×

City Planner Presents Urban Design Plan 2.0

Center, Crystal Surdyk, city principal planner, presenting the Urban Design Plan 2.0 to the Jamestown City Council during its work session meeting Monday. P-J photo by Dennis Phillips

A tool to be utilized for redevelopment projects downtown was presented to the Jamestown City Council Monday.

During the council’s work session meeting, Crystal Surdyk, city principal planner, discussed the draft of the Urban Design Plan 2.0. Surdyk said city officials worked with Jamestown Renaissance Corp. officials on the plan. In December 2017, the Jamestown Renaissance Center received an $87,500 state grant through the Regional Economic Development Council program to fund the creation of the second urban design plan.

The new plan is an extension of the original that was released in 2006, which won awards for design and implementation. Both plans have been produced by Goody Clancy, an architecture, planning and preservation firm serving educational, governmental and private sector clients and communities.

The 2.0 plan has four main design focuses — the continued renewal of the Chadakoin riverfront; make downtown a more walkable and better connected; recognizing the potential emerging health and wellness district as a vital new component of the downtown landscape; and expand on programs and events downtown that are fun, free and for the family.

Surdyk said the first plan had three of the same focuses, with the emerging health and wellness district being aa new focus. City officials have also been working on a state grant to extend the Greater Jamestown Riverwalk, which now ends at the Great Lakes Physician Practice-Jamestown Area Medical Associates Riverwalk Center, to go toward Institute Street where the new Chautauqua Center will be located then to UPMC Chautauqua. In August 2018, the council passed a resolution to apply for $525,000 state Department of Transportation grant for the extension of Riverwalk into the city’s medical corridor.

Vince DeJoy, city development director, said city officials have applied for funding for a possible new pedestrian bridge to be located along the new extended Riverwalk.

Also, that the Jamestown Area YMCA is looking to possible move into the area from its Fourth Street location.

Another focus of the plan is improving walkability downtown, which includes how to eliminate the barrier Washington Street creates between the east and west sides of the city’s urban core. Surdyk said the plan is to implement traffic calming elements downtown. However, she said Washington Street will continue to be a truck route because it is a state highway. She added this will be at least a five year plan because there is a lot of work that needs to be done with the state Department of Transportaion to implement the changes.

“We understand Washington Street needs to be a major focus,” she said.

Surdyk said the plan is not an exact prescription of everything that should be done, but is a view of the downtown with a focus on themes and actions.

“One of the great things about the plan is that its meant to be flexible, it’s meant to be a guide,” she said.

A meeting to present the plan to the public is being scheduled, but not exact date has been set, Surdyk said. Once the plan is finalized, copies of the plan will be on the city’s website – jamestownny.net.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

COMMENTS

[vivafbcomment]

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today