“There are some things out there that can make it [streetscape improvements] happen. We just sort of have to piece that together,” Sims says, naming both state and federal grant opportunities. “We’re asking now: ‘Do we know enough about what we want to do on MacArthur to at least apply?’” Other aspects of the concept plans would require zoning changes and a review of landuse ordinances so that, as turnover occurs, new developments would be forced to conform to the new vision.
Workshop participants agreed that good starting points for major revitalization would include the vacant Esquire Theatre and the old Kmart, both of which LaMotte suggests tearing down. At the Kmart site, draft plans call for building condominiums, apartments or townhomes with a central courtyard and plenty of greenery.
Those sites would fit into a three-node approach in which consolidated commercial centers, with residential units filling the space in between, could help focus consumer traffic and create a more neighborhood-like feel.
But beyond redeveloping those long-vacant spaces, some participants questioned the feasibility of reorganizing much of the rest of the street and of convincing businesses to share resources, such as parking lots and common dumpster areas. Project consultants say it’s a matter of bringing puzzle pieces together and finding common benefits for different businesses so they can be repackaged more easily.
“A lot of the discussion centered around implementation, which means people generally liked what they were seeing,” Sims says.
He adds that there’s no guarantee the final plan will become a reality, but it could help pave the way for a more welcoming boulevard.
“Even if the owners right now want to do it [make improvements], they don’t have a picture to work from,” Sims says. “Now we’re getting to that point – what could occur and what the options are.”
The Lakota Group will include the workshop feedback in its revisions to be presented this fall. The next version of the plans will include full market analysis to help inform planners of how much and what types of residential and commercial real estate development the corridor potentially could hold.
Contact Rachel Wells at [email protected].
