|
Downtown Osceola, Wisconsin
"Surviving Construction"
Downtown
Professionals Network (DPN) was retained by the National Trust Main
Street Center and Wisconsin Main Street to provide its "Surviving
Construction" Technical Assistance Service to the Osceola (WI) Main
Street Chamber in advance of street and streetscape improvement
projects slated for construction in 2005-2006.
Construction
projects in downtown commercial districts pose menacing challenges.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) project to
reconstruct the State Highway 35 (Cascade Street) Box Culvert, along
with Village of Osceola and WisDOT street improvement and
streetscape enhancement projects addressing portions of Cascade
Street, Chieftan Street, 1st Avenue and 2nd Avenue in the downtown
Osceola area will, predictably, disrupt traffic flow and access to
the downtown area, create added pressures on available parking, and
make it difficult at times for customers to access businesses.
The concerted
efforts of stakeholders, working together to orchestrate planning,
management and communications efforts throughout all phases of the
construction projects, will be key to minimizing disruptions to
downtown commerce and for maintaining the "way of life" in downtown
Osceola. "Surviving Construction" technical assistance was designed
to bring stakeholders together, to identify potential challenges and
opportunities related to the project, and to foster increased levels
of communication and cooperation among stakeholders that will be
significant to their collective abilities to address challenges and
capitalize on opportunities.
Work sessions, focus groups and a
visual assessment conducted during a two-day site visit
provided insight on issues and concerns expressed by community
leaders and downtown business community members. Key business issues
and concerns expressed by local participants were generally related
to two distinct threats:
A more detailed analysis of concerns,
issues, challenges and opportunities identified by local
participants throughout the course of the site visit provided a
basis for a 6-point “Action Agenda” comprised of projects and
activities in the following areas:
1.
Pedestrian Access
2.
Transportation
3.
Parking
4.
Marketing & Events
5.
Scheduling & Staging
6.
Project Planning &
Management
While there is
probably no realistic means of completely avoiding disruptions
caused by a downtown street and streetscape reconstruction project,
the 6-point Action Agenda provides a basis for community efforts
aimed at surviving - and thriving - during the upcoming construction
period. In fact, the Osceola project offers new opportunities for
the Osceola Main Street Chamber, the Village of Osceola and downtown
businesses to work together, to experiment with new projects, to
involve new partners, and to initiate new downtown management and
marketing programs that could even extend beyond the construction
project’s completion. |
