A crowdfunding effort to finance part of an alley way enhancement south of City Hall is almost halfway to its goal of $50,000.
If the fundraising effort reaches $50,000, the city would be eligible for a matching $50,000 grant through the Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority to round out funding for the project.
According to crowdfunding website patronicity.com, more than $21,000 has been raised as of Friday. The campaign began March 27 and is scheduled to conclude May 5.
The alley – located between City Hall to the north and two businesses to the south – extends about 130 feet and stretches from South Buffalo Street to an intersecting alley to the west.
Proposed improvements include seating areas, bike racks, plants, public Wi-Fi and additional lighting. The facade will include artwork displayed in a long wooden case.
An asphalt walkway including a decorative inlay pattern tentatively using a blue and white color scheme is also part of the plan.
This type of walkway, Warsaw Assistant Planner Justin Taylor said, is better for snow removal and drainage.
Some of the enhancements will be seasonal and stored over winter.
The idea of sprucing up the alley has been discussed since at least 2013. Last year, the owner of Oak and Alley, a bar and restaurant with an entrance at the west end of the alley, sought to do the project on his own, but the city balked and views it as a future gathering spot for the public.
Taylor said the strong crowdfunding start is an indication of the support the project has.
“We like the way it’s evolved and we hope the community likes it too. We feel like the majority of the community is really getting behind the project and supporting it,” Taylor said.
The plan is consistent with what many other cities are doing to promote their downtowns, Taylor said.
The crowdfunding effort with the matching grant from the state is a chance to make a visible improvement without the use of tax dollars, said Mayor Joe Thallemer.
“The idea is about improving the quality of place,” Thallemer said.
Some see the project as an extension of the outdoor seating some businesses already use along downtown sidewalks. In a sense, the city is just encouraging more of that.
Three Crowns Coffee, on the east end of the alley and along Buffalo Street, already has seating along the sidewalk.
“This one project isn’t going to change the world, but if it sets a precedent or creates that energy, we hope more projects come out of the community organically,” Taylor said.
City officials said there has been some confusion about the project. Some of that involves the public and private role with the businesses.
Dave Gustafson, owner of Oak and Alley, is covering the costs associated with improvements near his entrance, Thallemer said.
Oak and Alley will include a short fence outlining the restaurant seating area where alcohol may be consumed.
The alley will continue to be fully traversable by the public, Taylor said.
If the project succeeds, Taylor said the city could look at similar ideas elsewhere as a way to help other businesses and boost the downtown as a whole, Taylor said.
“We hope the downtown can see that big picture,” he said.
