consultant materials presented a bold, long‑range downtown plan with phased catalyst sites, a festival street concept, parking alternatives, transit‑oriented development near a proposed Red Line/Katz stop, and upcoming public engagement dates.
Planning staff and consultant materials presented an updated draft of the Downtown Master Plan at the March 10 meeting, describing a multipart vision for transportation, parking, public space and phased redevelopment reaching toward a build‑out horizon near 2050.
Planners said the plan aims to shift traffic off the downtown core and create a "festival street" — a plaza‑style cross‑section that minimizes curbs, raises pedestrian priority, and can be closed for events. Consultants from Kimley Horn supplied high‑level transportation alternatives to route traffic around the core on Willow, Academy, Mulberry or Church streets and proposed connections to nearby neighborhoods and a future Katz Park‑and‑Ride station on the Red Line.
The presentation described four phases: near‑term infill and surface‑lot parking adjustments around Food Lion and town hall (phase 1); core transportation improvements and Festival Street (phase 2); redevelopment of Town Hall‑adjacent sites and transit‑oriented development near the Red Line (phase 3); and full urban street grid build‑out and redevelopment of remaining large parcels, including the Food Lion site (phase 4). Staff said the phasing is illustrative and depends on property acquisition, capital funding and private investment; estimates described the horizon as "around 2050." Planners stressed that the plan will be iterative and updated over time.
Kimley Horn also presented parking alternatives, including below‑grade and partially below‑grade structured options and a discussion of relative costs and parking yields. Branding and wayfinding concepts emphasizing an arts focus and a consistent downtown identity were shown. Staff announced two public engagement opportunities: an in‑person drop‑in open house at Town Hall on March 26 (5–7:30 p.m.) and a virtual storybook survey released March 17 and available through April 14; staff said the project schedule has been extended and may reach an adoption window in July or August depending on feedback and final materials.
Board members raised questions about pedestrian safety at rail crossings, the museum and school campus redevelopment, Kimley Horn's mapping of recently started infrastructure (Greenway Gardens), and the long timeline for implementation; staff said early phases emphasize town‑controlled parcels to catalyze private investment.
Ending: Staff said additional analysis (historic/architectural summary, gateway and implementation strategy) will be prepared and that Kimley Horn will return with two more update packages before a final draft is posted for formal review.
