The city of Elkhart could be making more big changes to downtown including the possibility of making the one-way streets two-ways, slowing down the speed limit in the downtown area and adding parking garages.
The ideas are designed to get people to stop, shop and stroll through the downtown area.
Widening the sidewalks and adding trees are other ideas on the list presented to the city last week by the consulting firm, Urban Land Institute.
WSBT reports the city is considering putting together a non-profit Community Development Corporation, comprised of business owners, planners and residents to head up ideas.
They plan to put together a schedule of meetings for the public to add their thoughts.
3 comments
If they slow traffic down, people will just avoid going downtown. Instead of having fast moving sets of eyeballs to see storefronts, there will be NO eyeballs seeing storefronts. I’m really not sure this is the effect they are looking for.
Aside from that, this looks like a “if money was no object” list. Parking garages? Sidewalk enhancements? Tree planting and maintenance? Sounds great, but will the cost actually be offset by increases in tax revenue from the enhancements, or is this just another way to soak the residents of Elkhart to pay for another useless fluff project? I’m guessing the latter.
HA HA HA HA! About every ten to twenty years the new and improved downtown Elkhart is announced. It is all wasted money. The only people who make out are the consultants.Think about it??? How much time and money do you spend going down town for ANYTHING! I only go to the Post Office and it should be relocated for better traffic and parking. When was the last time mail came in on the train? Nineteen-fifty five??? Most people shop online or go to one of the big box stores none of which are located downtown in any city I know of. Stop wasting money on plans that will never show a profit to the taxpayers. Fix the pot holes and the idiot stop light timing.
JUST FIX THE ROADS!!!! Stop worrying about all the other stuff. I can’t drive anywhere without bouncing into a pothole or roads that were just fixed the cheapest way possible and now are even worse