Title
South Main Street Improvements (B)
Explanation
Improvements to the South Main Street corridor have been the subject of discussions and planning exercises for a number of years in anticipation of the opening of Depot Park, the Cade Museum, the Power District, and other redevelopment opportunities in the area. During this period numerous milestones have been accomplished furthering the broad redevelopment goals for this area of Gainesville. Within the past several months significant changes to the area have occurred that directly impact the functional needs of the street. These include new commercial oriented businesses, the Depot Avenue streetscape and roundabout, construction of the Cade Museum, and the opening of Depot Park. With these recent improvements being fully realized, CRA Staff is prepared to advance the design and construction process forward so that the South Main Street corridor responds to its changing context while still supporting its existing businesses and users.
Throughout the month of September 2016 the CRA facilitated a series of participatory community workshops and engagement exercises that explored various street design alternatives related to reimaging the corridor by prioritizing the various streetscape elements. The CRA Board will be presented with a summary of the public feedback along with cross-section design concepts that are representative of the diverse prioritizes of participants. The presentation will outline how each concept uniquely addresses the Guiding Project Principles of : improving safety and connectivity, increasing parking opportunities, preparing the area as a destination with a unique identity, while addressing the accessibility, flow, and balance of the corridor. Staff is requesting the CRA Board approve a design alternative concept as a Basis of Design so that CRA Staff can take the necessary steps to advance the design and construction to meet the project timeline.
Once a Basis of Design for the ...
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