VALDOSTA —
The Central Valdosta Development Authority provided participants with a draft master plan on the future development of downtown Valdosta during its final public meeting at the Dosta’ Playhouse Thursday.
After extensive community input, the CVDA put together a plan incorporating people’s ideas.
“It’s a plan that has a great amount of thought in it,” John Skach, urban design senior associate of Urban College, said. “I would hope that you can embrace it and move it forward.”
Priorities of downtown Valdosta are housing, rehabilitating vacant buildings, improving the courthouse, creating cultural anchors, trucks, high speed traffic, parks, parking, connecting with Valdosta State University and economic development and marketing.
The CVDA’s main focus relates to safety, general circulation, parking, trucks and driving speed. Ultimately, the authority recommends that downtown needs to reconnect with the neighborhoods and attract tourists.
In order to head in the direction of revitalizing downtown, some of the authority’s suggestions are to attract more residents, offer office and institutional spaces, create a civic square, and make downtown more visible through events and marketing.
Three steps to achieving the vision are to make small investments to begin moving forward, laying ground work for larger projects and sharing the responsibility as a community, Skach said.
While economic times are tough, the CVDA recommends applying for grants and SPLOST funding to complete some of the improvements.
Over the next couple of years, the CVDA recommends the following 10 projects to get started with the development of downtown Valdosta, Skach said, which get the community involved “without breaking the bank.”
• Courthouse Square — demolish annex, create an activity plaza and temporarily close Valley Street
• Central Alley — move trash compactor, install temporary lighting, host summer film festival incorporating downtown restaurants
• Lee Street Plaza — relocate municipal parking
• Toombs Street Plaza — relocate parking, install temporary power hook up and a concert series
• Olympic Park East — abandon existing street, remove paving, install a temporary community garden
• Olympic Park Central — remove some trees to provide more space for activities, such as a jungle gym for children
• McKey Street Parking — create reversed angled parking and see how it works downtown
• Central Avenue 2-Way — reduces speeding and offers the idea of how 2-way roads work
• Patterson Street Streetscape — link to VSU, establish a presence of downtown
• Martin Luther King Streetscape — help to anchor the southern part of downtown, offer a gateway into downtown
The CVDA’s next steps are to finalize the report, review online comments by citizens and get the report adopted by December.
In a few weeks, the project plan will be available online, allowing people to post comments and concerns.
To view the website, visit www.valdostamainstreet.com.
Local News
Related Photos
-
John Skach, an associate with Urban Collage, gives the presentation for the final public meeting for the master planning for the future of downtown Valdosta. Paul Leavy
Discussion
Development authority presents draft master plan for downtown Valdosta’s future
- Local News
-
-
VHS Class of 2012 graduates
Valdosta High School’s Class of 2012 gathered Friday night at the Valdosta State University PE Complex to celebrate the graduation of roughly 350 seniors.
-
Qualifying ends
Citizens engaged in their local political landscape will have plenty of options this July and November as dozens of candidates qualified on Friday.
-
Resident escapes from blaze
A citizen escaped an aggressive fire with only minor cuts and bruises Friday afternoon, as wind amplified the flames from the blaze that started inside of his St. Augustine Road residence.
-
Weekend preview with Brittany McClure
Find out what's going on this weekend with Brittany McClure.
-
Popular vendor taken out of the ballparks
With a wagon-load of fresh cakes, hot boiled peanuts and ice-cold bottled water she has witnessed generations of children, or as she refers to them, her angels, grow into adults with children of their own.
-
Three candidates file for election
Qualifications for Lowndes County general primaries continue with the addition of a couple new candidates interested in running for elected office.
-
City, county tax discussions stalled
Local Option Sales Tax “negotiations” between city and county officials have descended from open meetings to a stalemate, with no clear agreement on how the estimated $210 million in tax revenue should be split.
-
Valdosta High principal to retire
After one year as Valdosta High School principal, Rufus McDuffie has announced his retirement.
-
South Georgia’s Ace
High above war-torn Germany, World War II fighter ace Donald S. “Bush” Bryan led his flight toward an estimated 50 enemy aircraft.
-
Arraignment set for Quitman 11
The “Quitman Eleven” are scheduled to have an arraignment on May 29, Brooks County Courthouse, according to their attorney, Roy Copeland.
- More Local News Headlines
-
