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Brookings council adopts 10‑year Downtown Brookings master plan, clearing a path for park, façade grants and pilot parking projects
Summary
The Brookings City Council voted to adopt a Downtown Brookings master plan after a presentation by RDG Planning & Design and public comment. The advisory plan identifies catalyst projects — Armory reuse, a downtown park and 72‑hour lot redevelopment — and lists potential funding tools that will require further review and future council actions.
The Brookings City Council on a unanimous roll call adopted the Downtown Brookings master plan, a 10‑year advisory guide presented by RDG Planning & Design that outlines projects and strategies to stimulate private investment and make downtown a more walkable, livable destination.
Corey Scott of RDG, who presented the plan, said the effort distilled public input into five priorities: "stimulate private development, establish downtown as a place to live, create a signature gathering space, improve access and circulation, and strengthen downtown as a destination." He described potential actions ranging from façade grants and alley improvements to pilot parking restriping and a future downtown park.
"What can we do as a community to stimulate private development? How can we establish downtown as a place to live?" Scott asked, framing the plan as a menu of options rather than a mandate. Downtown Brookings executive director Kirsten Jez told the council the plan sets out "a path for us to make it the next 100 years," thanking residents and business owners for participation in open houses and targeted stakeholder meetings.
The plan identifies three catalyst projects: reuse of the Armory building (including a potential hotel), redevelopment of the 72‑hour parking lot, and a new downtown park. RDG and staff said each would require separate, project‑level decisions, additional study and funding actions before any construction could occur. The presentation noted possible revenue tools — tax increment financing (TIF), philanthropy, a business improvement district (BID) and grants — but staff emphasized each source would need further research and public process.
Council members pressed consultants about participation and the BID mechanism. Staff and consultants said a BID would be property‑owner driven and require owner approval and council action to set boundaries. "Nothing in the plan is set in stone," Kirsten Jez told the council, repeating staff guidance that any BID or major capital project would come back through public hearings, budget processes or an RFP and bid process.
The council removed Resolution 24‑076 from the table and approved it by roll call. City staff said next steps include identifying short‑term projects for the 2025 budget and returning to council with specific funding or project proposals. Assistant to the city manager Sam Beckman said staff plans to bring three downtown‑focused programs forward in late 2024 or early 2025, including an updated façade/incentive program and placemaking grants.
Adoption of the master plan does not itself appropriate funding; it establishes priorities and a framework for future council decisions and budget actions.
