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 13 2008, 07:12 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...;ArticleID=9783
QUOTE Changing Parking Downtown? Jason Miller The News-Dispatch MICHIGAN CITY - If traffic on Franklin Street is changed to two-way, the current diagonal parking configuration would have to be changed to avoid an expensive and time-consuming widening of the street. The Michigan City Redevelopment Commission on Monday agreed to hire an engineering firm to study the move, and present a design for the two-way plan. Part of that design will include a new parking configuration which would likely create diagonal parking on one side of the street and parallel parking on the other, or parallel parking on both sides. If the city goes with parallel parking on both sides of the street, though, the move would likely reduce parking spaces downtown by half. "We're looking at diagonal on one side and parallel on the other," Mayor Chuck Oberlie said Monday. "There is an issue of how much parking there will be if we go two-way." City engineer Bill Phelps said Monday Franklin Street between Fourth and Ninth streets is 57 feet, 6 inches wide, including parking spaces. Angled spots are nearly 19 feet of that on each side, which leaves 10-foot lanes for traffic. Twelve-foot lanes are recommended for 45-degree parking, Phelps said. "The alternative is to put 45-degree on one side and 9-foot parallel on the other," Phelps said. "We can't get diagonal on two sides unless we widen the street, which is bad because we'd have to move poles and things." Phelps said whatever work is done on Franklin Street will likely involve milling and paving work, as well as possibly some new curbing. Oberlie plans to give the present concept to the city's Mainstreet Association for its input. The downtown group will be an equal partner in the project. Contact reporter Jason Miller at jmiller@thenewsdispatch.com. |
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