FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The City of Springfield is asking the community to participate in the development of basic concept designs for the Grant Avenue Parkway corridor improvement project and corridor plan.
A Virtual Concept Development Event is scheduled 5:30 – 8:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 19.
Participating residents and stakeholders will be walked through a series of four basic design options created using feedback gathered during the public visioning phase in September.
The event will be broken up into one-hour segments focused on various portions of the project corridor. Participants are encouraged to participate in one or more segments that interest them most.
- 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. - Fassnight Neighborhood (Sunshine Street to Grand Street)
- 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. - West Central Neighborhood (Grand Street to College Street)
- 7:30 – 8:30 p.m. - Downtown (College Street to Boonville Avenue to Mill Street to Main Avenue)
“The options we’ll be presenting are very basic mockups of possible project features. We want to hear what participants like and what they don’t like about each option,” explains Public Works Project Manager Leree Reese. “This feedback will help guide us toward the public’s primary goals and preferred direction for the project. At the end of the development process, we will provide this direction to design-build teams, allowing them to innovate and develop unique designs based on the public’s direction.”
As an integral part of the development of the city’s Comprehensive Plan update, city staff is also working closely with Forward SGF planning consultants Houseal Lavigne to develop a targeted plan for the Grant Avenue corridor.
“In addition to the parkway design, we have been evaluating development opportunities, complementary building types and related improvements along Grant Avenue. We plan to share some of our progress and listen for feedback from the public in the months to come, as we work to bring it all together,” added Principal Planner for the City of Springfield Randall Whitman. “This is an interim stage in an overall planning study of the Grant Avenue corridor.”
The virtual event will be livestreamed from grantavenueparkway.com and the City’s Facebook page. The event will also be recorded and broadcast on the City’s cable channels – Mediacom channel 15.1 and 80 and AT&T Uverse channel 99.
About the Grant Avenue Parkway Corridor Improvement Project
Funded primarily by a $21 million federal Better Utilizing Investment to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant, the Grant Avenue Parkway will provide major transportation improvements along Grant Avenue in the heart of Springfield.
The Grant Avenue Parkway will create an off-street pedestrian and bicycle pathway along Grant Avenue between Sunshine Street and Downtown Springfield. The 3-mile stretch will connect downtown businesses and neighborhoods with the Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium (WOW) – linking Springfield cultural experiences for both residents and visitors.
The Parkway route will further connect parks and recreation amenities, neighborhoods, schools, and fill a vital gap in the Ozark Greenways trail network.
The Parkway will start at Sunshine Street and end in a loop downtown via College Street, Boonville Avenue, Mill Street and Main Street. The route is envisioned to include bike and pedestrian friendly facilities, various traffic-calming improvements, bridge enhancements, utility upgrades, fiber connectivity and additional crossing and intersection improvements.
The City will be tackling this corridor improvement project with four improvement goals in mind: Transportation, Economic Development, Quality of Life and Community Revitalization.
Input from neighborhoods, residents and stakeholders along the route as well as the community-at-large will be used to provide guidance to subject matter experts completing the upcoming preliminary concept phase for the project. Beyond design consideration for the parkway, input received will guide the development of the Grant Avenue Corridor Plan.
To participate and learn more, the public is encouraged to visit grantavenueparkway.com.
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For more information, please contact Director of Public Information and Civic Engagement Cora Scott at 417-864-1009.