Some downtown merchants heard things they thought could boost the downtown at a special presentation Tuesday morning.
As the culmination of a months-long series of meetings of some downtown merchants and property owners, the presentation called for the elimination of one-way streets in downtown Fremont as one of its major points to help boost the area.
“It’s the one thing I would do immediately,” said consultant Marty Shukert of Omaha, who added that the one-way streets make the downtown harder to manage in a vehicle.
“Downtown should be inviting,” he said. “It’s not good when the first thing someone driving up to a downtown is a sign that says ‘Do Not Enter.’”
The elimination of one-way streets was only one point made by the downtown group.
Other improvements need to include improved sidewalks, additional green space, development of second story apartment units, collaboration between Midland Lutheran College and Metropolitan Community College to develop incentives to bring more students downtown, additional restaurant and entertainment venues, review of city codes to eliminate any that would hinder downtown development and develop a model for financing downtown projects.
Shukert said two potentially big assets for downtown already exists just a couple of blocks away.
“You need to make the downtown a learning community with the nearby colleges,” he said. “You have to find a way to make the campuses part of downtown and make the downtown part of the campuses.”
The biggest step may be implementing such a project, he said.
“The city at this point is a full partner that is pushing for this rather than reacting to requests. This is going to cost something,” Shukert said.
Estimates from the consultant indicate that it could cost nearly $15 million over several years to get the downtown to where these programs are set. That includes an estimated $4 million in city government financing. About $3.6 million of that could be in improving the sidewalks and streets.
The consultant’s conceptual financing idea suggests that the $3.6 million could be raised in bonds with the rest of the city financing coming from general funds and a tax increment financing district.
“That’s something that would have to go to the council,” Hartwig said of any potential bond issue. “This is just a hypothetical. There’s no proposal. I don’t know if the council would support something like that, but it is something that could happen.”
Hartwig said there is no proposed timeline on the table for any of the ideas, including the financing.
Some of the merchants like what they heard.
“It meant a lot to me as a business owner to see this excitement from the city,” said Bob Missel, who owns Sampter’s clothing store.
Since coming to Fremont in January 2007 as the new city administrator, Bob Hartwig has been an advocate for strengthening the city’s downtown.
“That puts us in a different place than before,” Missel continued. “Everybody wins.”
Bill Perry said he thinks the success of downtown will benefit the whole community.
“I think everybody will benefit,” Perry said. “When I’m putzing around I walk around and talk with people. I’m surprised at the number of Lincoln people, Wahoo people, Woodcliff people, western Omaha people come here. They want a reason to come here.”
Ginger Rosenthal, who owns The Blue Bottle Coffeehouse, said she was pleased with the thorough process of developing the plan.
“I think they’re placing areas in the right order if we want to make this an attractive place for people to come,” she said. “Downtown needs an inviting portfolio. The streetscape needs to be inviting so that people will want to live in second floor apartments. When they wake up in the morning we want them to want to walk down here.”
Hortencia Villasenov, who owns Mi Tierra dress shop, said she likes some of the plan.
“I like the idea of renovating the streets,” she said. “Change all of the one-way streets. I agree that we need some green space to make downtown look better. My biggest issue is parking. We need more parking.”
The downtown presentation will be delivered again Tuesday night at the regular meeting of the Fremont City Council.
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