EDDA unveils 60% designs for South Broadway, aims for 90% construction documents by late summer

The Englewood Downtown Development Authority on Monday presented 60% designs for the South Broadway public‑realm project and said it expects to reach 90% construction documents by late summer.

Hillary Portel, director of the EDDA, framed the plan as an effort to make South Broadway safer, more walkable and ‘‘distinctly Englewood,’’ with added lighting, traffic calming and public‑art elements. ‘‘We want to make it a pleasant, analog experience,’’ Portel said, adding that the design emphasizes accessibility for seniors and people with disabilities.

Dig Studio principal Bill Dyczyk said the firm’s approach centers on community engagement and integrated public art. Proposed street changes include bulb‑outs to shorten crossing distances and slow turning vehicles, new ‘‘acorn’’ streetlights and a festival street that could be closed for events. Designers also showed placemaking features such as artist‑decorated elements, playful seating and string lighting for programmed blocks.

Portel described the downtown boundary and explained that the EDDA is funded through tax‑increment financing (TIF) rather than the city’s general fund, and that incremental property and sales tax generated in the district will be reinvested there. The presentation noted crash data compiled with the police department to justify safety interventions at key intersections.

The team proposed a South Broadway Project Art Committee to select artworks, with staff support from Dina Miller and final TIF expenditure approval by the DDA board under the DDA state statute. Portel emphasized the need to identify maintenance funding for public art and landscape features: ‘‘If we’re going to be investing in the work, we want to make sure that the funding is also available to maintain it,’’ she said.

Commissioners and residents raised questions about outreach and the project’s stage; one commissioner noted the plans are at 60% design and additional public input opportunities will follow. Staff extended a comment period for the Englewood South Public Arts Strategy and set a deadline of June 15 to collect additional feedback.

Portel said the EDDA hopes to offer small grants and storefront‑merchandising assistance to help businesses participate in the transformation and that the project will pay for adjustments where patios encroach on amenity zones. The team also flagged planned signal improvements, pedestrian‑activated ‘‘hot signals’’ and a new crosswalk near the Gothic venue to handle event pedestrian flows.

Next steps include finalizing technical drawings toward 90% construction documents, forming the art selection committee, and identifying maintenance and budget details before construction funding is programmed.