Thursday, September 16, 2010

Downtown Planning Process Launches

On Wednesday September 8 the Hamilton Downtown Revitalization Committee met with the consultants who will be helping the Committee develop an overall plan for downtown revitalization. Also in attendance were members of the City Council and Planning Commission and Mayor Holiday. Jason Fondren of KPS Group outlined the process and timeline for preparing the plan. Throughout its duration, the process will include regular public meetings to engage downtown merchants, property owners and the community-at-large. The first meeting is scheduled for Tuesday October 12 at 6PM. The location will be announced soon.

The Downtown Revitalization Plan has been funded by a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). The Northwest Alabama Council of Local Governments (NACOLG) is administering the grant funding for the city and will participate in the planning process. Also working with KPS Group are Dr. Arthur 'Buster' Allaway of the University of Alabama's School of Business, who will prepare a downtown market study, and Skipper Consulting, who will provide guidance on traffic and parking issues.

On completion of the process, a Downtown Revitalization Plan will be presented by the Revitalization Committee and the Planning Team to the City for adoption. Fondren estimated that the plan could be ready in January 2011.

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