On Thursday, June 22 at the VFW Post 9362, over 70 people were in attendance for the Central Main Street Corridor Redevelopment Plan’s second public engagement session. Vierbicher & Associates presented an updated background report on the study corridor, results from the survey from the first public engagement and three concept plans for the area around Bird and Main Street intersection.
The three concepts unveiled different options for each corner of the intersection The concept plans will give the City an idea of what the public prefers for redevelopment throughout the corridor, with a focus on the Bird Street & Main Street area.
Citizens unable to make the meeting can provide their input though an additional survey to help for the Community Development Authority and City to review. Citizens can take the survey at: http://sunprairieredevelopment.questionpro.com/
Next Steps
The Community Development Authority (CDA) will review the information and comments from the second public engagement session and the electronic survey. Based on the responses and additional input from the CDA, Vierbicher & Associates will conduct a more in-depth pro-forma and cost analysis of the preferred development concepts to give the Community Development Authority additional information to allow them to make a recommendation on the final preferred concept to be sent to the Plan Commission and City Council for further discussion.
Next Meetings
Community Development Authority, Thursday, August 10 starting at 5:30PM in the Community Room of City Hall (300 E Main Street)
Third Public Engagement Session, Thursday, September 14 from 6:00-8:00PM at VFW Post 9362 (349 S Walker Way)
Background
The Central Main Street Corridor planning area consists of the entire Tax Increment District 11 (TID 11), roughly 89 acres, extending east from Ruby Lane to Jones Street and approximately two blocks north and south off of Main Street. What was once the former Highway 151 Business Corridor, the Central Main Street Redevelopment Corridor contains a surplus of industrial buildings and underutilized parcels with public services already in place. The goal of the planning project is to attain the highest and best uses by revamping the corridor, attracting new development, and linking the historic downtown to the developing Westside Neighborhood.
In 2006, the City created the West Main Street Corridor Plan to provide a vision for the long-term redevelopment of the West Main Street Corridor. The goal of the Plan was to transform the corridor into more than a connecting route and provide more urban characterized changes. Since the creation of the Plan, the City has taken steps to implement Plan recommendations, though has struggled to attract private investment despite a significant level of public investment in infrastructure and the formation of new zoning tools to facilitate redevelopment.
In 2016 the City was awarded funding from the Dane County Better Urban Infill Development (BUILD) program to plan and implement infill development in the Central Main Street Redevelopment Corridor. Infill development refers to the process of developing vacant or underutilized parcels within an already urbanized area. The City has successfully partnered with the BUILD program in the past, including the creation of Downtown Redevelopment plans that directly led to the development of Cannery Square, as well as the redevelopment of several industrial parcels to the Pick ‘N Save Grocery Store development located at the intersection of State Highway 19 and County Highway N. The City intends to continue its success with the BUILD program, and looks forward to creating a prioritized list of projects and parcels that the City can focus its efforts to support and accelerate redevelopment within the project area.