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October 19, 2021

With new plan, Auburn aims for a revitalized downtown

street and people in chairs Courtesy / City of Auburn People lined the streets in downtown Auburn for a summer parade sponsored by the Auburn Recreation Program. The city’s new downtown plan identifies events as a primary driver for revitalization.
By Staff

The city’s of Auburn’s five-year downtown revitalization plan provides a vision and steps for creating an inviting downtown that includes development areas and a focal point for arts and entertainment.

The plan was unveiled Monday by the city’s economic development team during a workshop of the City Council. 

It’s part of the city’s overall economic development strategy that was completed in 2019 and includes four “transformational actions’ that identify recommended strategies, items the city has already begun working on and action steps to be taken. 

“Revitalizing our downtown will be a team effort,” Jay Brenchick, the city’s director of economic development, said in a news release. “We need every city department, as well as our city council, residents, visitors and local businesses involved.”

The four actions include a walkable downtown, redevelopment of the Great Falls area, establishment of a downtown management district and coordinator, and identification of the downtown as the focal point for arts and entertainment.

The overall vision includes strengthening the city's economic, residential and jobs foundations and has come with a slew of actions. 

In addition to this week’s downtown plan, they have included revamping Auburn's planning and economic development department to streamline permitting processes, adding an urban planner, waiving or reducing residential and construction fees for veterans, and putting seven city properties on the market.

Downtown work plan

This week’s downtown plan brings together actions already  underway and actionable steps.

street and houses
Courtesy / City of Auburn
The city of Auburn views the reconstruction of Library Avenue — including new drainage structures, rebuilt intersections, lightings and landscaping improvements, and pedestrian improvements — as one of a number of infrastructure changes needed to revitalize the downtown.

“This plan is not meant to be a static document that remains unchanged as we redevelop our downtowns,” the plan says. “Instead, it is a framework, a work plan, and will be updated as needed.”

Overall, the goal is to develop clear identities for Auburn’s downtown that consider scale, connectivity, use and integrity to maximize their appeal. 

“Without a great downtown all other economic development activities will be challenged,” the plan says.

The plan identifies the city’s adoption of form-based codes throughout downtown areas as the foundation for more opportunities for mixed-use development and development flexibility.

Walkability

Numerous road and sidewalk improvements are targeted in order to improve walkability. The work includes:

• Expansion of sidewalk and crosswalk widths

• Narrowing certain streets in order to leave more room for parking and sidewalks and to slow down traffic

• Increasing outdoor seating and dining opportunities with wider sidewalks

• Creation of additional surface lot parking and greenway trails

• Street restorations

• Pedestrian and bike safety improvements.

Two major areas of redesign and improvements are envisioned at public areas called Festival Plaza and Pocket Park, plus the city’s riverwalk. 

A proposed Festival Plaza redesign is envisioned as playing a major role in downtown revitalization and outdoor seating and dining opportunities and would also improve opportunities for future programming and downtown events. Three options for redesign are under review.

rendering of plaza
Courtesy / Woodard & Curran, City of Auburn
A proposed Festival Plaza redesign is considered a major player in downtown revitalization, outdoor seating and dining opportunities, and improved opportunities for future programming and downtown events.

At Pocket Park and the riverwalk, reduced maintenance has become an issue, leading to areas where there is graffiti, fencing that needs repair or paint, trees that need pruning, and invasive species. An additional "pocket park" has been identified that would require site work but could provide public amenities such as a bench, dock and canoe/kayak rack.

A number of improvements are already underway, completed, or under review by the City Council. 

Great Falls redevelopment

The plan identifies a central area call Great Falls as ripe for redevelopment, with the goal of achieving critical mass for multiple destination, mixed-use activities.

The city’s new form-based code — which allows buildings up to eight stories in Great Falls and up to six in the city center, with 90% and 80% lot coverage — is considered an opportunity for big redevelopment projects to create a shift in how the downtown functions. 

Those goals are based on the accomplishment, first, of certain  infrastructure improvements, including a major drainage upgrade.

Mixed-use coordinator

Toward the goal of promoting a mix of uses in the downtown, the plan proposes establishing a downtown management district and a coordinator as a convener and manager for events, parking and market space. The coordinator would also manage mixed uses through meetings with downtown businesses and property owners, community stakeholders, and regional and state partners to determine needs and resources; and would facilitate business attraction and financial incentive programs.

Auburn currently utilizes incentives throughout the city, including downtown. The plan envisions creating additional incentives and programs tailored to revitalize downtown, such as tax increment financing, revolving loan funds, façade improvement loans, potential grants to allow the city to help fund  downtown projects, tapping into community development corporation resource that could assist initiatives such as economic development and neighborhood planning, a business plan contest to fill empty storefronts, and creation of a business incubator.

Arts and entertainment

Year-round event programming is viewed as a way to make downtown a destination. That could include additional events such as “food truck rodeos,” public art installations, craft fairs, art festivals, co-working artist studio and gallery, and utilizing local artists to create building murals.

For more information, click here.

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