REMINDER: Tonight, You Can Help Determine Geneva Downtown's Future

This is like the Rose Bowl of public meetings to determine the fate of Geneva's downtown—it's the granddaddy of .

City officials want you, me, everybody to participate in the Geneva Downtown Master PlanVision Charrette/Workshop to be held at 7 p.m. today (Wednesday, March 9) in the Cafeteria, 416 McKinley Ave.

After several months of work, the Downtown Master Plan Advisory Committee, and the city’s planning consultant, Houseal Lavigne Associates, have gathered and
analyzed downtown data on existing conditions, and conducted workshops, surveys, and focus group discussions to find out what Genevan’s think about downtown; ideas, suggestions, concerns and issues that should be addressed in a 20-year vision and plan for the future.

The results are captured in a 106-page report titled, “City of Geneva Existing Synthesis Report for Downtown." The report is on the city of Geneva website, and can be downloaded by clicking on the blue button at the bottom of the city’s home page (www.geneva.il.us).

During the March 9 Charrette/Workshop, participants will explore, examine, discuss and assess alternative approaches to issues such as new residential development, adaptive reuse and expansion of buildings, parking, transit, pedestrian and bicycle movement, priority redevelopment sites, scale and intensity of new development, mixed-use development opportunities, open space, historic preservation priorities and uses for government facilities and sites.

Participants will be “city planners” for the evening. Based on discussion, participants will formulate detailed ideas and concepts on how to further improve the downtown. The Charrette will be participatory and interactive, utilizing both large group and small group discussion formats.

Residents, business owners and others will be able to discuss and explore alternatives prior to the development of plan recommendations. Illustrative renderings, three-dimensional analysis, and other visualization techniques will be used to help stimulate ideas and facilitate discussion.

After the Charrette, results will be reported, and preliminary Vision Statements,
Principles, and Goals and Objectives for the downtown will be prepared. These
products will guide preparation of alternative concept plans, and discussion of the pros and cons of alternative plans and actions. Later on detailed plan recommendations and policies will be formed (based on continuing community dialogue) that advance the best practices.

If you have any questions or comments on the downtown master plan, please contact Dick Untch, Director of Community Development for the city of Geneva, at (630) 232-0818, or duntch@geneva.il.us.