Sunday, January 13, 2002
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Sunday, January 13, 2002 |
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City unveils new plans for downtown By MONROE ROARK
Fayetteville officials have unveiled a portion of what is hoped to be a major ongoing downtown revitalization project. The initial focus of attention is the block on the west side of Ga. Highway 85 facing the square, with plans to improve the front of that collection of building as well as the rear, which faces the recently renovated Holliday House and is bordered by Lanier Avenue, Stonewall Avenue and Bennett Street. A group comprised of local residents and business leaders, city officials, and professional consultant has brought together a number of ideas in an effort to make the site more aesthetically pleasing and pedestrian-friendly, while also improving the downtown area's parking situation. The concept has been named "Backstreet Fayetteville" in reference to the emphasis being placed on the rear of the buildings facing the square. After city officials met with a consulting group and some initial research was done, a "citizen's participation process" was formally begun, consisting of a series of workshops and brainstorming sessions. This period concluded Wednesday night with the presentation of final design plans for a parking area and proposed building facades. As the members of the citizen group compared their listed objectives, the top priorities were determined to be reinforcing a small-town feeling and making downtown a unique destination, and improving the appearance of the building around the square while providing continuity of architecture and attractive streetscaping. Other priorities included establishing mixed uses in the area, providing more green space and better pedestrian street crossings, and increasing the variety of goods and services available downtown and the amount of overall activity there. As changes in building facades for this particular block have been suggested, so have proposed uses for the buildings themselves to complement the existing businesses. Some recommendations have included a bookstore/art gallery, a neighborhood pub, a gourmet food store and a workout facility. One local developer already plans to open an upscale restaurant at the site and has reportedly been in negotiations with a renowned chef to that end, although a final version of those plans has not been made public. The design of the rear parking facility has been adjusted to accommodate automobiles as well as large tractor-trailers, which typically make several stops per week for deliveries to the businesses fronting the highway. Suggested outbuildings in the area surrounding the Regions Bank building and the Holliday House are included in the site plan. Now that a plan has begun to form, the city can pursue businesses that fit the mold and try to bring them to the downtown area, Price said, although she quickly added that the entire process is a long-term one.
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