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Council approves expanded facade-grant area, selects consultant for downtown art-and-culture plan
Summary
The City Council expanded eligibility for downtown facade-improvement grants to include the opposite sides of designated streets and voted to award the downtown art-and-culture planning RFP to Group Creative Services with Bolton & Menk; the planning phase is expected to take about nine months, with implementation costs to be determined.
The Carroll City Council on April 24 approved two measures aimed at downtown revitalization: expanding the geographic eligibility for facade-improvement matching grants and selecting a consultant to develop a downtown art-and-culture plan.
Aaron (city staff) told the council the facade-grant program application period is open and asked whether council would allow properties on the opposite sides of the already-designated streets to apply. Council approved the boundary change to increase participation and interest.
Adam Schweers, representing the Carroll County Growth Partnership, said he had talked with a long-standing local business planning an extensive renovation and that expanded boundaries would allow that project to be eligible. “They've been in town for about 35 years ... and are planning on doing extensive renovation to their office and building,” Adam said.
On the planning side, staff recommended awarding the downtown art-and-culture plan RFP to Group Creative Services (partnering with Bolton & Menk). Aaron said the selected team proposed a roughly nine-month planning process with robust community engagement and assistance with later implementation planning. Sam Kessel of Bolton & Menk — listed on the consultant team — was singled out by council members as having provided strong prior work on the city's downtown assessment.
Council members discussed cost controls and assured residents the plan's implementation budget would be set later by the council. Concerns were raised about pedestrian safety near the mall and whether crosswalk improvements, including warning lights, could create a false sense of security; staff noted the city must balance safety improvements with liability considerations.
The council approved both the facade-boundary expansion and the consultant selection.
Next steps: staff will finalize a contract with the consultant, begin community engagement, and return to council with an implementation budget for later decisions.
