|
Main Street, THC reviews downtown district
By Stephanie Norman
The Paris News
Published September 13, 2009
Texas Main Street Program and Texas Historical Commission members gave a snapshot view of what they believe needs to be done to better downtown Paris on Friday.
The group’s two-day review was funded by a federal grant from the Preserve America Initiative. Paris holds both Texas Main Street and Preserve America designations.
“We authorize and officially designate local Main Street programs, which Paris is one,” said State Coordinator Debra Farst. “So what the grant enabled us to do is to hire some consultants to come take a tour of Texas and do these very short and intense reassessments.”
She said following an in-depth study by the specialist, a final product is to be presented to the community in a more official form.
“Our objective is to do this in three months,” Farst said.
Stephanie Redman, a consultant from New Mexico, recommended more consistency in efforts, although she complimented what the city has to offer.
“Organization is the foundation of what we’re dealing with,” Redman said. She explained how being organized is one of the keys to having a successful downtown.
“What a gem of a downtown you have,” Redman said. She assessed the Plaza as having “drop dead architecture.”
Dick Ryan, an architect from the Austin area, showed a slide show of downtown photos from before and after the 1916 fire. Most of downtown was rebuilt by November 1916.
“A complete downtown was rebuilt back up,” Ryan said. “Rebuilding a complete downtown in seven months is pretty amazing. The buildings were individually designed and constructed so there’s a fantastic variety.”
After the fire, more precautions were noted when rebuilding. Press medal ceilings were used to help suppress damage along with medal frame windows in some areas.
Ryan suggested the city adopt the 2006 Fire Code, better maintain sidewalks and possibly doing away with three lanes downtown and utilizing that extra blacktop to make for parallel parking. Of course, before any of those ideas are official, TxDOT would need to approve them.
Thomson Yantis, vice president of community planning in Round Rock, offered information regarding economic development.
“We’re not here in any way to be critical,” Yantis said. “What we’re trying to give you is some ideas we’ve seen in other places that might help you in your downtown revitalization.
“I think it would be very helpful for ya’ll to think about actually developing a written master plan for downtown revitalization,” he suggested.
He talked about downtown infrastructure — sidewalks, adequate water and electricity to buildings along with enough parking.
Yantis recommended an infrastructure map, “essentially an inventory of where you are today and a prediction in terms of what you need in the future,” he said. “Infrastructure should be done on a block by block basis.”
All in all, Yantis said, the Main Street program is on the right track.
“Your future, I think, is very bright,” Yantis said.
“You are really on the right track; you just need the road map to get you there,” he concluded.
Share |
Save |
Mail |
Print |
Letter
|
|
 |
|
|
