A Groundbreaking Ceremony was held on May 6th for the Harrison Avenue Streetscape Improvement project. Mayor Hal Cole and Councilmembers Tom Davis, Angela Swanson and JoAnn Conner were in attendance for this historical event.
Watch the video of this momentous event at http://youtu.be/2YqJiaDAL74
Nearly twenty years after the project was identified in the Bijou/Al Tahoe Community Plan (1995), the Harrison Avenue Streetscape Improvement Project looks like “a go” with construction scheduled to begin as early as May 1st of this year and completed by the end of this November.
In 2011, the City embarked upon a strategic planning process, which included an extensive community survey. Citizens noted that many areas around the City were looking run down and unattractive. The concerns and observations discussed at the strategic planning sessions produced a City-wide Strategic Plan that prioritized Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) throughout the City.
The Harrison Avenue business district was identified as an important commercial area within the City for capital investment. In fact, the Harrison Avenue Streetscape Improvement Project was identified through the City’s strategic planning process in 2011 as the highest ranked CIP in the City. The CIP selection criteria were crafted to address the enhancement and modernization of urban infrastructure facilities that include pedestrian access, bicycle access, improved vehicle circulation, parking, street paving, sidewalks, signage, landscaping, lighting, nuisance stormwater ponding, and stormwater treatment. Ultimately, the 2011 Strategic Plan directs the implementation of a “complete streets” infrastructure program as is being proposed with the Harrison Avenue Streetscape Improvement Project.