In partnership with the City of Douglasville, the Downtown Development Authority, and the Development Authority of Douglas County, a draft of the Downtown Master Plan and 10-Year Strategic Plan will be publically unveiled in an open house.
“This is an opportunity for the community to reshape Douglasville into a premier historic downtown, driven by food and entertainment,” said Adam Williamson, Senior Principal at TSW.
The reveal will take place tonight at 7 p.m. in Meeting Room 1 at the Douglasville Conference Center.
The purpose of the Downtown Plan is to identify and prioritize short, middle, and long-term public investment for the next 10 years. The investments will become the City of Douglasville and the Douglasville Downtown Development Authority’s work plan by helping inform budget priorities, and helping to effect further transformational investments.
“We have a tremendous amount of opportunity in our downtown—now is the time to create a plan that will help generate economic development and support our existing businesses in the downtown district,” explained Patrice Williams, Community Development Manager for the City of Douglasville.
TSW, a firm located in Atlanta, met monthly with a Master Plan Steering Committee to hear recommendations on what they envision for specific areas in downtown Douglasville. The Church Street Corridor, the Strickland Street/Railroad Corridor, and Rose Avenue/Bankhead Corridor are three areas of focus for the master plan.
“We’ve spent the past six months collaborating with residents, property owners, business owners, and other organizations to help create a blueprint for future development in downtown Douglasville,” said Williams.
Overall, the plan calls for maximizing each corridor’s potential as the “Main Street” of downtown Douglasville. Some of the plan’s bigger ideas include various housing opportunities, lighting and beautification plans, increased retail opportunities, a potential entertainment district, and pedestrian opportunities that promote connectivity.
“The process has been both a learning experience and rewarding as we’ve heard firsthand what our citizens would like to see happen in the downtown,” said Williams.
Based on the public reveal, the next step would be to finalize the master plan before the City Council adopts and begins the implementation the various projects listed. “It is important to remember this is a 10 year plan that will take some time to implement,” said Williamson.
