The final draft of the 2008 Downtown Strategic Development Plan was presented at the January 7, 2009, Plan Commission meeting. The Commission will continue its review at its January 21, 2009 meeting before forwarding it to City Council. It is scheduled to be presented to the City Council on January 27, 2009. The Plan was developed by the Downtown Strategic Development Plan Committee over a six month period with the input of a variety of stakeholders that participate in at least one of five focus groups and two open houses. Staff guided the planning process with the help of Terry Jones from UMSL who facilitated all of the meetings and focus group sessions.
The Steering Committee’s assessment of the issues related to downtown revitalization was also assisted by three case studies conducted at the request of the City and presented by Richard C. Ward of Zimmer Real Estate Services, L.C. and former principle partner of Development Strategies, Inc. The Plan document was drafted in-house by Planning and Development staff and reviewed and approved by the Steering Committee throughout the process. A final draft was presented to the public at an open house held on December 17, 2008.
The Plan will provide a guide for the revitalization of downtown. It is the result of an extensive process designed to elicit the opinions from a variety of stakeholders with interest in the future of downtown Ferguson. It has been reviewed, commented on and revised to accurately reflect the desires of the community. By adopting the 2008 Downtown Strategic Development Plan, the City will take a significant step in advancing the economic vitality of downtown Ferguson by prescribing the actions needed to attain its full potential.
