What does a $140K study say about this city’s development potential?

Recommendations from a nearly year-long Troy Downtown Riverfront Strategic Development Study are designed to enhance the community’s quality of life, its workforce and the connectivity between the downtown and the nearby riverfront of the Great Miami River.

“These are ideas on paper. Some of them may happen in our community, others may not,” said Ben Redick of the Troy Main Street downtown organization, one of the organizations that joined together to pay for the $140,000 strategic development study. The group, that includes the city as well as individuals, in recent months named itself the Activate Troy partnership.

Redick said the study would not be discussed, during a presentation held Monday night at Hobart Arena, but questions could be sent to the partnership website, where they would be answered. The website is www.activatetroy.com.

Joe Nickol of consultants MKSK Studios presented the recommendations.

Nickol said Troy already is in a position of strength with its offerings. “We are providing a framework for you to become stronger,” he said.

Recommendations were broken into strategic plans for 0-2 years, 2 to 5 years and 5 to 10 years.

For example, a long-term recommendation involved making the city’s Public Square, now called by some a roundabout, friendlier overall through use of a “squareabout” that Nickol said would slow traffic and allow pedestrians to move safety through the area.

Overall plans would add more housing in the downtown area, provide better parking in conjunction with a recent city parking study and bring new life to areas such as Clay Street next to the north-south railroad crossing east of the Public Square and near the former Hobart Cabinet property south of the river along East Water Street.

Street modifications were mentioned frequently with the addition of bike lanes/cycle ways in several areas.

More use of the area north of the river near the downtown was among two to five year recommendations including beginnings of a river district north of the river near levee.

Wade Westfall, downtown property owner and Activate Troy member, said after the presentation that next steps would include encouraging the city to look at implementing the first series of recommendations including addressing zoning and other measures that might need to accommodate change.

He said he anticipates the projects to move forward with involvement by various parties including the property owners who already are investing in the area and others who are expected to join them. “This will kind of organically grow,” Westfall said.

More information on the study is available on the city website at troyohio.gov.

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