Odessa inhabitants check with for downtown housing, inexperienced space
Extra housing, corporations, green place and amusement solutions, are among the top rated downtown priorities, Odessa people and group leaders cited throughout a downtown master prepare townhall meeting held Monday.
About two dozen folks participated in the 1st of nine city corridor periods scheduled this week to help the city update its ambitions for downtown. All the meetings, which are open to the general public, will be held at the Odessa Law enforcement Department’s very first flooring training place.
Citizens can also check out and participate in the townhall conferences by way of reside streaming on the town and Downtown Odessa Facebook webpages.
“The aim is to test and have an understanding of Odessa,” mentioned Jeff Whitacre, vice president of Kimley-Horn, the preparing and style and design consulting firm hired to oversee the updating of the city’s downtown grasp strategy. “We want the community to notify us their ideas and describe what they would like to see.”
Whitacre’s invitation spurred a energetic dialogue amongst those people physically present and participating via the world wide web.
Dustin Fawcett, regional director for the Much better Small business Bureau of the Permian Basin, mentioned downtown arranging wants to concentration on providing a range of housing alternatives and activities for youthful Odessa people.
“The median age in Odessa is 31 many years old,” Fawcett claimed. “We have a large amount of younger households who have children, so we will need varied things to do.”
Several town hall participants stated two of the city’s best priorities ought to be to produce cost-effective downtown housing for younger experts this sort of as clinic nurses and school instructors. The second precedence is attracting much more corporations and dining places that cater to a young crowd, along with a wide variety of standard activities and activities.
Whitacre stated downtown housing could be a catalyst for a more dynamic downtown, but comes with numerous issues.
Apartment complexes, townhouses, condominiums are all attainable housing choices, but city leaders would have to have to decide in which individuals housing web-sites could be built, Whitacre claimed. Classic single-family members houses would most likely be way too high-priced to develop.
Other priorities described by citizens provided more green place and beautification of downtown, and additional sidewalks and bike paths to make it easier for individuals to get all around. Far better parking services ended up also frequently outlined.
Kimley-Horn Designer Daniel Acevedo, mentioned the city’s past learn approach targeted on the development of a downtown convention heart, which was accomplished.
“The former strategy seemed a lot more at amusement and actions downtown,” Acevedo stated. “The query now is how we continue to the up coming stage.
Kimley-Horn reps fielded numerous thoughts from town corridor members who puzzled what would come about if the much-reviewed relocation of the Ector County Courthouse grew to become a truth. Some people feared that motion would prompt lawyer corporations and bail bonds enterprises to also go.
Whitacre and Acevedo mentioned if this kind of a move occurred, it could build space and prospects for more housing and other corporations to relocate downtown.
“I think, if it at any time occurred, it could truly open factors up and the region could be employed for other items,” Whitacre said.
The a few Monday city hall meetings concentrated on goals and aims, created setting and visioning and streetscaping and walkability.
Tuesday city hall meeting times and topics will include things like 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., land use, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., functions and community activities, and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., parking. Wednesday’s townhall classes will resume at 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Grant Ave., 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. developer’s workshop and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., presentation of thoughts.
The town council in June voted unanimously to retain the services of arranging and style architects Kimley-Horn to oversee the updating of the prepare. The organization is being paid $85,000 for their function. Whitacre has explained the task will take about 6 months to comprehensive.