Wednesday, February 26, 2003
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Wednesday, February 26, 2003 |
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F'ville seeks money for downtown facelifting By MONROE ROARK
Fayetteville officials are taking a big step toward giving the downtown area a major facelift. After completing a study financed by a $75,000 Livable Centers Initiative grant from the Atlanta Regional Commission, the City Council has decided to follow the recommendation of that study and apply for funding to develop a park just off the square that would anchor a new multiuse complex between Ga. Highway 85 and the Villages at LaFayette. A public hearing to further lay out the plan is scheduled for tomorrow at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at City Hall. The 23-acre block between LaFayette Avenue and hwys. 54 and 85, off the northwest corner of the square, has been conceived as the Fayetteville Village Green, which the Atlanta consulting firm Urban Collage called "a new centerpiece and catalyst for downtown development and reinvestment." Included in the plan is the preservation of two historic houses fronting Hwy. 85. Most of the property on this block is already for sale, according to officials, and having it develop under a single plan would make it easier to keep the design characteristics in line with the Main Street District. The commercial portion of the mixed-use center would ideally consist of small downtown businesses rather than anything that would compete with the Fayette Pavilion and other retail centers, according to the report. The multi-storied buildings would also contain residential space on the upper floors. But the first step in the project would be a public plaza or park that could be used for public events such as the arts festivals and summer gatherings already held each year in Fayetteville. The city hopes to get a little more than $2 million from the ARC to fund the implementation of the plan. About $500,000 in matching local funds would be needed, an Urban Collage official estimated. This money is available, City Manager Joe Morton said last week, through the Downtown Development Authority, which set aside funds over the past few years for the revitalization of property in the area as needed. By taking the next step and applying for implementation funds from the ARC, the council is not yet committing to a specific plan for the entire development. It is possible that the city could only get a portion of the amount requested and be forced to reprioritize, the consultants pointed out. The city is not looking to develop the entire area, but rather to get the ball rolling so that private developers will see the attractiveness of the site and move in on their own. Council members believe that the park project and the overall Village Green concept represent a move in the right direction. "We should not get in the development business," Councilman Bill Talley said, but he then added, "The best thing we can do is keep people living downtown. We don't want a ghost town that people just drive through on their way to Senoia." Mayor Kenneth Steele agreed. "This is a mechanism to bring tax dollars back to our community," he said. Officials expect the ARC to make a decision on Fayetteville's request by late spring or early summer.
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