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City manager recommends delaying Morgan Square construction; proposes valet, shuttle and changes to clock-tower site
Summary
City staff recommended delaying construction on Morgan Square while several nearby private and public redevelopment projects remove surface parking, and proposed subsidized valet and shuttle service and relocating or displaying historic clock elements to reduce disruption to downtown businesses.
City staff provided a detailed update on multiple downtown projects and recommended measures to reduce disruption as surface parking is redeveloped.
The city manager (presenting as “Mr. Story”) said a wave of new private and public development will remove significant amounts of surface parking near Morgan Square over the coming months, including a joint government center project with structured parking, a Herald-Journal block redevelopment and several residential projects. He said the supply of structured parking will increase overall but predicted a transition period — beginning this fall — during which some users accustomed to surface lots will need to shift to garages.
To mitigate disruption, staff recommended subsidized valet service near Morgan Square and shuttle service from nearby garages to destinations on the square. Staff said the city will gather utilization data and business feedback to determine whether such services remain after the transition.
As a second recommendation, staff proposed delaying the Morgan Square construction project until the city gets “on the other side” of the surface-parking transition, arguing simultaneous major construction of both parking and the square would add avoidable complications for downtown merchants. The city manager clarified this recommendation addresses timing, not the design details developed by the Morgan Square committee.
Staff also recommended removing the large landscape island at the Main-Street/Spring-Street intersection (where the clock tower sits), converting the elongated signalized intersection to a conventional four-way stop to improve pedestrian movement, and creating an accessible public exhibit for the clock tower’s historic elements. Staff proposed recognizing the clock as a prominent architectural element in the new joint government center rather than preserving the current island configuration; staff said the mechanical elements and bell could be put on display and the new government center would incorporate a town-clock feature.
Council members voiced mixed reactions: several supported delaying Morgan Square to reduce near-term business disruption; others stressed the historic value of the current clock tower and asked for more detail about relocation, display options and alternative prominent sites. Council requested more information on costs, valet/shuttle logistics, parking counts and timing. Staff said heavy construction for multiple blocks is expected to begin this fall and that the city will assess whether the transition has settled by the holiday season.
No formal vote was taken; council received the recommendations and directed staff to continue planning and stakeholder outreach.
