Jayne Kirkpatrick, Director, Public Affairs

Prepared by: John Boyette Jr., Senior Public Affairs Specialist

For more information: Mitchell Silver, Chief Planning and Development Officer, 919-996-2625; or Trisha Hasch, Urban Planner, 919-996-4641

March 5, 2014

First Downtown Plan Visioning Session Is Set for April 2

The first Downtown Plan visioning session will be held on Wednesday, April 2, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Room 306 of the Raleigh Convention Center. The Downtown Plan is a project of the City of Raleigh and the Downtown Raleigh Alliance.

Residents are invited to attend the visioning session to provide input and learn of emerging trends, key issues, challenges and analysis findings. These findings are being compiled by Sasaki Associates Inc., which is leading the consultant team for the Downtown Plan. The visioning session also will include breakout group discussions on how Downtown Raleigh’s role could evolve and transform over the next 10 years.

The Downtown Plan will create a 10-year vision that includes short-, mid-, and long-term improvements to Downtown Raleigh, with possible phasing scenarios that are widely supported and achievable. The Downtown Plan also is expected to identify and analyze redevelopment, public-realm, infrastructure, and connectivity improvements. The consultant team will work with stakeholders that include the Downtown Plan Advisory Committee, which was appointed by the City Council in December.

It is expected to take nine months to complete the Downtown Plan. Throughout the process, public events will be held in which citizens will be asked to provide input.

Additional Downtown Plan visioning sessions will be held in each of the five districts that encompass the Downtown area --- Fayetteville Street District, Capital District, Moore Square District, Glenwood South District and Warehouse District --- and in the Person Street/Seaboard Avenue area. Dates for those sessions have not been set.

For more information on the Downtown Plan process, contact Trisha Hasch, an urban planner for the City of Raleigh, at 919-996-4641 or email trisha.hasch@raleighnc.gov; or visit the City’s website at www.raleighnc.gov (type “Downtown Experience Plan” in the search engine). Also, an interactive link has been established at www.PlanningForRaleigh.com that allows people to share their thoughts about Downtown today and in the future. Images and videos can be posted on the site. Additionally, the public can follow dialogue on the Downtown Plan process on Twitter using the hashtag #RaleighDTPlan.

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Downtown Plan