Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Downtown Planning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Draft 'Elevate Downtown' plan moves toward public draft after months of engagement
Summary
Planning staff and consultants gave Council an update on Elevate Downtown (updating the 2016 Experience Downtown plan): outreach included focus groups, two public surveys (2,100+ responses), and pop-ups; priorities emerging include small-business support, walkability, arts and culture, safety/cleanliness, public restrooms, housing diversity and targeted catalytic sites.
City planning staff and the Downtown Partnership presented progress on the Elevate Downtown update, the city's revision of the Experience Downtown plan and Plan of Development for the Downtown Development Authority.
Consultants said the process has included 16 topic focus groups, two public surveys with more than 2,100 combined responses, walk-and-talk events and pop-ups, and substantial engagement with the DDA, planning commission and downtown advisory boards. Key themes from outreach: support for small businesses; activation and programming of open spaces; improving walkability and micro-mobility; arts and culture; cleanliness and safety (including results of a downtown clean-and-safe pilot); and a persistent community request for public restrooms.
The draft plan is organized as two volumes: a Plan of Development (DDA priorities, TIF and catalytic-site guidance) and the master plan (land use, mobility, design, infrastructure). Consultants said the plan will include targeted action steps and site-selection guidance for catalytic investments (for example, evaluation criteria for a downtown grocery store), and that a public draft will be released by the end of the year with final adoption expected early next year.
Councilmembers asked about building-height discussions, form-based code updates and neighborhood outreach; staff said the plan will inform subsequent code revisions and that an additional round of engagement will follow release of the full draft so neighborhoods can review specific recommendations.
