In late 2020, the Old Town Merchants and Residents Association and Special Service Area #48 began the process of hiring an urban planning firm to help create a corridor plan for Wells Street. Wells Street in Old Town has a storied history, from being a vice neighborhood to the epicenter of arts and culture, all of which has shaped it to what we know today. The OTMRA and SSA #48 wanted to create a blueprint for what the neighborhood could look like in the future, so after a lengthy RFP process, hired the Lakota Group and the Community Land Use and Economics Group, to develop the Wells Street Corridor Plan.
The plan will focus on enhancing the quality of life for residents, merchants, and visitors and provide stability for new and existing businesses. Topics will include business attraction, improvements to the built environment, corridor branding and placemaking, and safety, among others. The process started in late November and will be completed in mid-2021.
In order to get there, the plan will focus on three main tiers:
- 1. Placemaking Design Initiatives to help bring cohesiveness to Wells Street and add to its vibrant and creative scene. That includes temporary activations, public art, and wayfinding and signage among others.
- 2. Economic Vitality focusing on retaining and growing small businesses, taking into account the global pandemic and its repercussions.
- 3. Built Environment, which includes curb appeal, sidewalks, buildings, streetscape, public spaces, storefronts facades, with a focus on land use scenarios and potential future development.
We invite all Old Town stakeholders to participate, new and old, resident and merchant, and everyone in between. An open and transparent public engagement effort will help build the trust and optimism needed in cultivating local support to envision the future of Wells Street and Old Town neighborhood. There will be several opportunities you can share your input.
Throughout this process, there are many ways to add your voice to the neighborhood plan. Over the coming months, OTMRA will conduct stakeholder interviews, post an online survey questionnaire, and host a series of virtual information meetings. You can learn more about the plan by visiting www.wellsstreetplan.com.