The Plymouth Redevelopment Commission members agreed to fund a master plan study for potential downtown revitalization projects.
The idea stemmed from a request from REES Theatre officials about incorporating bumpout curbs along Michigan Street and Laporte Street to include outdoor interaction in conjunction with programs at the facility. The city would need to approve the request along Laporte Street, and INDOT would need to approve any updates to Michigan Street as it is a state highway.
City Attorney Jeff Houin noted that Randy Danielson from the REES reached out to Jones Petrie and Rafinski (JPR) architect Robert Heiden about the project. The proposed project then went before the Plymouth Complete Streets Committee.
The committee members discussed the project and the overall infrastructure of the downtown area. The state of the trees have been brought up in previous discussions, as well as the lighting and electrical components, as well as the condition of the sidewalks and drainage damage caused by the deteriorating status of the sidewalks.
According to Houin, the committee members determined that there should be a master plan so there is a detailed study of what the committee members and the members of the public would like to see in the downtown area. They could take those priority projects and budget funding to make downtown improvements.
With the assembly of a study, it may make it easier to seek grant funding if a master plan is available.
It is the hope to move quickly with the study to prepare the master plan so officials with the REES Theatre can move forward on their proposed project.
Houin stated that Mayor Robert Listenberger asked Heiden to put together a proposal to do the planning work which was brought before the Plymouth Redevelopment Commission during their meeting last week. Houin said he worked with Clerk-Treasurer Lynn Gorski to look at funding the study and there is money budgeted in the Economics Line in the TIF #2 budget. The members unanimously approved the proposal from JPR at a cost of $15,400.
