Events and Meetings

Next Meeting:

FINAL DRAFT PRESENTATION OF THE DOWNTOWN VISION & STRATEGIC PLAN
Sept. 21st 8am to 10am @ The Durango Arts Center (802 East 2nd Ave.)

See Focus Groups for Meeting Dates/Times

__________________________________________________________________

Team Consultant Tentative Schedule

Please Note: These dates are estimates only. Once the selected consultant is under contract, further refinements of the project schedule will be provided.

Consultant Kick-off Presentation August 24th, 7 p.m.
Individual Community Member Interviews July - August
Define I, O, C’s August -September
Steering Committee Meetings (6) Ongoing
Design Workshop No. 1 September 27-29 (see below)
Design Workshop No. 2 November 17-19 (see below)
Design Workshop No. 2 February 2-4 (see below)
Plan Development November-January
Planning Commission/Council March-April

__________________________________________________________________

Past Meetings & Agendas:

Downtown Durango Vision and Strategic Plan
Focus Group Meeting No. 1 - June 10, 2004
DURANGO CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT
FOCUS GROUPS Kick-off Meeting - Thursday, June 10, 4-6pm
Meeting Minutes 3-5-04 |
Meeting Minutes 2-6-04 | Power Point Presentation 2-6-04

__________________________________________________________________

Design Workshops

The consultant, in conjunction with the City, will plan, coordinate and implement three presentations and interactive public Charrette Workshops as part of the project public involvement program. The focus of the initial public workshop will be to provide an opportunity for the general public to participate in the identification of issues, opportunities and constraints as it relates to specific areas of discussion.

The public workshop will center discussions on each of the Focus Group topic areas established for the downtown CBD, Main Avenue and the Camino Del Rio corridor. The Focus Groups are:
• Community Facilities and Land Use (entertainment, retail, commercial and government districts)
• Access and Circulation (pedestrian, bicycle, public transit, vehicles and parking)
• Housing Infill Mixed Use (affordable housing)
• Riverfront – Camino Del Rio Corridor (redevelopment, cultural amenities)
• Public Space and Urban Design (streetscape, culture and public art)

Note: an additional Focus Group will be established to address the ‘Business Plan’ (marketing, branding and economic revitalization) for the downtown CBD. This Focus Group, along with the other individual Focus Groups defined above, will meet concurrently to define key issues and opportunities and help develop preliminary draft Plan recommendations.

The input collected at the first public design workshop will be documented and processed, then followed by a series of interviews by the consultant team with various special interest groups, including economic development interests, small business groups, Chamber of Commerce, and retail merchant groups. The Downtown Durango Partnership, City staff, CDOT, Children's Museum and DSNGRR representatives will be included in these discussions.

The consultant team will also work in conjunction with the City staff and the selected Master Planning Team for the Mercy Medical Center site to coordinate public input and possible redevelopment scenarios for the existing 8-acre site located to the north of the downtown CBD Study Area. The existing Mercy Medical Center site will be assessed for a number of different redevelopment alternatives at the same time that the Downtown Vision and Strategic Plan is underway. The possible redevelopment scenarios may include, but are not limited to, work force and/or affordable housing, possible civic uses such as a public library or a city hall facility, or other mixed-use opportunities that are compatible with the existing neighborhood context. This input will be coordinated with the individual focus group discussions for the study to assure that all opportunities are reviewed appropriately. The City’s consultant is not intended to serve as a lead for the Mercy Medical Center Master Plan process, but rather act as a conduit to both processes to ensure coordination and communication as necessary.

__________________________________________________________________

Design Workshop No. 1 (September 27-29)
The consultant will be in town for three days during which they meet with the public, the focus groups, community stakeholders, and the steering committee. They will also be doing fieldwork and research pertaining to the plan.

SCHEDULE FOR WORKSHOP NO. 1
September 27
Project Steering Committee - Bank of Colorado - 3:30 p.m.

Focus Groups Meeting - Durango Arts Center - 6-8 p.m.
This will be a single combined meeting with all members or representative members of the Focus Groups. At this meeting the Focus Groups can provide input from their written report that prioritizes findings to the Consultant. In addition, any information from the Visual Preference Survey (Photo Project) including objectives and principles will be addressed.

September 28
Public Meeting - Doubletree - 6-8 p.m.
The first public meeting will provide an opportunity for the general public to participate in the identification of issues and opportunities as it relates to specific areas of discussion. There will be a presentation by the consultant. The participants will also break into small groups to discuss issues and opportunities.

September 29
Project Steering Committee - Bank of Colorado - 2 p.m.

__________________________________________________________________

Design Workshop No. 2 (November 17-19)
The second public workshop is designed to serve as a presentation of preliminary findings, alternative land use/infill strategies and alternative street designs. This workshop is intended to obtain additional input from the public interest; yet it is also structured to reach a general consensus on preliminary findings and preferred options. This workshop does not assume that every detail of the planning process has been resolved; yet it serves to acknowledge that the public input process has been open and meaningful, and the public has had the opportunity to participate effectively.

November 17
Project Steering Committee - Bank of Colorado - 1:30 p.m.
Focus Groups Meeting - Durango Arts Center - 4-6 p.m.

November 18
Public Meeting - Durango Arts Center - 6-9 p.m.

November 19
Project Steering Committee - Durango Arts Center - 1:30 p.m.

__________________________________________________________________

Design Workshop No. 3 (February 2-4)
At the third and final Design Workshop, the consultant will provide a summary of the preliminary findings and preferred alternatives for the Central Business District. It will confirm what was heard from the public and allows the stakeholders to refine that input. It will also focus on developing implementation strategies for the preferred land use/infill/street alternatives.

February 2
Project Steering Committee - Durango Arts Center - 1:30 p.m.
Public Meeting - Durango Arts Center - 6-9 p.m.

February 3
Project Steering Committee - Durango Arts Center - 9 a.m.