North end could be "choice area", Andrews North End Plan discussion |
North end could be "choice area", Andrews North End Plan discussion |
Jan 17 2008, 08:07 AM
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Spends WAY too much time at CBTL Group: Admin Posts: 16,460 Joined: 8-December 06 From: Michigan City, IN Member No.: 2 |
http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=32796.78
QUOTE Oberlie: North End Can Be 'Choice' Area Jason Miller The News-Dispatch MICHIGAN CITY - In his annual state-of-the-city address last week, Mayor Chuck Oberlie outlined his fast-track plans for the city's North End in hopes that after the first quarter of 2008, the engine of change will be humming. Saying the area isn't pedestrian friendly or visually pleasing, he hopes the results of three studies laying out possibilities for the North End turn the area - through a unified vision - into the city's "neighborhood of choice." "The beauty of it all is that I outlined 21 different projects, and all of them will be moving forward as of (Thursday)," he said. "And they can all move forward without hurting the others." Oberlie also released a small portfolio featuring a few ideas for North End redevelopment gleaned from three studies the city has commissioned in the last two years. The most visually striking of the ideas is a large residential and commercial area along Trail Creek which, in theory, would include three large high-rise buildings just across the creek from Blue Chip Casino. Oberlie's thoughts are that developing the Trail Creek Corridor from Eighth Street to Washington Park would turn the city's North End into the crown jewel of the city. His hopes aren't without precedent. Although its size pales in comparison to that of Michigan City, the town of Saugatuck, Mich., benefits greatly from a developed Kalamazoo River, which houses not only hundreds of private boat slips, but residences, shops and restaurants like those Oberlie envisions for Trail Creek. "Our boating industry is a huge element of our success, if not the lifeblood of our town," second-term Saugatuck Mayor Tony Vettori said Friday. "And it's all due to the fact that there's so much to do right along the river. It brings in boaters and non-boaters." Like Michigan City, Saugatuck features a river that leads to a large, heavily used beach and the waters of Lake Michigan. Vettori said the beach benefits from the downtown river scene, just as the downtown benefits from the beach and Lake Michigan. "We've become an art destination and a shopping destination. And Oval Beach is rated one of the top 10 beaches in the country," Vettori said. "The water is all a part of what draws people here, and I'd think it would have the same effect in Michigan City." |
Feb 4 2008, 08:05 AM
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Spends WAY too much time at CBTL Group: Admin Posts: 16,460 Joined: 8-December 06 From: Michigan City, IN Member No.: 2 |
Chuck Oberlie weighs in...
http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=32755.26 QUOTE One Way Toward Two Way Jason Miller The News-Dispatch MICHIGAN CITY - Mayor Chuck Oberlie's vision for the city's North End is full of drastic changes and proposals that could change the face of Michigan City. Proposing high-rise buildings on Trail Creek and changing traffic patterns on some of the city's most-traveled thoroughfares, Oberlie's North End plan does what many hoped it would. It makes people talk about the North End in more than just nebulous tones. "Opinions are always good. We have to weigh a lot of different things when we're thinking about a project like this and it's not something we're just talking about anymore," City Planner John Pugh said. "You get divergent opinions, too, which is always interesting." One of the major points of Oberlie's vision is changing traffic and parking patterns on Franklin Street. That idea came about, in part, due to studies by the Andrews University Urban Design Studio and the Chicago design firm Lohan Anderson. Oberlie said in his State of the City address earlier this month that he plans to look closely at turning the northern-most blocks of Franklin Street from one-way to two-way driving. He also will look into changing parking from diagonal to parallel. Pugh said plans for Franklin Street are solid and that the city hopes to begin moving on them by the summer. "Right now the city engineer is putting together a rough sketch showing how this could be done (based on original drawings from 1989 when the street first went one-way)," Pugh said. "Then we'll take the drawings to a contractor and get an estimated cost. It's not a matter of whether we can do it or not, it's a question of finances. The project wouldn't be a problem. We just need to know we can afford it." Pugh said he hopes to take a plan to the Mainstreet Association by March. The Franklin Street plan is aimed at making the downtown district more pedestrian and driver friendly. It's a step - officials feel - toward revitalizing downtown by attracting residents and businesses. It also has been one of the more contested issues in Oberlie's plan. The division can be seen in Automated Data Systems Inc., a small computer business at 618 Franklin St. "I see people who think it's two-way, anyway. I'm always waiting for the crunch from someone driving down the street the wrong way," said Cheryl McCay, a receptionist at the business. "I'd definitely be open to changing it. We might get more parking and I'd like to see more people walking down here. I could use the company." Brian Shaffer, a computer tech who sits 15 feet from McCay in the small office, says making Franklin Street two-way would be a disaster. "You'd see a bunch of accidents. I'll guarantee it," Shaffer said. "People don't even stop at the stop signs now. I just don't think it would be wise to confuse people even more." Pugh said if the money is there, the project itself would be relatively simple to finish. Contact Jason Miller at jmiller@thenewsdispatch.com. |
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